It's March, and everybody knows that the economy is the public's greatest concern, dwarfing all others. But at the White House and among the congressional leadership, it's almost all health care reform almost all the time.

President Obama has set a new deadline, insisting that legislation be completed by Easter. We shall see.

The President and his allies know that his comprehensive reform plan is widely unpopular, intensely so among many. But they are convinced that they know better than everybody else, and they fear that a strategic retreat would make them look weak. So they are raising the ante, doubling down and going all in.

Right now, the House presents the greatest challenge for the President's plan. The House approved its initial version of health care reform on Nov. 7 by a vote of 220 to 215.

Since that time, two members who voted "yes" have resigned and one has died. A fourth member has announced that he will vote "no" next time. Approximately 12 representatives who voted "yes" after winning passage of a pro-life amendment to the bill are now rumored to be solid "no" votes because the latest version is soft on abortion. At the same time, the "no" side is losing a vote because of a Republican resignation.

It would seem that the President's version of health care reform should be declared dead, but House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has proved to be a powerful arm twister.

Tom Petri serves the people of Wisconsin's 6th Congressional District in Washington, D.C.