60-39

It's either a good thing and an historical occasion, or it's a travesty of broken promises and missed opportunity. Time will tell.

Of course, it isn't done until a reconciliation bill is passed, and we'll see how that turns out.

I take no joy in this, but I also don't agree with those who think the senate health care reform bill should have been killed.

In this dysfunctional congress, I challenge anyone to name just one senator who voted against this bill but would have voted for a more progressive bill. Because you would need a bunch of those to make up for those who voted for it that you would lose on a more progressive bill.

I can't think of a single one -- because they're all Republicans who have vowed to kill anything the Democrats come up with. So it's either this one or no bill at all in this congress. And if that happens, any hope of a more liberal congress after the 2010 elections is dead. In fact, it would be quite the opposite; and health care reform will be dead for another decade.

That's what I think.

The end game on this is not about what's best for the people; it's about politics, power, and money. It's ugly, but it's the reality we have to deal with. And Obama knows that.

Ralph