House committee continues health care work, Rove: Conservatives need 'Obamacare' alternative

WASHINGTON -- It's slow going as the Senate Finance Committee wades through hundreds of proposed amendments to the health care overhaul bill.

Republicans sought unsuccessfully to wipe out or reduce the estimated $500 billion in Medicare savings in the legislation. Sen. Jon Kyl, R-Ariz., said it was "disingenuous to say Congress can cut this much ... without having an adverse affect on seniors' access to care."

Democrats have yet to try to change the bill and additional, difficult challenges are certain as Sen. Max Baucus, D-Mont., tries to shepherd the measure toward a vote this fall in the full Senate.

Baucus hopes to hold support from all Democrats on the panel, and perhaps pick up support from Republican Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine as well.

LAS VEGAS -- Former White House adviser Karl Rove says he thinks a health care reform bill will likely pass soon because of the numbers of Democrats in Congress, but probably not the bill they have been pushing for.

Rove said Wednesday night in Las Vegas that conservatives this year will be defined by their opposition to a health care plan pushed by President Barack Obama, which he referred to as "Obamacare."

But Rove says conservatives must come up with a "positive prescription" next year for health care as an alternative.

Rove says conservatives should take timeless principles of freedom, responsibility and free-market solutions and apply them to current circumstances.

Rove spoke at a fundraiser dinner at the Venetian hotel-casino for the Nevada Policy Research Institute, a conservative think tank.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press.  All Rights Reserved.)