Poliitical Reality Check on the Public Option

[Perky]

Seems like there are some inescapable realities.

1. Pelosi vs Reid. The Speaker can not get to final passage in the House without a Public Option and Reid may not be able to cloture on Final Passage with one included (even though final passage with 51 votes in the Senate is a dead lock.That tug-o-war in conference is everything and then comes the hard work of rounding up the votes. To get the Public Option,m the president is going to have promise the moon, knock heads and offer political protection to the Blue Dogs and Snowe. Don't be naive folks it is not about the money the blue dogs from the insurance lobbyists that drive their vote. It is solely about self preservation. Any Blue Dog that votes against cloture is going to have to wage a full bore Primary fight that they may not survive if they are viewed as the sole reason HCR fails.

2. Biggest thing the President has in his arsenal is public support. But let's be clear, The GOP is far ore organized than the Dems when push comes to shove. They may only be 40% of the electorate but they are loud (if shrill) and they have the war chest and mailing lists to scare up a huge campaign to stop it dead in their tracks. We on the other hand, can be cynical, passive, tantrum throwers if the bill is not perfect. Our myopia combined with our inability to organize our way out of a paper bag is our Achilles' heel. The Presient is going to have to move the conscience of the nation not simply to agreement...but action, If he does that we win. That may mean big huger public rallies in states where the Sanaotor is on the fence and it probably means invoting potential primary opponents onto the P{odium to say a few words as well.