Commentary: Moderates like the idea, but vote against it anywayRex Nutting, Washington bureau chief
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/public-option-beaten-back-but-not-dead-2009-09-29The Senate Finance Committee has rejected two amendments that would establish a government-sponsored health insurance plan to compete against private insurers, but the twin votes in the committee on Tuesday don't necessarily mean the final bill won't have the public option. See full story.
Liberals say the public option would hold the insurance companies' feet to the fire and drive health-care costs down. In most states, there's almost no competition among insurers. Without competition, insurance companies can jack up premiums, debase service and fatten their profits.
On the other side, conservatives have two objections: 1) Anything done by the government is bound to fail, and 2) the public plan would be so efficient that it would drive the private insurance companies out of business.
The public option does have the support of most Americans, most members of the House and most members of the Senate. Even a majority of the Senate Finance Committee supports a public option, despite Tuesday's votes. Of 23 members of the committee, a majority have either voted for it, or said nice things about it before rejecting it for pragmatic, political reasons.
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Failure in the finance committee could leave Senate Democratic leaders with no choice but to bring the other bill, the one sponsored by the late Sen. Edward Kennedy, to the floor for a showdown. The bill likely wouldn't have the 60 votes needed to overcome a lengthy filibuster, but it would have clear majority support. And it would have the public option.
The question then would be: Do Democrats have the stomach to fight a filibuster of their biggest priority?