Nate Silver counts "only 43" senators as supporting a public option. Well what if it were the only option they get to vote on rather than simply one of the mind boggling number of "plans" out there? What if Obama threatened to veto any bill lacking a robust public option? Would that get seven more senators (with Biden casting tie-breaker)? Do these guys/gals want to go into 2010 and 2012 having failed to pass a bill of the type Obama got elected to enact?
Obama has said he's willing to be a single term President to get health care reform done right. He should draw the line now and rein in his loose lipped Cabinet & advisors. Bill Clinton says take half a loaf. Eight years of President Clinton's half a loaf led to a GOP Congress and Bush.