Nancy Lays Down Her Cards

And daring the GOP to try to beat her hand.

In her most expansive case yet for health reform, Nancy Pelosi argued in a small roundtable with bloggers today that passing it into law would set the stage for a great, long-term debate with the GOP over the proper role of government in our lives — and predicted that it would “take the country in a new direction.”

In the roundtable, Pelosi also provocatively hinted that the House planned to enact further health care reforms once this one is passed, suggesting that this is only the beginning.

And Pelosi also brushed off the claim over the weekend by the House’s number two vote counter, James Clyburn, that the House currently lacked the votes to pass the bill.

Pelosi argued that passing reform would give Dems a tool for drawing a sharp ideological contrast with Republicans and conservatives over time.

“Give them credit for being true to their convictions,” Pelosi said. “They don’t believe in health care for all Americans with any public role in it. That’s by and large what the Republican Party believes.”

Pelosi said passing the bill would allow Dems to undertake a “debate” with Republicans over “what is the balanced role that government should have.”

“We have to take it to the American people, to say, this is the choice that you have,” she said. “This is the vision that they have for your health and well being, and this is the vision that we have.”

Pelosi also clarified Clyburn’s claim over the weekend that Dems didn’t yet have the votes to pass reform. “The reason he said that is we don’t have a bill yet,” she said, though she refused to say how many votes she thought she had in hand.

“I have no intention of not passing this bill,” Pelosi said.

Chips are all in on this one.  Pelosi is confident that this is a done deal,. or will be by this weekend.  The reality may be far different, but she's not showing it.  There are still too many uncommitted members of the House Dems to call victory or defeat here, but there are at least a dozen arms that need twisting if not twenty or more.

Can Pelosi pull this off?