It must frustrate President Barack Obama that while his Republican foes in Congress are marching in lockstep to block his health care reform package, cracks in the unity of the Democratic Party could spell defeat for his program.

But that is the political reality Obama faces as the Senate schedules debate on the groundbreaking proposal to bring health insurance to millions of uninsured Americans.

With the exception of Ohio Republican George Voinovich, who didn't vote, every member of the Senate GOP voted to end debate on the health reform package. Meanwhile, several conservative Democrats have said they will vote against the final package if it includes "a public option," favored by Obama, which would allow the government to sell insurance and compete with private insurers.

These conservative Democrats who could doom the health care package in the Senate include Ben Nelson of Nebraska and Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas. Independent Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut has also pledged to vote against the reform package if it includes the public option.

Nelson has been quoted as saying he fears the government option would be "too attractive" and would hurt private insurance plans.

Lincoln said she believes taxpayers and the U.S. Treasury would be at risk if the premiums charged for the government program didn't cover its cost.

While I support health care reform in theory, Lincoln has a legitimate concern regarding budget projections for this massive program. The Obama administration has been less than convincing on how this program will be funded.

It will cost more that $1 trillion over 10 years to insure Americans currently without coverage, according to government estimates.

Thus far, the best the Obama administration can come up with for where that money will come from is "health system savings," a fee on insurance companies that sell expensive policies, and an increased tax on wealthy Americans.

Only the most optimistic projections show those health care savings will be enough to pay for health care reform. Not surprisingly, conservative estimates show that the cost of health care reform will break the bank.

Aside from the cost issue, though, is the public relations problem the federal government has in delivering services to people. I share the concerns of a lot of Americans in trusting the government to deliver something as important as health care when it routinely messes up so many other services.

The problem is that no one is certain how the numbers will break. But one thing is likely: If President Obama could do a little more to provide solid numbers on where the money will come from to pay for health care reform, he might win over the Nelsons and Lincolns of his own party.