Here's the latest on the health care front:

Real People Demand Reform

While lawmakers in Washington continue to tread water during health care negotiations, some Americans think the government has waited far too long to ensure universal coverage for all citizens. In the second installment of its video series highlighting "the damaging effects of the health care crisis on small business owners," the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law and United Action for Power and Justice talk to more folks who say now is the time to extend access to all. Watch it:

Costello: Slow Down Reform

One of those officials asking for more time is Rep. Jerry Costello. On Friday, the Belleville Democrat continued his campaign against health care reform, telling The Southern that the legislation is too complex and moving too quickly:

"It's a very complex proposal that presents more questions than answers," he said of the current legislation in the House, which he opposes. "I give the president high marks for attempting reform. However I think we need to slow this down."

"We need to be realists," he added. "Do not try to pass this through just so you can say we got this done. It's an issue that affects every man, woman and child in the country."

Need more time? On November 12 of last year, Sen. Max Baucus unveiled a white paper outlining his health care priorities that's extremely similar to the legislation floating through both the Senate HELP Committee and the House of Representatives. That was 9 months ago. If Costello had any interest in moving the president's agenda, he could have studied up all winter, spring, and summer. Instead, he's decided to make excuses.

The right's strategy for killing Obama's plan is to delay. Costello is playing right into their hands.

IL Conservatives Come Out For "Recess Rallies"

Conservatives continued to voice their concerns with health care reform over the weekend as part of the coordinated "recess rallies" held across the country. Local press coverage shows that while generally civil, the language used by reform opponents was typically hyperbolic. "I think it will be a disaster for the country. We can't afford it. We can't understand it," said Karen Fisher of Huntley, one of 200 to demonstrate outside of Rep. Melissa Bean's office Saturday. "I do believe it could be Armageddon for this country." A protester at Rep. Bill Foster's office even questioned whether the reform bills were constitutional.

Meanwhile, Republican lawmakers have been doing their best to fan the flames. “The people here are not part of some vast right-wing conspiracy,” Rep. Don Manzullo told the crowd at a meeting held by the conservative group Patriots United Friday night (which required a $5 admission fee). “Americans are in the process of taking back our country.” Rep. Mark Kirk will take his turn this afternoon when he hosts a town hall at the Arlington Heights' village hall. Open to the public, the meeting starts at 3 p.m.  We hope to have some coverage later in the day.

Blue Cross, Red Shield

While opponents of the Democratic health care reform effort argue that they are fighting for the interests of American taxpayers first and foremost, they often find themselves using the same talking points as the insurance industry to protect the status quo. Take the debate over the public option. Republican lawmakers across the state have all argued that a government-run health plan -- which would only be open to about 27 million Americans by 2019 -- would somehow force medical providers out of business, thus curbing health care access. Not surprisingly, insurance giant Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Illinois makes that same case in a statement to Crain's, telling the paper that it "believes the country can accomplish what's needed to reform the system without establishing a government-run plan." And they are using the wallets as well: Since the beginning of the year, Blue Cross has spent $2 million lobbying Congress, a six-fold increase from last year.