How would reconciliation affect the 2010 Mid-Terms?

[Joe Biden 2020]

The Democrats are threatening to use the reconciliation process, which only requires 51 votes, to ram their health care bills through Congress, basically sticking their tongue out at their Republican colleagues.

My question is how would that affect the mid-terms which are only 13 1/2 months away?  Keep in mind that its already shaping up to be a better year for the Republicans with Obama's slipping approval ratings and the history of the President's party losing seats at the mid-terms.  I know the Bush Administration defied history, but that was also just 13 1/2 months after 9/11/2001 so it doesn't really count.  Also consider that the war in Afghanistan is starting to lose support entering its 9th year, as more and more Americans are conceding Afghanistan as another Vietnam.

[Joe Biden 2020]

How about among independents, a key group that Obama is struggling to hold onto.  This is the group that looks for bi-partisanship more than Republicans or Democrats.  If the Democrats spit in the face of Republicans and thumb their nose at bi-partisanship and "go it alone", to borrow a phrase from the Bush years, will that destroy Obama's image of trying to reach across the aisle that he campaigned on.  Will that hurt the Democrats or affect the make-up of the Congress in anyway on November 2, 2010?