"History is knocking on the door. Let's open it. Let's begin the debate." So declared Max Baucus as the Senate weighed whether to take up a controversial proposal to reform America's bloated health system. He can be excused for gushing a bit, as the head of the Senate's Finance Committee deserves most of the credit for getting health reform as far as it has come this year. Soon after he uttered those words on November 21st, the chamber's Democratic leadership managed to cajole enough of his wavering colleagues to secure 60 votes, the minimum needed to proceed with debate.
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