Biden Tries to Quell Democrat Rebellion in House

Joe Biden will head to Capitol Hill today in an attempt to win over Democrats furious about President Obama’s deal on the Bush tax cuts. Democratic lawmakers discovered a shocking level of consensus when they huddled to discuss the deal yesterday, the Huffington Post reports: Every last speaker agreed that it was an overpriced giveaway to the rich. “We got rolled,” one congressman told The Hill. Even Blue Dogs opposed the deal, complaining about its budget-busting implications.

“I don’t think the president should count on Democratic votes to get this deal passed,” said Rep. Anthony Weiner. Even if all House Republicans vote for the bill, Obama still needs 39 Democrats. One lawmaker predicted he'd get them "if our leadership brings it to the floor, which is not certain." The Senate, meanwhile, looks to be easier for once. Biden won over a number of Democrats there yesterday, and Joe Lieberman tells the Wall Street Journal he’s confident it’ll pass. (More Barack Obama stories.)