The campaign for health care reform is approaching a key moment and those who oppose it are waving banners and shouting, hoping to throw the effort off stride.

But this is no time for a counterattack against opponents of reform. The challenge this fall will be to build enough consensus to pass a moderate bill.

It’s a task that will require political skill and self-discipline, but we have confidence in leaders who are moving in this direction, especially President Barack Obama. The president must take responsibility persuading the undecided, and for holding onto the support of U.S. senators and representatives who favor a much more ambitious bill than the U.S. Senate is prepared to swallow.

It’s still not clear how a successful bill can emerge, but leadership may lie in the hands of a bipartisan group of negotiators on the Senate Finance Committee. Led by Max Baucus, (D-Mont.), it also includes Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine), Sen. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.), Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), and Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.).

In a  conference call with reporters last week, members of the group said they were trying to ignore the strident rhetoric from both sides and produce a bill that can win bipartisan support.

Snowe acknowledged that it is not clear whether this is possible. “People are confused, and rightfully so given how many issues and how many plans are out there,” Snowe said. “Ours isn’t, and so whether or not we can break through that chatter remains to be seen.”

The group of six has not met since early August, but Baucus said members would continue working, and the group plans to meet again before the Senate returns in September. His target date for producing a bill is Sept. 15.

According to the Associated Press, the group is aiming for a price tag considerably lower than the $1 trillion cost estimate for the House Democrats’ plan.

The compromise effort is also shying away from including a public option ”“ a federal insurance plan intended as a cost-effective alternative to the private  insurance market. On Sunday, Grassley and Conrad said there aren’t enough votes in the Senate to pass such a plan.

Among some Democrats there is an inclination to fight for a more expansive bill, including a public option. But although a public plan could help encourage competition among insurers and health care providers, meaningful reform can be accomplished without it.

In the end, any bill meeting Obama’s key objectives will be worth supporting. He has listed them many times: Reducing the cost of health care, protecting consumers from insurance abuses, providing affordable coverage to uninsured Americans and not adding to the federal deficit.

— Questions? Comments? Contact Kristen Schulze Muszynski or Nick Cowenhoven at 282-1535 or kristenm@journaltribune.com or nickc@journaltribune.com.