This report from the NRCC certainly points to some shady timing on the announcement of a water deal long sought by “Blue Dog” Democrats Dennis Cardoza and Jim Costa, but if this deal influenced Cardoza and Costa, it happened a while ago: They both voted yes on the House bill in November, but not as part of the Stupak bloc. Still, it might have been the kind of deal that was promised last year, but held hostage until the House closed in on a final vote, or maybe Cardoza and Costa threatened to defect, prompting the Department of the Interior to make an early announcement. (“Typically, Reclamation would release the March allocation update around March 22nd, but moved up the announcement at the urging of Senators Feinstein and Boxer, and Congressmen Costa and Cardoza,” the Department stated in a release.) It’s fishy, but it doesn’t really affect the whip count.