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Health care bill or 'War & Peace' -- which is longer?

Real page-turners: 'War and Peace' and the Senate health care bill. Real page-turners: 'War and Peace' and the Senate health care bill.

Real page-turners: 'War and Peace' and the Senate health care bill.

Louis Jacobson
By Louis Jacobson November 20, 2009

They are both epic works of literature. One begins like this:

"Well, Prince, so Genoa and Lucca are now just family estates of the Buonapartes. But I warn you, if you don't tell me that this means war, if you still try to defend the infamies and horrors perpetrated by that Antichrist—I really believe he is Antichrist—I will have nothing more to do with you and you are no longer my friend, no longer my 'faithful slave,' as you call yourself! But how do you do? I see I have frightened you—sit down and tell me all the news."

The other starts like this:

"Part A of title XXVII of the Public Health Service 10 Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.) is amended (1) by striking the part heading and inserting the following: 13 ‘‘PART A—INDIVIDUAL AND GROUP MARKET REFORMS’’; (2) by redesignating sections 2704 through 2707 as sections 2725 through 2728, respectively (3) by redesignating sections 2711 through 2713 as sections 2731 through 2733, respectively . . . "

Which one is longer? We did the math .

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Health care bill or 'War & Peace' -- which is longer?