WASHINGTON (March 14, 2010)--The White House is backing down from its effort to try to get senators to remove some special deals from the health care reform bill.

Senior adviser David Axelrod said the White House only objected to deals that affected just one state, such as the one involving Medicaid and Nebraska that's being cut from the legislation.

Axelrod says that deals that could apply to more than one state are OK, which means deals pushed by senators from Montana and Connecticut would be fine because they're written in such a way that other states could potentially qualify.

It's a change from a couple days ago when press secretary Robert Gibbs singled out the Montana and Connecticut deals and said
President Barack Obama wanted them out of the bill.

Axelrod spoke on ABC's "This Week."

Meanwhile, the Democrats' chief vote counter in the House says there aren't enough votes right now to pass Mr. Obama's health care overhaul measure, but Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., said he's confident that the legislation will pass.

He said the White House and Democratic leaders in Congress have gotten to the point where there's a way to send the measure to the president's desk for his signature.

Clyburn told NBC's "Meet the Press" that "a comfort level" has been reached among the House, Senate and White House on details about the sweeping legislation, but he conceded that House supporters don't have the necessary votes right now.

House Democratic leaders are pressing for a vote on their bill as early as this coming week.