McJoan has an excellent update on the state-of-play for the public option. It's not question of if there will be a public option in the health insurance reform bill, it's a question of whether it's a real public option:
The House Progressive Block is fully committed to a robust public option, and has the numbers to back that up. Every poll that's been done in the past month--even after the August temper tantrum townhalls--show that the majority of American voters support a Medicare-like public option. That even includes Blanche Lincoln's constituents. And according to Chuck Schumer, a healthy majority of Senate Democrats are behind it.She's right, of course. The pieces are in place to make this happen. Now, we need the leadership to make it happen.
Winning the war on a robust public option, on real healthcare reform that at least puts us on a path to universal, affordable, comprehensive coverage shouldn't be this hard. There's no need to settle for "some version" of a public option.
Elected Democrats in D.C. often spurred on by their weak-kneed and ineffective political consultants, have an uncanny ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Over the next few weeks, we'll see all kinds of attempts to waffle on the public option and the health insurance reform bill. There will be trial balloons floated with all kinds of gimmicks and schemes. Enough. Democrats have the power. We all worked our asses off in the election so they'd have the power. Now, they have to do the right thing. McJoan is so right when she said, it shouldn't be this hard.
