Mr. President, please don't let health care reform turn into a SEINFELD episode

[derby378]

Barack Obama and Nancy Pelosi are in the Oval Office. Obama is reading from a sheet of paper.

Obama: When it comes to the cost of our health care, then, the status quo is unsustainable. Reform is not a luxury, but a necessity. Let there be no doubt - the cost of inaction is greater. If we fail to act, premiums will climb higher, benefits will erode further, and the rolls of uninsured will swell to include millions more Americans.

Pelosi: Mr. President, I am so grateful that you're doing this.

Obama: Thank you. I know you are.

Pelosi: You got the public option that the House sent?

Obama: I did.

Pelosi: So where is it?

Obama: What?

Pelosi: The public option. Is this it in the trash?

Obama: No?

Pelosi: This is the public option, Mr. President! You threw it away!

Obama: Well...

Pelosi: I put a lot of thought into this public option.

Obama: You said that a reform package wouldn't pass the House without a public option. It's not like you typed the pages and organized the footnotes.

Pelosi: Fine, Mr. President. I gotta get back to the office.

Obama: Why, because I threw the public option out? How long was I supposed to save it?

Pelosi: You have no consideration.

Obama: I have consideration, really, I'm considerate! Here, look. Here's some other reform proposals I've saved, here's an annual cap on out-of-pocket costs, here's universal coverage, here's a prohibition on dropping coverage if someone becomes seriously ill, see, I'm not a bad guy.

Pelosi: Oh, so you save these proposals but not mine! Oh, great!

Obama (as Pelosi is storming out): Well, but, you see, I saved something! See? I can save. I'll see you at the Joint Session, OK?

[derby378]

1. Kick!