Reid Rules Out Reconciliation?

Senate majority leader Harry Reid today seemed to rule out a reconciliation vote on health care.

But will he find some wiggle room later if he needs it?

My colleague on Capitol Hill, ABC News' Z. Byron Wolf has the latest:

Democrats in the Senate had another celebratory press conference today — still two days before they’re likely to face the first procedural hurdle on Harry Reid’s health care bill.

And Republicans continued blasting reform efforts, targeting individual Democrats agonizing over this weekend’s likely cloture vote.

At the Democrats’ press conference, supporters, some wearing white doctor coats, applauded as Reid and other Democratic leaders entered a packed room.

“This Congress. This President are going to sign into a law a national health care law for all Americans,” declared Sen. Chris Dodd, D-CT.

“For the first time we’re going to enable the American people to take part in a buyers market when it comes to health insurance and not a seller’s market where the insurance industry decides what happens.”

“Never again will an American citizen be denied the kind of health coverage they deserve to have.”
“There was the New Deal. Then there was the Fair Deal. And this is the good deal for the American people,” said Sen. Tom Harkin.

And Reid, while he wouldn’t say if he has the 60 votes he will need to overcome those procedural hurdles, seemed to say he’ll avoid using the “reconciliation” process to bypass Republican and moderate Democratic opposition to pass a bill with only 50 votes.

“I’m not using reconciliation,” he told reporters.

The sound was pretty unequivocal and seemed different from months past when Reid would mention that he has reconciliation in his back pocket.

Reid spokesman said Reid has always been focused on getting a bill to pass through the Senate in normal order.

“For weeks if not months the only thing he has been working on is getting 60 votes,” Manley said.

Republicans are getting more pointed with their criticisms of the bill. Sen. Lamar Alexander said the bill would have the intended consequence of forcing Americans onto the public option.

“For millions of Americans this bill means employers drop your insurance and say congratulations you're in the public plan,” Alexander said.

And playing a much more visible role for Republicans is Sen. Mike Johanns, R-Neb. His state colleague, Democrat Ben Nelson, who supports restricting abortion rights, is one of three Democrats having the most trouble supporting the cloture vote this weekend.

“Some say the motion to proceed is just procedural,” said Johanns in an obvious rib at Nelson.

“This is the pro-life vote,” Johanns said of this first test this weekend.