John Heilemann is Getting the Hang of Things Around Here

The sign of a comfortable guest is one who takes shots at the I-Man almost immediately upon arriving on set. New York Magazine’s National Political Correspondent John Heilemann is officially that kind of guest. He’s also the co-author of Game Change, which, after weeks at the top, was recently knocked down to #3 on the New York Times Bestseller List by Mitt Romney’s new book.

But Heliemann took it in stride, promising Imus, “If you’re nice to me, I’ll tell you a Mitt Romney story later in the show.” Oh, goody!

The Congressional Budget Office reported yesterday that the health care bill being bandied about in the House will actually reduce the deficit over ten years, which was good news for the Democrats. Though the CBO is largely seen as a neutral arbiter, Heilemann is skeptical of its conclusions.

“It’s always absurd to be trying to predict what any bill is going to cost ten years from now,” he said. “Especially when it’s something this big that affects one-sixth of the economy.”

He thinks that for the first time in this nine-month process, President Obama’s health care bill is pretty close to passing. While the Democrats are short a few votes in, Heilemann has complete faith in Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

“Whatever you think of her ideology and in terms of policy, she’s pretty good at getting votes together when she needs to,” he said. In fact, many Democrats think she is one of the most effective speakers at that particular task.

Even though some Democrats are reluctant to give this bill their vote, Heliemann believes Obama’s recent tone will push them across the finish line. “The President is being very straightforward now with people, saying, ‘Look, the fate of the party, my fate as President rest now on this bill,’” he said.

As for whether Obama cares more about preserving his presidency than about passing health care reform, Heilemann thinks the two are not mutually exclusive. Though Obama began this pursuit believing all Americans should be insured and that health care costs need to be brought under control, circumstances have become such that it is now also politically essential that something is passed.

Some of Imus’s friends believe that Obama’s desire to reform health care is just a slippery slope to him taking away everybody’s guns, and tying up people’s wives. Imus acknowledged that these people are mostly insane.

“They kind of would have to be,” said Heilemann. “To be friends with you.”

Which brings us to the Mitt Romney story: During a flight to Los Angeles last week, on which Halperin was in first class and Heilemann was not, Halperin was reading Romney’s book, entitled No Apology.

“The flight attendant walks by, and she thinks the picture on the front is John Edwards,” Heilemann said. “She leans in, pushes the book jacket up, and says, ‘No Apology? Not even to his wife?’”

That unfortunate scenario led Heilemann to conclude, “If that confusion persists, it’s going to be a problem for Romney with Republican voters in 2012.”

It’s also going to be hilarious.

-Julie Kanfer