News flash – Obama wins Nobel, Health Insurance Reform will pass.

I’m in Washington, meeting with SHRM and some other Associations.  It’s like being at ground zero for the last day.

Yesterday I met with Mike Pence (R-IN), and saw Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) about the chances for health care.  As I got up this morning, the Nobel News was hitting.

Here is my prediction – health insurance reform will be passed by mid-2010.  It may not include a full public option, but there will be major changes in how we handle the un-insured.  The Congressional Accounting Office’s projections show a cost savings over time, and the leadership of the Democratic party is threatening party moderates that if they vote against health insurance reform they will lose their chairmanship of any committee they are on.  This is big.

Lots of new ideas will spin out of this.  More details to come – I’m off to catch the metro to get to SHRM.

Some pictures from yesterday –

Congressmen have very nice offices - I was left unguarded in Mike Pence's office so I made myself comfortable

Some meetings and tour of the capitol –

Waiting for the politicians

We waited for the House to adjourn.

Met with Pence, Pelosi stopped by

She was pleasant but noncommital

A staff worker makes a deposit of political capital.

In the shadows of the capitol…more details to follow.  Off to SHRM.  This town is buzzing on the news of the Nobel Prize.

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