the apple on the tree is ripening

it's not very often i am able to report on something good happening in congress, but today i take joy reporting about this one:

At a time when Congress has been torn by partisan battles, 24 ideologically disparate leaders representing the health care industry, corporations and unions, and conservative and liberal groups have been meeting secretly for months to seek a consensus on proposals to provide coverage for the growing number of people with no health insurance.

--NYT