CNN poll: Wide margin of support for public option

CNN poll by Opinion Research, 1,010 adults, 8/28-31, +/- 3 pts (pdf):

Now thinking specifically about the health insurance plans available to most Americans, would you favor or oppose creating a public health insurance option administered by the federal government that would compete with plans offered by private health insurance companies?

Favor - 55%
Oppose - 41%
No opinion - 4%

Note that the public option receives a wide margin of support even though the question uses the word "administer," which could be confusing to some who think it means the government would actually be administering the health care, instead of acting as a insurer like Medicare.

Still, despite the wording, this poll shows that there is strong support for the public option, even after a long summer of siege warfare by teabaggers against doing any reform at all.

The natural reaction to this should be to plow forward, especially given that 4 of the 5 committees with jurisdiction have a public option in their health care plan.

Instead, we're getting noises from the administration that they are preparing to throw it overboard to satisfy Republicans like Olympia Snowe.

That's just absolutely crazy.

The public option is popular. Democrats should ride it to victory.