The U.S. House of Representatives is in recess for August and on Friday the Senate will join them. Lawmakers will be spending the month talking to their constituents about a number of issues, but the main one will be healthcare reform. In the House, the three committees responsible for healthcare have all voted on their individual versions, which will have to reconciled with into one bill. There are two Senate committees dealing with healthcare and only one, HELP (Health, Education, Labor and Pensions), has voted on their version. The other committee, Finance, is working to finish by Friday. Once each chamber works out the differences between the its various committees, which will occur a bit over the recess and then in earnest in September, there will be two separate bills, one by the House and one by the Senate. Each of these bills will then have to be reconciled with each other before being signed off by the President. So with changes still on the table and lawmakers home, August is looking like a busy month for those against and for reform.

Early reports say most people are confused and unsure of what reform means. Republicans are trying to take advantage of that by organizing local anti-reform protests, painting reform as a government take over which will limit choice. Democrats have been slow to respond and their response is being seen as weak and disorganized. The White House is set to turn that around beginning on Wednesday, when it launches its own nationwide pro-reform push emphasizing how the changes will benefit the uninsured and guarantee a person can never be denied insurance. Who's winning the fight so far? Fundraising.

As to the actual facts, lots of distortions are out there bout what's going on, so don't believe the first thing you hear.