In fairness, the economy’s already well down the road to ruin so we shouldn’t blame health care overly much for that. A minor detail per today’s NYT number-crunch: Insuring the uninsured will cost $120 billion a year — assuming the program runs as efficiently as they’re hoping, which it won’t — and they’ve only come up with, er, $30 billion so far. Possible solutions include tax hikes (“probably necessary” in the short term), cutting tens of billions in wasteful spending (good luck), or rolling back part of the deduction for employer-provided health insurance, which could help if not for the fact that it was McCain’s proposal during the campaign and would therefore require The One to swallow part of his ego. I.e. forget it. Ah well. I’m sure they’ll figure something out. Maybe later, after the bill’s already passed.

Anyone else get the feeling that not only is the GOP demoralized on this issue but worrisomely disorganized too? They only way they’ll have any leverage over the final product is to wage an exceedingly shrewd media campaign about universal health care’s weaknesses. Instead, radio silence thus far. Gulp.