In the end, in the late hours in Washington D.C.., Speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi delivered the goods. Comprehensive health care reform was voted upon by the House of Representatives, and despite the fact that many in her party have no spine, no guts, she had enough votes to pass the bill. The tally - 220-215. The other tally, if this passes and works, is even more important: 36 million people without coverage would be covered under this plan. The 220 is important; it is more than George W. Bush's tally on the Medicare prescription drug benefit law. On that late evening in December, only 216 vote in favor; 215 voted against. And even with the controversy back then about why the bill was bad and would do bad things, the sky has not fallen, all is fairly well, and Congress continues to work to try to make it better.

The most interesting vote Saturday night was without a doubt the Republican - Joseph Gao, of Louisiana. When I saw his name as voting "yea," I turned to my wife, and said I bet you he is from New Orleans, a black area. 

Of course, this is true. I had forgotten Gao, but perhaps, I hadn't. Gao had beaten William Jefferson, the embattled Louisiana Congressmen, when Jefferson was under siege and under indictment for bribery and other allegations (Jefferson has since been convicted). 

I have no idea why Gao voted for the bill and all of the other Republicans voted against it. The only mention of the bill on his site is a YOU TUBE video announcing he is going home to read the bill. 

However, I can speculate why he voted "yea." 

For one, I suspect his district which encompasses New Orleans, supports health care reform overwhelmingly. Second, considering New Orleans is a major part of the district, the city could use health care reform considering it is still trying to cover from the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, more than four years ago. Finally, he knows his chances of being re-elected are slim considering the district is Democratic, for the most part.