Why not pass this bill and then add a public option and/or Medicare Buy In via reconciliation?
The argument of the pass it now group (to which I belong) is that there is a lot of good in this bill and we don't want to lose it. The argument of the kill the bill group (of which I have considerable respect) is that without a public option, this bill is a massive giveaway to insurance companies who will turn around and provide limited coverage for new enrollees.
So . . . why not pass the bill and then add a public option via reconciliation. Heck, we could even add the Medicare buy in (on more generous terms then were negotiated by Reid) that way. I'm no Congressional expert but is there any procedural problem with doing it this way?
If not, it seems to me as if there are considerable political upsides. You get the good side of this bill with a convincing majority (there will probably be Republican crossovers without the public option).
Then, once the bill is safely passed, all you need is a simple majority to "fix" the bill. Furthermore by not threatening reconciliation now, you don't scare the Lincolns and Nelsons away from the main bill. They vote for it and then it is up to them whether to join a popular expansion of the bill because they are no longer needed.
You've passed health care reform with a convincing majority. Then you've kept your base fired up by passing the public option. Maybe I've missed something and I'd love to know what it is.