HALPERIN'S TAKE: 5 reasons to bet AGAINST major health care reform passing this year.

1. 1/6 of the economy can't be remade without genuine bipartisan support.

2. The sticker shock threatens to whittle the thing down to something well short of universal coverage.

3. The public is not demanding action.

4. The upside doesn't seem big enough now to give congressional Democrats sufficient cover to vote for a tax increase.

5. Most journalists still have health insurance.