Good news on health care rolls in

After two weeks of setbacks, the last 24 hours have proven to be a turning point in the fight for universal health care.

As President Obama grabbed the spotlight and held another health care centered town hall, under the radar, more tangible steps were taken towards the elusive legislative victory that has haunted American Presidents for more than fifty years.

First, Al Franken was finally named the 2nd Senator of Minnesota, and more importantly, the 60th Democrat in the United States Senate. And perhaps seeing the tea leaves, but more likely just caving to the constant pressure from the White House, the American Medical Association suddenly reversed course and said they were “open” to a public option in the health care bill.

CNN) — The new president of the American Medical Association, which represents the interests of the nation’s doctors, said Wednesday the group is open to a government-funded health insurance option for people without coverage.

Dr. J. James Rohack told CNN that the AMA supports an “American model” that includes both “a private system and a public system, working together.”

In May, the AMA told a Senate committee it did not support a government-sponsored public health insurance option.

Meanwhile, Senators Ted Kennedy and Chris Dodd revised their own health care plan, which came under scrutiny two weeks ago for being too costly to garner widespread support, yet still kept the public option and brought the cost down to $600 billion over ten years.

WASHINGTON — Democrats on a key Senate Committee outlined a revised and far less costly health care plan Wednesday night that includes a government-run insurance option and an annual fee on employers who do not offer coverage to their workers.

The plan carries a 10-year price tag of slightly over $600 billion, and would lead toward an estimated 97 percent of all Americans having coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and Chris Dodd said in a letter to other members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The AP obtained a copy.

By contrast, an earlier, incomplete proposal carried a price tag of roughly $1 trillion and would have left millions uninsured, CBO analysts said in mid-June.

While that is all terrific news, there is one more point to note: After President Obama held yet another hour long seminar on every facet of the debate today, critics claimed it was light on details. And I agree. He did not specify–when talking to the woman crying about the breast cancer she can’t afford treatment for–exactly how much she will have to pay in premiums for her six months of chemotherapy while including the costs of the future checkups, mammograms, and additional medication she will need if she were to survive.

But then again, I’m not exactly sure what these people are looking for when they say “details.” I am just curious as to who these people think has a better grasp of “details” and is willing to display it on camera ? Don’t get me wrong, criticism should be welcome on such a pressing issue and I don’t claim the President has a perfect plan anymore than anyone else does.

Just please name one person who is spitting out “details” better than this. Please. And obviously I’m excluding Peter Orzag, the White House Budget Director.