MOMENT OF TRUTH LOOMS

At his news conference Wednesday night, the President confused Congress by endorsing two opposing health reform bills -- a Clinton-style House plan from Richard Gephardt, and a Senate plan from Majority leader George Mitchell that effectively drops employer mandates. Since the final package will be a compromise, nervous House members, many of whom face re-election in November, will be watching to see which way the political wind's blowing before they cast votes on the Gephardt bill Aug. 19. "People in the House are wondering why they should make a hard vote," Thompson says, if the Senate refuses to produce legislation that looks anything like the House version. Bills that become laws, of course, require a House-Senate compromise, which may not be possible on health care. Thompson says the Senate may drop the mandates in a vote next week. As a result, the Gephardt bill might very well fail, leaving Clinton with nothing to sign this year.