Sure, the big news out of Utah today was that Senator Bob Bennett’s career ended at the hand of the GOP invasion by teabaggers, but across town, US House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer couldn’t convince Democrats to spare their Blue Dog anti-HCR-vote Congressman, Jim Matheson, a primary.

While lots of House Blue Dogs say they’re keeping an open mind on the final vote, nothing has changed on the political landscape where the same people continually worried about challenges from their right and habitually unwilling to take stands on Democratic priorities and principles would suddenly change their worldviews. I would be surprised if more than a handful changed their vote. Which means that Speaker Pelosi will have a difficult job getting to 218, no matter what comes out of the conference committee.