Well, that was quick and easy.

This morning, at 11:57 a.m. Eastern time, President Obama signed the health care bill, passed by the House Sunday night on a 219-212 vote. No Republican voted for the measure; 34 Democrats broke with their party and voted no.

Fourteen months of Louisiana Purchases, Bart Stupaks, deems-and-passes, CBO numbers, Slaughter Rules, death panels, public options, allusions to Hitler and Stalin, Max Baucus hearings, Olympia Snowe wooings, Massachusetts Miracles and Tea Party protests later, the health care bill is now the law of the land.

The House has spoken. A huge victory for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who did anything and everything at her disposal to make it happen — even when some thought the president himself was backing away from his commitment to overhauling health care. There were many times in this saga when the momentum had faded, times when outside events (read: Scott Brown) led some to declare the bill dead. Pelosi never gave up, and the fruition was Sunday's vote.

A victory for Obama as well; he campaigned on the issue, promised to see it through, and now it's a reality. There are those who have questioned his strategy all these months, his balancing act of detachment and lobbying, wishing he showed a bit more Lyndon Johnson leg and less fear of duplicating the Clintons' failed strategy of '93-94. But that part is now over.

Even House Republican Leader John Boehner — who in the end was powerless to stop the bill from getting passed — had something to crow about as well: He kept his party united. Not a single GOP member voted for it.

It is hard to remember the last time a bill of this magnitude ever passed a congressional chamber with one party completely opposed to it.

Now the question is whether a legislative victory translates into a political victory in November. Now comes the politics — as if politics wasn't playing a major role all along. A great historic victory, as Vice President Biden said this morning? Or a historic mistake, as Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-TN) said over the weekend? Republicans insist that Democrats in swing districts who voted for the measure will pay the price in November. Democrats counter that voters will reward those who rose to the occasion. The bill's passage may ultimately cost some Democrats their seats. But its rejection might have equally hurt them; as in, why couldn't the party who had the numbers get it passed?

Also remaining to be seen, in the Democrats' euphoria of the bill's passage, is whether labor will go after those Dems — such as New York's Michael McMahon — who voted no.

This may well be the defining moment for this year's midterm elections. With just over seven months of campaigning to go, "reconciliation" is not a word that comes to mind.

Of the 39 Democrats who voted against health care back in November, 37 are still incumbent Democrats. One, Parker Griffith (AL), has since switched to the GOP; another, Eric Massa (NY), was caught in a sex scandal and resigned his seat. Here are the 37 and how they voted on Sunday evening:

NO VOTES SWITCHING TO YES (8): Brian Baird (WA), John Boccieri (OH), Allen Boyd (FL), Bart Gordon (TN), Suzanne Kosmas (FL), Dennis Kucinich (OH), Betsy Markey (CO), Scott Murphy (NY).

NO VOTES STAYING NO (29): John Adler (NJ), Jason Altmire (PA), John Barrow (GA), Dan Boren (OH), Rick Boucher (VA), Bobby Bright (AL), Ben Chandler (KY), Travis Childers (MS), Artur Davis (AL), Lincoln Davis (TN), Chet Edwards (TX), Stephanie Herseth Sandlin (SD), Tim Holden (PA), Larry Kissell (NC), Frank Kratovil (MD), Jim Marshall (GA), Jim Matheson (UT), Mike McIntyre (NC), Charlie Melancon (LA), Walt Minnick (ID), Michael McMahon (NY), Glenn Nye (VA), Collin Peterson (MN), Mike Ross (AR), Heath Shuler (NC), Ike Skelton (MO), John Tanner (TN), Gene Taylor (MS), Harry Teague (NM).

Democrats voting YES in November who voted NO on Sunday: Michael Arcuri (NY), Marion Berry (AR), Dan Lipinski (IL), Stephen Lynch (MA), Zach Space (OH).

Republicans voting YES in November who voted NO on Sunday: Joseph Cao (LA).

Tags: On The Ballot