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Sparring over health care: Alcee Hastings tells the GOP "You don't know what all of the American people think"

With President Obama scheduled to visit House Democrats today, the debate over his health care reform effort rages in Congress.

The House Rules Committee is meeting now to determine the official rules for the debate -- a day ahead of the expected House vote.

CNN reports on an "particularly spirited portion of the meeting," quoting Rep. Alcee Hastings as telling Republicans who are vowing to block the bill: "You all in the minority continue to say what the American people think. You don't know what all of the American people think. And you certainly don't know what those in my constituency think."

Sounds like a heck of a meeting: The National Review quotes Hastings as suggesting Democrats are making it up as they go along: "There ain't no rules here, we're trying to accomplish something. . . .All this talk about rules. . . .When the deal goes down . . . we make 'em up as we go along."

Republican Senate hopeful Marco Rubio today called it "unconscionable" that Florida Democrats Allen Boyd and Suzanne Kosmas -- past "no votes" -- now say they'll vote to back the bill.

"Floridians deserve leaders they can trust to not bend in the wind on a critical issue like this, either to the demands of party bosses or to try to win a primary," he said -- (an apparent dig at his primary rival, Gov. Charlie Crist?)

Kendrick Meek, the leading Democratic Senate candidate, says Rubio "doesn't get it.

"As for me, I'm proud to stand on the right side of history," Meek said today. "When the House votes on the health care bill this weekend, I intend to vote yes, just like I did November.

"Even though the bill isn't perfect, I'm voting yes to more affordable care for Florida families."

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