More health care news:

►  From NPR -- Republicans spurn once favored mandate -- For Republicans, the idea of requiring every American to have health insurance is one of the most abhorrent provisions of health care reform. "Congress has never crossed the line between regulating what people choose to do and ordering them to do it," said Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT). "The difference between regulating and requiring is liberty." But Hatch's opposition is ironic, or some would say, politically motivated. The last time Congress debated a health overhaul, when Bill Clinton was president, Hatch and other Republican senators who now oppose this "mandate" supported a bill that would have required it.

►  In the USA Today -- Poll shows health care plan gains favor -- More Americans now favor than oppose the health care overhaul that President Obama signed into law, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds -- a turnaround from before the vote that showed a plurality against the legislation.  

►  Today from AP -- Republican senators in final drive to stall health reform -- They plan to force Democrats to run a gantlet of politically dicey votes on amendments to a "sidebar" bill making agreed-to changes. Voting could start today on amendments on everything from scaling back a tax on high-cost insurance plans to prohibiting coverage of Viagra for sex offenders.

►  In The Hill -- AFL-CIO "No" on reconciliation changes is a "yes" for reform -- While Republicans plan amendments, including some that could be seen as favorable to labor, the AFL-CIO urges senators to vote "no" because they are the GOP's attempts to derail the reconciliation bill.

►  In today's NY Times -- In health care bill, Obama attacks wealth inequality -- The bill he signed is the federal government’s biggest attack on economic inequality since inequality began rising more than three decades ago. Over most of that period, government policy and market forces have been increasing inequality. The pretax incomes of the wealthy have soared since the late 1970s, while their tax rates have fallen more than rates for the middle class and poor. Nearly every major aspect of the health bill pushes in the other direction.

►  At SeattlePI.com -- Seattle boy's big day with Obama -- Marcelas Owens, an 11-year-old fifth grader at Seattle's Orca K-8 school, stood at Barack Obama's side as the president signed health care reform into law. Owens, whose mother died in 2007 after she lost her job and her insurance, has been a darling of Democrats since the health care debate began to escalate toward a conclusion this month. Owens and his family had campaigned for health care reform on behalf of the local Washington Community Action Network long before Sen. Patty Murray met him and helped propel his story to the national stage.

Boeing news:

Murray: Airbus subsidies illegal, harming U.S. workers

“Today’s final (WTO) ruling puts any doubts to rest -- launch aid is an illegal subsidy that has cost American jobs, hurt our ability to compete, and damaged our overall economy... It’s clear that the A330, the very plane Airbus would offer our military (if the Pentagon accommodates its request for more time to submit a tanker bid), has received illegal subsidies that have hurt American workers... It's time to stop bending over backwards to meet the demands of an illegally subsidized foreign company and to move forward with providing America's military with an American-made tanker.” Read Sen. Murray's entire statement.

►  From AP -- WTO rules against Airbus over subsidies -- The World Trade Organization ruled Tuesday that European governments unfairly financed Airbus and harmed the fortunes of rival U.S. planemaker Boeing. Officials with knowledge of the confidential ruling said it upheld findings of an interim decision handed down last September that faulted European governments for providing Airbus with subsidies through risk-free loans, research funding and infrastructure support. “This is a powerful, landmark judgment and good news for aerospace workers across America who for decades have had to compete against a heavily subsidized Airbus,” Boeing said in a statement.
►  In today's Seattle Times -- Boeing, Airbus disagree on impact of WTO subsidy ruling -- Most important for Boeing is whether Airbus can continue to get launch loans in future. But Airbus disputes the significance of the ruling and said the A350 launch aid will go ahead as planned.

►  In the Chicago Tribune -- Boeing can do it better than Airbus (letter by Illinois AFL-CIO President Michael Carrigan) -- Boeing can build the tankers the Air Force needs now, doing the job better, cheaper and faster, while creating 50,000 U.S. manufacturing jobs. That's a stimulus program that both parties should be able to support.