Later this week, a White House conference -- featuring interestgroups (natch) and lawmakers from both sides of the aisle (for now)-- will get together to start talking health care. Might as well,since the president already threw out a $634 billion downpayment.

(For the record, this is me not writing about the latest AIGbailout package.)

And since we don't have enough to worry about right now, SenateFinance Committee Chairman Max Baucus threw down a (latex) gauntletwith his declaration yesterday that he wanted a health care reformpackage for Congress to look at come August.

(Am I the only one who feels like maybe we should reconsiderthis whole bailout business? And I mean across the board. Is thereany way to return all these broken businesses we've bought? Thesethings are in worse shape than some of the foreclosed houses outthere.)

Now this summer, and the health care talk that will come out ofit, will show us all just how serious the Obama administration isabout bipartisan legislation. And how extreme its position onhealth care might be? Federal health plans and subsidies are onething, but the last thing we need is another Medicare. We can'teven fund the one we've got.

(And is it me or have American taxpayers handed out more loansthan Money Tree, lately? At least they get a killer return on thosepayday loans.)

And while we definitely need to stay out in front of any healthcare overhaul talk, my own personal concern is outweighed by thefederal government's track record of slow, shallow reform. I mean,from looking at Obama's own stimulus plan, it's clear that thisadministration's idea of reform is changing a rule (COBRA) but nottelling anyone how it works (subsidies funded by payrolltaxes?).

I honestly hope they know what they're doing, because the restof us are still trying to figure it out.