From The Hill, Online

The co-chairwoman of the Blue Dog Coalition says that using a controversial “deem and pass” mechanism to pass health care reform would be “poison.”

In a conference call with reporters today, Rep. Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (D-S.D.), who is a “firm no” on the bill itself, said the process Democrats are considering would spell disaster for the climate in Congress.

Neither “reconciliation” nor “deem and pass” have ever before been used by Republicans or Democrats for forcing the passage of controversial bills. These tools were handshakes of agreement on substance with discretion given for minor details in the interest of bureaucratic efficiency.

To Stephanie I say, we already have a spell of disaster in the climate in Congress. There are too few Democrats left in Washington who are as principled as you appear to be.