FORT COLLINS, Colo. — A homemade helium weather balloon got loose from the Republican National Committee headquarters today, leading authorities on a cross-country chase after Republicans insisted that their plans for health care reform were on board.

“All of our plans, like tort reform, just took off and flew away,” said RNC Chairman Michael Steele. “I don’t know how they got in there, but our plans are now up in the air. Including tort reform.”

The balloon flew across three states before it finally came to the ground near Salt Lake City. Worried onlookers quickly opened up the saucer-shaped balloon but found nothing inside.

“We had hoped we’d find the GOP health-care plans in there,” said firefighter Tim Johnson. “But instead, all we found was hot air.”

Afterward, Steele stated that the GOP had found their health care plans hiding in the attic and were, in fact, safe.

"All our health care reform plans - like tort reform - are healthy and safe," said Steele on his blog "What up?". "We found them in the attic alongside our war plans for Iraq and Afghanistan and our flood evacuation plans."

–WKW