It would be a heavy lift and it would take some solid leadership but the shiny brass ring is truly reachable. President Obama, Speaker Pelosi, and Senate Leader Harry Reid should meet quietly to review existing legislation as well as add new legislation to buil a bill that requires a public option and medicare buy in has to be implemented within 3 years. Most of this has already been scored positively so the components to provide this would be certainly deficit reducers as well as strengthen the existing passed legislation.
Now its time to really look deeper on what actions can happen:
MAJOR problems:
Courage - can the congressional leaders go with this in reconciliation
Whip Count - Can both leaders find 218 votes and 50 votes (Biden to resolve a tie)
Would an outgoing Stupak and some conserva-dems "take one for the team"?
In the Senate, the "speedbumps" are more easily identified - Pryor, Landrieu, Nelson, Lieberman, Conrad, Baucus, Lincoln, and possibly Carper
unfortunately that places us at 49 votes - but Lincoln should be pushed to do some good in her final days and Carper needs a spine.
Isn't a real health care choice worth the political capital and leaership?
I say its about time to push the GOP back and hard on this issue.
MAJOR success:
Many senators were extremely excited and others were more concilitory in supporting this option verus the public option. Senators Durbin and Schumer were leading on this solution. They reasonably should be able to find 48 other votes.
I support the Medicare buy in as the TRUE goal but use the Public Option as a negotiation tool.
People we can do this - we need to call and pound the WH and Congressional Leaders offices to make this happen and harden the Dems spines for once.