The Senate continues to advance its version of health care reform. Final Passage is expected by Christmas Eve. The American Medical Association endorsed the Senate bill. Meanwhile, a new Quinnipiac poll shows voters disapproving of health care reform by 53 percent to 36 percent. Maybe that's why Obama seemed grouchy in remarks yesterday in the Diplomatic Reception Room. "I just want to be clear," Obama said, "for all those who are continually carping about how this is somehow a big spending government bill, this cuts our deficit by $132 billion the first 10 years, and by over a trillion in the second. That argument that opponents are making against this bill does not hold water." On the contrary. The deficit reduction in the first 10 years is based, in part, on Congress implementing "doc fix," which it has never done before. And the CBO has said that its second-decade projections are pretty sketchy: "These longer-term calculations assume that the provisions are enacted and remain unchanged throughout the next two decades. However, the legislation would maintain and put into effect a number of procedures that might be difficult to sustain over a long period of time." You know what happens when you "assume"! The next step is merging the House and Senate bills. Hurdles remain. The abortion language needs to be reconciled. The financing needs to be straightened out, since the two bills pay for themselves in different ways. The left needs to be appeased. And whatever the result, the White House will have to pivot quickly to convince a skeptical public. For these reasons, both Bill Kristol and Rich Lowry point out today that the process is far from complete.