The more I read the more discouraged I get about the prospects for meaningful health care reform.

The major action on the Senate side appears to be occurring in Democratic Senator Max Baucus’ office.  Over healthy snacks of chocolate-covered potato chips, Oreo cookies, and beef jerky (couldn’t make up this tidbit if I tried), Senator Baucus and his colleagues appear to have discarded the ideas of allowing a government-run insurance plan to compete with private sector plans, mandating that employers of a certain size provide health insurance, and raising taxes on the rich to fund reform.  In their place, the Senators are likely to propose creating a network of nonprofit cooperatives.  I might feel better about this proposal if I didn’t know that Senator Max Baucus recently held a $10,000 per plate (of chicken cordon bleu) fundraiser for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee that was attended primarily by health care industry executives and raised nearly $1.5 million from these same people in 2007 and 2008.  I also can’t help but wonder why the guy is so thin.

Meanwhile, in the House, health care reform efforts seem to be stalled with open warfare between House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Henry Waxman and “blue dog” Democrats.  At this point, they appear to be talking, but not agreeing.

This is not the kind of debate I expected when I heard President Obama speak of meaningful health care reform last week.  What happened?  I don’t know, but it certainly doesn’t help that The New York Times is sending me a “breaking news alert” that President Obama’s clout on health care reform is eroding, according to a new New York Times/CBS News poll, even though a careful reading of the article suggests overwhelming support for some kind of reform.

Tonight I’m saying a prayer for the quick recovery of Senator Ted Kennedy, the foremost authority on this issue.  His insights are desperately needed right now.

30 July 2009.  UPDATE: Key House members reach a compromise!