The first words out of Politico's mouth say it all and more: "Pelosi wins the day."

The article drips with a singularly offensive kind of licentious liberal love. It is an article Americans of all political persuasions should read. Unwittingly, Jonathan Allen, a so-called reporter slash journalist slash political commentator, shows explicitly and unilaterally what is wrong with today's mainstream media, the Democratic Party and perhaps politics in general: Power. Prestige. Ego.

What else can you call it, when Allen brags what Pelosi was willing to do for her legacy, for her reputation? Gone is the focus on the American People, the moms and pops who are holding down two jobs to make enough money to feed and clothe their kids; kids who are trying to pass writing proficiency exams so they can graduate from high school, while their older brothers and sisters try to find jobs in a down economy, after receiving one of the world's worst public educations.

And gone is media balance and objectivity. Politico heralds Pelosi's win is an example of "harnessing her uncommon focus, vote-counting acumen and consensus-building skills to bring tens of millions of Americans a giant leap closer to having health insurance coverage with a 220-215 roll call." Yet the same could be said of her opposition. Very nearly half the residents of Pelosi's House, 49.43%, voted against her version of the bill: all of the Republicans minus one (Cao of New Orleans) were joined by 39 of Pelosi's fellow Democrats, those unafraid to defy her.

If Cao and just 2 more less-devoted Dems had resisted Pelosi's power-clean tactics, she would have been defeated. The dirty truth Allen doesn't want you to know is, Pelosi won by just .7%, which mathematically, at least, is very, very close, and certainly not "easy."

Yet Pelosi claims it was. Really? Her supporters gleefully quip that Madam Speaker apparently doesn't eat, she doesn't sleep and she strips her fellow Dems of their chairmanships and backs their opponents in primaries if they displease her. Even rivals praise her focus, vision, tenacity and energy. Yet she must use every tool – persuasion, threat, reward, retribution – to put together coalitions and muscle her opponents to bend to her will.

This bill's passage was easy? Why, then, did it require President Obama's multiple visits to strong arm Congress? Why did legions of Cabinet secretaries and White House aides' visit the Hill? Why did she need House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer’s deft touch with conservative Blue Dog Democrats, or Majority Whip Jim Clyburn's vote-counting lieutenants, or thousands of phone calls and faxes from liberal grassroots organizations back home to help her limp across the finish line to victory?

If it was so easy, why did Pelosi have to employ a hush-hush, rush-rush, Saturday night roll call vote when We, the People, were busy getting ready for date night?

And what of Pelosi's personal morals and values, as well as promises to her uber-liberal peeps in San Francisco? To pass this version of the more than 2000-page bill, Pelosi compromised her own pro-abortion stance, cutting an amendment deal with anti-abortion Democrats that will prohibit federal funds from subsidizing abortions. Then she threatened to punish Republicans if they voted against her history-making amendment concession, a nice touch.

Bettors on both sides wonder whether Pelosi's victory will be short-lived, since her win wrestled reluctant votes from recalcitrant Democrats who will face even tougher re-elections and very possible defeats in 2010. The very passing of her bill, to create her history-making legacy, may result in a redistribution of power in the very House she currently leads. Unbridled ego may just cause the untimely (in her mind) end of Her Majesty Pelosi's reign.

In the meantime, it's Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's turn to wield power. He has the daunting task of getting Pelosi's bill or some version of it passed in the Senate. Whatever bill it is will have to please the President to garner his required signature. The question is, will Reid succeed? Will the American People let him? Will Pelosi's version of health care reform pass, or will the Senate coalesce and not coerce both sides of America to get it right? Can and will the Senate pass a reform bill that actually fixes what is wrong with health care while leaving Americans the freedoms our Constitution promised?

Or will they make it worse?