Just saw that no one else has diaried this...the Huffington Post is reporting that Sen. Reid is going to push for a separate bill with a PO.
Reid writes in a letter to Sens. Merkley & Sanders:
As you know, I am a strong supporter of a public option, and I included the HELP Committee's public option in the bill I brought to the senate floor last year. I was disappointed when it became clear that we did not have the votes to keep it.
Nevertheless, like you, I remain committed to pursuing the public option. While I believe that the legislation we are considering does much to provide affordable coverage to millions of Americans and curb insurance company abuses, I also believe that the public option would provide additional competition to make insurance even more affordable. As we have discussed, I will work to ensure that we are able to vote on the public option in the coming months.
I hope this does happen and can get through the Senate...we'll see I suppose. I think it might be able to get through using reconciliation, which I hope Sen. Reid will pursue. You can get the full story here
http://www.thehamandlegsshow.com