FROM THE BAUCUS CAMP.

Just spoke with an aide to Max Baucus about the Hill article, and the Senators view on health reform. Here's what I got:

Baucus's perspective is that this year in Congress, though you can't get much done legislatively, you can lay the groundwork to start a major discussion on reform in 2009. He'll hold hearings, have a major summit [on comprehensive reform] in June, and host a great deal of discussion so members of Finance and Congress more generally can dig into both the problems and the possible solutions, leaving Finance ready to fully partner with any president. He wants Finance ready to fully engage on this.

Make if that what you will. The takeaway is that Baucus is going to be spending a lot of time on hearings, coalition building, and public events that signal Finance's readiness to take up health reform in 2009. It's not the sort of thing you do if you don't believe it will happen.