Progressives scored a tactical victory today when Senator Reid announced that the Senate floor version of the health care bill will include an opt-out version of the public option. This doesn’t mean that the final bill will include a public option, but it will be difficult for opponents to strip it out. The grassroots and advocacy organizations did a magnificent job of keeping the the public option’s prospects alive, even when the political environment seemed rather grim. Reid’s decision is probably grounded in politics rather than policy–he faces a tough reelection next year and will need all the liberal allies he can round up–but I can tolerate such calculated behavior if it produces a better bill.
Senator Snowe is already whining that bipartisanship is dead, but she may still be won over if the good people of Maine apply enough pressure. The more important task is to convince the few fence-sitting moderate Democrats that they will suffer real consequences if they enable a Republican filibuster. Consequences such as vigorous primary challenges.
Democrats are also realizing that, after all this sound and fury, people are going to want to see actual benefits before 2013. That might change the final price tag a bit, but probably not enough to matter. If people who were previously denied insurance can at least get some affordable catastrophic coverage, it could have payoffs in the next election.
It’s as if Democrats are finally getting a clue.
I really don’t like the idea of states being able to opt-out of the public option, but I guess it’s better than not having a public option at all. Including it is a no-brainer.