On the eve of Saturday's showdown in the Senate over health-care
reform, Democratic
leaders still hadn't secured the support of Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-
La.), one of the 60 votes
needed to keep the legislation alive. The wavering lawmaker was
offered a sweetener: at
least $100 million in extra federal money for her home state.

And so it came to pass that Landrieu walked onto the Senate floor
midafternoon Saturday
to announce her aye vote -- and to trumpet the financial "fix" she had
arranged for Louisiana.
"I am not going to be defensive," she declared. "And it's not a $100
million fix. It's a $300
million fix."