Well, how about that for a St. Patrick's lucky charm!

Kucinich's preamble continued at great length before he finally got to the telltale line: "I know I have to make a decision, not on the bill as I would like to see it, but as it is."

He reached this pragmatism after some quality time with Obama and after the president traveled to Kucinich's home town to try to persuade the Democratic holdout. It was a flattering moment for the congressman, who as a young mayor of Cleveland years ago led the city into default. Keeping the spotlight on himself, he scheduled a news conference to announce his vote -- setting up what would be a very public rebuke of Obama or an equally public buckling by the lawmaker.

More than 50 people crammed into the small studio for the event, taking up so much space that Kucinich's wife watched on a closed-circuit TV in the next room. The congressman, in a camel-hair jacket and a red paisley tie, viewed the crowd with a satisfied smile, then climbed atop a six-inch box so his face would be above the microphone.

He luxuriated in all the attention Obama had given him -- "four separate meetings" -- and said he had come away with "a real sense of compassion for our president and what he's going through in this." The presidential wooing reminded Kucinich of "the big mistake that we get into here" in Washington, "that we become so intractable we just forget to talk to each other."

A reporter from the Washington Times tried to razz Kucinich by reminding him of some of the terrible things he once said about the health-care legislation. "It's not the bill I want," the lawmaker acknowledged. "So I have to ask myself: Am I going to just rest on my philosophical position here?" Instead, he continued, "there is a moment of decision you have to make, not looking at the bill as you want it, but as it is."

Dana Milbank

WaPo 3-18-10