The healthcare debate keeps going round and round. And it’s still weeks before Congress gets back from summer recess when something can actually happen — if lawmakers are so inclined.

The New York Times has a front-page story that says Democrats now believe chances of winning Republicans over on healthcare slim so they’re going to use their majority numbers and go it alone.

George Stephanopoulos, a former Clinton administration official, had a juicy tidbit on ABC’s Good Morning America — he says White House officials have talked privately on whether to use Hillary and Bill Clinton — the current secretary of state and the former president — more on healthcare, but no final decisions have been made.

Wondering what kind of signal THAT would send? Healthcare reform fizzled in the Clinton years, how bad would things have to be going for President Barack Obama to put people who failed on healthcare years ago on the sales platform for his plan?

Obama to participate in a healthcare conference call with the National Council of Churches USA at 5:30 p.m. A Webcast will be available at www.faithforhealth.org.

Guess a little prayer for his plan can’t hurt.

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Photo credit: Reuters/Tami Chappell (Nurse takes blood pressure during health fair in Georgia)

INDIANAPOLIS - A brief disclaimer at the top of the show was not enough to keep ABC moderator George Stephanopoulos from becoming part of the story on Sunday during his interview with Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.

Stephanopoulos, who worked for President Bill Clinton in the 1990s, opened his interview with the New York senator on his television program “This Week” by referencing his previous employer.

“For any who don’t know, I worked for President Clinton from 1991 to 1996,” he said.

Good thing he established that. It was just what the former first lady needed to highlight her distaste for the North American Free Trade Agreement, which she says she opposed during her husband’s White House years.

“Now, you remember this, because George did work in that ‘92 campaign, and George and I actually were against NAFTA,” she told the audience of voters who were present for the television interview.

“I’m talking about him in his previous life, before he was an objective journalist and didn’t have opinions about such matters.”

The audience laughed but Stephanopoulos showed clear discomfort at her words. He did not confirm whether she or he had opposed the treaty at the time.

Critics say the New York senator has changed her tune on NAFTA to appeal to voters in big manufacturing states that have lost jobs to foreign countries.

Stephanopoulos, who has written a book about his time advising President Clinton, is now the host of ABC’s flagship political program and also substitutes as an anchor for the network’s weekday evening news show.

Click here for more Reuters 2008 campaign coverage.

Photos: Clinton/Jon Gardiner; Stephanopoulos/Robert Galbraith