Instead of a week where Democrats generated more momentum on reform and unveiled their plans, it was a week of backpedaling, spiced with some defiant talk of getting the job done on what's maybe the toughest issue for Congress to confront, other than fixing Social Security.

"I never suggested this was going to be at warp speed," said Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT), who then stirred into his remarks a few references to Luke Skywalker.

"Obviously, this is going to take time."

This was to be the week where the Health and Finance Committees were both supposed to lay out the fine print of not only how they would structure a health reform bill, but also how it would be paid for.

Instead, the week ends with the Democrats offering up nothing on how to fund reform, and the Dems serving up a bill in the Health committee which still has giant holes in it, blank sections that still must be filled in.

Last night, the Finance Committee was circulating a slimmed down plan that might or might not include a government health care option, something that's unthinkable for many more liberal Democrats in the House.

It does raise the question of how much will get done this Summer before lawmakers go on their August break.

House Democrats today will unveil their own draft health bill. I will be surprised if it's anything more than just the goals of their effort, with no details on how to pay for what could be over $1 trilion in costs over 10 years.

Republicans filed hundreds of amendments to the bill in the Health Committee, as debate over what was supposed to be an easily completed section of the bill bogged down after a few minutes.

As for how to pay for it, just check my other blog on some of the tax items that are making the rounds in the Congress.