Update: Blue Dog temper-tantrum over, negotiations resume

Posted by AzBlueMeanie:

After stomping out of a meeting earlier in the day and taking their ball to go home, the Blue Dogs got all pissy, whined and threw a temper-tantrum until they got the attention they so much crave. Their childish behavior worked, unfortunately, and was rewarded with concessions from the House leadership. Leadership could use some parenting skills training on how to discipline unruly children.

House Democrats feuded openly over health care Friday before shaking hands on a deal that guaranteed only that they would keep negotiating. Liberal and Conservative Democrats Brawl Over Contents of Health Reform Bill

Rep. Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.), the chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, grew frustrated in his negotiations, and Friday morning, he told the Blue Dogs that their prior conditions were off the table. He accused the conservative coalition of threatening to vote with the GOP members of the committee and derail the legislation, and he suggested that Democrats should simply bypass his committee and hold a vote on health care on the House floor, even though that risked losing the votes of many of the 52 Blue Dogs.

The coalition was furious. Ross (D-Ark.), the leader of the Blue Dogs on Waxman's committee, declared that he was pulling out of his week-long negotiations with Waxman, while another conservative Democrat, Charlie Melancon (D-La.), said, "I feel like I've been lied to."

Lawmakers stormed out of the meeting, lobbing charges at one another.

Hours later the committee reconvened and Waxman apologized to Ross in front of a group of reporters. Shaking hands, the pair said they would continue their negotiations next week.

"Everything that was off the table a couple hours ago is now back on the table," Ross said.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi intervened to mediate the dispute and force the children to play nice with one another. Dems tie accord to Medicare overhaul

House Democrats announced agreement Friday on far-reaching steps designed to rein in the relentless growth of Medicare…

Speaker Nancy Pelosi hailed the agreement as a "giant step forward" for the bill that Obama has made a test of his leadership. Advocates said it eventually would turn Medicare toward a program that rewards quality, rather than volume, as well as alter a system that pays doctors and other providers more in some regions of the country than others.

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Pelosi virtually ordered a small group of Democrats from rural and urban areas to thrash out their differences Thursday on Medicare issues that sound arcane but matter enormously to individual lawmakers and likely will also lead to cuts in spending growth.

Lawmakers said the agreement would lead to changes in Medicare to try and reward doctors, hospitals and other providers for high-quality care. Critics argue the current system simply pays by volume — compensating providers regardless of whether additional medical procedures contribute to better health care.

Under the agreement, the Institute of Medicine would complete a study by September 2011 recommending changes in the current structure for determining reimbursement.

The Obama administration would have 45 days to submit the report to Congress, and it would go into effect unless Congress blocked it by the end of February 2012.

The leadership all but abandoned a pledge to approve legislation before a monthlong vacation scheduled to begin at the end of next week. Maryland Rep. Steny Hoyer, the majority leader, left open the possibility that lawmakers would be held in session a day or more longer than scheduled to allow time for a vote. If not, "We have every intention of passing it by the fall," he said.