The CBS Political Hotsheet offered its own take on that poll, noting that opinions of the law break down along party lines. That, too, has been true awhile, with most Democrats approving of the law and a majority of Tea Partiers expressing disapproval. The Hill waded in with its own poll, which found that a majority of men and women want to void the law. It added a touch of politics. “The stagnant approval ratings are a frustration for Democrats, who had hoped the public would warm to healthcare reform once the heated rhetoric of the legislative debate died down. But now the law is back in the limelight,” The Hill reported.

The interesting tidbits. Now and then amidst all these numbers and heavy speculation comes simply an interesting story. The AP produced one yesterday called “America’s health care reform through history.” The piece, by the AP’s Connie Cass, illuminated the nation’s century-old struggle to provide medical care for its citizens. Beginning with Teddy Roosevelt in 1912, who tried to win back the presidency by championing national health insurance, through Obama’s efforts to pass the Affordable Care Act, Cass traces the failed attempts to provide health insurance to Americans. The piece offers great context for whatever comes next.

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Trudy Lieberman is a fellow at the Center for Advancing Health and a longtime contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review. She is the lead writer for The Second Opinion, CJR’s healthcare desk, which is part of our United States Project on the coverage of politics and policy. Follow her on Twitter @Trudy_Lieberman.