Playing ping-pong with health care “reform”

U.S. Senate and House aides claim to know for certain that Congress plans to bypass a formal conference committee between the two houses to smooth out (significant) differences in the health care proposals passed in the respective chambers.  Instead, the Democrats will “ping-pong” the bill between the two houses until they can reach some sort of agreement.  It’s a significant departure from procedure and open government.

What that means is the Republicans will be completely removed from the picture–giving Democrats the freedom to negotiate a bill that garners Democrats votes in both houses.  Republicans will be completely forced out of the process and the power-crazed Democrats will decide, in closed-door sessions, how to guff up our entire health care system and 1/6th of our economy.