The Public Option

Dear Friends,

There is a new poll out by Research 2000 that shows that the public option is far more popular than the Senate healthcare bill.   So why are Democratic Senators so reluctant to support the public option?  It is the right thing to do from a policy standpoint, and it is the popular thing to do from a political point of view.  In my home state of Minnesota only 35% support the Senate bill, but 62% support the public option.  Senator Al Franken was an early signer of the letter requesting that the public option be put back in the bill through reconciliation.  But why in the world is Senator Klobuchar refusing to support the public option?  You can ask her by going here.

Here is a better report on the poll:

The Plum LineGreg Sargent's blog

Polls: In Key States, Public Option Far More Popular Than Senate Plan

Okay, this should really give a boost to those arguing that Dems should pass the public option via reconciliation — for the specific reason that it will make the Senate health reform bill more popular.
A batch of state polls by the non-partisan Research 2000 shows that in multiple states represented by key Dem Senators who will have to decide whether to support reconciliation, the public option polls far better than the Senate bill does, often by lopsided margins.
Here’s a rundown, sent over by the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, which commissioned the polls:
* In Nevada, only 34% support the Senate bill, while 56% support the public option.
* In Illinois, only 37% support the Senate bill, while 68% support the public option.
* In Washington State, only 38% support the Senate bill, while 65% support the public option.
* In Missouri, only 33% support the Senate bill, while 57% support the public option.
* In Virginia, only 36% support the Senate bill, while 61% support the public option.
* In Iowa, only 35% support the Senate bill, while 62% support the public option.
*In Minnesota, only 35% support the Senate bill, while 62% support the public option.
* In Colorado, only 32% support the Senate bill, while 58% support the public option.
When the White House unveiled its new proposal to take to the summit, it did not include a public option, as expected. Obviously, including one would have made it easier for Republicans to argue that Dems aren’t making a good-faith effort to compromise, since the public option is the centerpiece of the dreaded “government takeover” that Republicans have warned against.
But if the summit yields no compromises, and Dems decide to forge ahead on their own and pass reform via reconciliation, including the public option at that point might make some political sense, if the above polls are to be believed.
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Update: I should have noted that the polls were commissioned by not just PCCC, but also Democracy for America and Credo. And the groups are also out with a petition urging lawmakers to understand that signatories want a good bill rather than bipartisanship for its own sake.
Update II: The full poll on all the states, with partisan breakdowns and other questions, is online right here.
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The Unabashed Liberal