House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has an impressive record with passing big votes, but according to this article on The Hill a robust public option may be too much for the Congress to handle. Pelosi is relying on a complex series of whips to keep the factional Democratic party in line. There are two votes that will be particularly hard for her to get: Rep. Frank Kratovil (Md.): Kratovil is considered one of the most endangered Democrats in this year’s freshman class. He became the poster child for incivility when protesters hanged him in effigy. So it was a surprise when Pelosi snagged his vote on climate change by making Maryland farmers eligible for as much as $1 billion in incentives for reducing emissions. But she might not get him this time; Kratovil has said he’s a no on the healthcare ...

One of the traits that people prize most in dogs is loyalty. However, the question then becomes loyalty to whom or what? In the case of the "Blue Dog Caucus," the group of Congressional Democrats that has emerged as the major player in health care reform, it appears that its loyalty is first and foremost to its big campaign contributors -- the health insurance firms and the drug companies. The general claim that they make is that they are worried about the fiscal consequences of health care reform, but when it comes to specifics, they are most opposed to the very elements of the reform package that are most likely to be successful in driving down the overall cost. It is easy to figure out why the GOP is united in opposition to the primary plans being debated in Congress. (Some members of the GOP have proposed ...

In last week's edition of Trading Tools, drug maker Johnson & Johnson (JNJ) was dissected, as the Dow component surfaced on the Zacks Unusually High Option Volume screener. Utilizing the same filter today, a different equity caught my eye: Indianapolis-based health insurance issue WellPoint, Inc. (WLP).

< ?DART(15);?> Before we begin, let's explain the contrarian stance that makes Schaeffer's so unique. When searching for a bullish pick, we like to see heavy skepticism toward an outperforming stock, as this leaves ample room for upgrades or other positive catalysts to fuel the stock higher. When searching for a bearish pick, on the other hand, contrarians are looking for significant bullish sentiment toward an underperforming stock, as we believe an excess of optimism is a sign that everyone has already bought into the stock and sideline money is virtually tapped out.

Nevertheless, keep in mind that some optimism

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