What half of the public doesn't know

IS THERE ANYTHING we can say to the fellow down the street who hasn't been paying any attention to the chaotic state of his world - and ours? I don't even know his name, but I know he's out there, as well as his wife, too. And I have a 50-50 chance of being right about this. That much is clear in the latest poll by Kaiser Health about an epic issue that has a life of its own for half of America: Health care reform.

According to the Kaiser Health survey, only 52 pct. of Americans know that there is still a health-care law on the books. On the other hand 22 pct. believe the Republican House of Representatives repealed the law and 26 pct. aren't sure what's going on and are too preoccupied with the important things in their lives to find out.

Short of some sort of cosmic force control, there seems to be no solution to such indifference. Facts are often hard to come by, but I do know that there's a guy down street who doesn't give a damn.