After being driven to "despair" at the prospects of Americans receiving healthcare, Representative Bachmann called on her Tea Party constituency to “scare” members of Congress into killing healthcare reform. “Republican organizers are planning for activists to go into the House office buildings and the U.S. Capitol and confront members directly.” Leave it to the right to try and intimidate Congress with a plebian mob.

In surveying the news about today's rally I am reminded of an old joke about Brooks Brothers, the venerable men's tailor founded in 1818. It runs every time that there's a funeral, Brooks Brothers loses another customer. The same might be said for conservatism. Here's how the New York Times describes the angrier-than-thou Bachmann insurgents that have descended upon the Capitol by the thousands to make a "House Call" as she put it.

A series of spot interviews suggests that the protesters have come to Washington from all across the country - Texas, Ohio, Oregon and the greater Washington area. It's a generally older crowd, many in their 50s and 60s, predominantly, white, and many self-identified as Christians. They are fiercely conservative and deeply skeptical of the government, many of them adamantly opposed to abortion rights.

More angry white fundamentalist Christians who live in rural areas and read Free Republic. Talk about your dying demographic. This is the death cry of conservatism. I tend to agree with Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida who thinks we are "witnessing the disintegration of a major political party."

Steve Benen of the Washington Monthly thinks Representative Bachmann chose today because it's Guy Fawkes Night, the 304th anniversary of foiled plot by English Catholics to blow up the British Parliament and assassinate James I, the first Stuart monarch. I doubt that Bachmann is that versed in English history.

Rather than listen to the deranged or try to read the mind of the clinically insane, I'll take my cue from Congressman Steny Hoyer, the second-ranking House Democrat, who said House leaders expect to have the 218 votes needed to pass on Saturday. It's over for the Republicans. There will be healthcare reform. From the Associated Press:

Hoyer acknowledged the vote could be tight, though, and timing of action in the Senate remains uncertain.

"I wouldn't refer to it as a squeaker, but I think it's going to be close," Hoyer said in an interview with wire service reporters. "This is a huge undertaking."

The Maryland Democrat said language on abortion and illegal immigrants was still being worked out, but predicted those issues could be solved by Saturday.

"We certainly have well over 218 people who say they want to vote for the bill," Hoyer said.

"The trick is making sure they have a comfort level with the provisions they are particularly focused on to allow them to do so," he said.

Obama planned a rare trip to the House on Friday to try to win over wavering lawmakers.

Now that's more like it. That's a long overdue "House Call."