Reaching the Summit of Healthcare Reform.

Oh, the healthcare summit. I will admit, I did not watch it. I am sure that the most interesting points will be regurgitated on every news channel, plus Comedy Central and maybe even Inside Edition for many nights to come, so I feel like I did not have to stay home for 6 hrs and 20 minutes and watch C-Span. Plus, it was much more fun to play tennis today. But I digress.

Already the spin machine is at work. Journalists and "experts" are lining up to join Larry King Live and a host of other gab-fest shows to talk about their take on the matter. I am most especially looking forward to Jon Stewart's lampoon of it, as that is always informative, but, at the same time, entertaining. Not so true of many of the other talking heads.

Anyway, I have already read a lot about it. Seems like it was a waste of time. They should have done this months and months ago when it may have served some purpose. The main goal here, it would appear, is that the Democrats are trying to show that they are reaching across the aisle and that the Republicans are obstructionists. What the Dems don't realize is that we don't want this petty nonsense. Just do something basic to help us get by, like not allowing the insurance companies to gouge us, deny us care and to allow for some type of safety net, such as a public option, like an early Medicare buy-in. But that was not really discussed.

It does not appear to me that they could ever have a decent meeting. Too many egos. I know that a summit is a fancy name for a meeting, but I looked at it differently. I looked at it like a group trying to reach the summit of a tall mountain, like Everest, but they were failing miserably.

To reach the summit, the first thing you need is a good plan. And a good team. You need to identify a clear leader with the skills necessary to lead the team. You also need a great guide who knows the terrain, the hazards, the pitfalls.

Another important thing, actually the most important thing for survival, is the ability to recognize the dangers and know when to turn back. And you must look out for your other team members. You need each other to survive.

And this is why they will never have any real success at reaching the summit in Washington. First off, there is no clear leader. Secondly, there is no clear plan. And thirdly, and most importantly, there is no team. Every one is scrambling to get to the top first. Egos are too big, agendas are not spelled out and everyone is simply looking out for themselves, not the people that they serve.

So, here they are, still stuck at base camp, arguing about the best way to reach the top. The funny thing is, they really don't need to reach the top at all. And that is the point they are all missing.

And they are not noticing the most fatal, underestimated danger of all; the avalanch. People generally think that they will be able to recognize the hazards and survive being caught. The truth is a somewhat different story.

Turning back takes a lot of extra time and effort, supreme leadership, and most importantly, there is rarely an avalanche that proves the right decision was made. Making the decision to turn around is especially hard if others are crossing the slope, but any next person could become the trigger.

So, Democrats, Republicans and even President Obama; heed the warning. You are crossing very dangerous snow conditions. And it could bury you at anytime.

I hear the weather may be particularly fierce in November this year.