Former President Bill Clinton addressed the Senate Democrats in a private meeting today, but that did not change the reality, as Illinois Senator Dick Durbin made it clear that the most that can be hoped for by Christmas is that the Senate might pass its own health care bill.
But, of course, the conference committee must then reconcile the bills from the House and Senate, and that will not be an easy task. It might just be impossible, in reality.
Both Clinton and President Obama have made clear that the Democrats will suffer in next year’s midterm elections if no bill is passed into law, that even if the bill is not perfect, lack of action will be worse.
I tend to agree with this assessment, but the likelihood is that IF a bill finally does pass over many hurdles and obstacles, it will be in the spring of 2010, not Christmas! 🙁