As of a little while ago, the House of Representatives passed H.R. 3962 after a lot of foot-dragging and fear-mongering. The vote was narrow, as to be expected, but was made bipartisan through a single Republican vote (which goes to show that conscience can sometimes win out over profit).

Let me be clear on something, though. Even with my natural inclination towards histrionics and hyperbole, this is not a very good bill. It's been whittled away and squandered by subcommittees and amendments to where it's not as effective as it ever could have been. What it does show, however, is promise; the promise that one day we can work to make universal health care work. And with a single payer option.

Now on to the hard stuff... the Senate. As my good friend Bill once said, how I hope and pray that they will get this done before I'm 64.

The point is, an ideal won out tonight, and that's a damn good start, even with a flawed bill. Also, the Baucus bill sucks.

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