‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the House

All the pols were stirring, to avoid being a louse

The reps were debating all about health care,

Hoping  that a reform bill soon would be there;

Children were at their foreclosed homes in bed,

Money for them had to go for war instead;

And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and Dad in his cap,

Were still in their year-long employment gap,

When out in Washington  there arose such a clatter,

All tuned to CNN to see what was the matter;

When, to the public’s wondering eyes should appear,

But Nancy Pelosi, to announce an agreement was near;

The bill, she said, was new, lively and quick,

And  designed to help everyone who’d get sick

But they made sure that a public option the bill would lack;

Since that was opposed by nearly every PAC;

To Obama’s desk the bill now would head,

So watered down, insurers had nothing to dread;

It wasn’t quite the reform Obama had chosen,

But unless it was settled, his other plans were frozen;

So after signing the bill, he went straight to work,

Preparing to send more boys to the Afghanistan murk;

And he exclaimed as he rode Air Force One out of sight,

"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!”

-- By David J. Glenn, with apologies to Clement C. Moore