The biggest story in health care reform this year has not been the town hall meetings, or President Obama’s big speech on health care. It’s that the Senate Democrats have decided they’re going to pass a bill. You just haven’t heard much about this story because it’s mostly taken place behind closed doors. (Click here to read Michelle Cottle's devastating and definitive take on health care reform scourge Betsy McCaughey.)

On the evening of January 22, a few hours after his administration's debut news conference, Barack Obama made a surprise visit to the cramped quarters of the White House press corps. It was meant to be a friendly event, and Obama glad-handed his way through reporters and cameramen, exchanging light banter as he went.

"Time is running out, and we need to move forward on this," Senator Barbara Boxer declared in a conference call with reporters last week, referring to global warming. The California Democrat will take over as chair of the Senate's Environment and Public Works Committee in January, and she has already vowed to make climate change a top priority, reversing a decade of inaction by congressional Republicans.