Reid May Not Have to Votes to Cram Public Option down Our Throats

It seems that Reid may have just put the public option back on the table as a sop to liberals in his party. It seems that he isn't close to the 60 votes needed to stop a filibuster.

Sen. Tom Carper, D-Del., one of several Democrats unhappy with Reid's proposal, said he may seek changes on the Senate floor, a move likely to be welcomed by moderates. He backs a government role in states where one or two insurers control the market and premiums are high.

While Reid is expected eventually to secure all 60 Democratic votes on the critical first test to bring the bill to the Senate floor, Sens. Ben Nelson of Nebraska, Mary Landrieu of Louisiana and Evan Bayh of Indiana all declined to say on Tuesday how they would vote.

That is 4 votes he is down. Reid will also will not be able to count on Joe Lieberman as well.

Mr. Lieberman, a Connecticut independent who caucuses with the Democrats, told reporters Tuesday that he would vote in favor of a procedural motion allowing debate of the bill. But he said that, unless the bill changes substantially, he would vote with Senate Republicans against a motion to allow a vote on final passage of the bill.

I like Lieberman in his deficit hawk mode. He is also looking out for the big health insurers in his state that would be decimated by the public option. In any case I think this might be Harry Reid's last hurrah. Especially if the message is that health care "reform" was crammed down America's throat.