Public Option: RIP

The public option died last night but maybe it was too optimistic to think that it wouldn't.

The Progressive Change Campaign Committee (PCCC) apparently thinks this is all Rahm Emanuel's fault, which seems kinda silly and misplaced to me. Why be mad at Rahm and not Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman, Blanch Lincoln, Mary Landrieu and all the other conservative Democrats who made passage impossible? Negotiation is all about leverage. Given that 60-votes were needed to move anything forward, the Democrats needed 100% group compliance. Conservative Dems had all the leverage. What did the PCCC really think Rahm could have done?

The question on the liberal blogs today is: is the bill still worth passing? Greg Sargent says the debate breaks down an operative/wonk line, where activists say kill it, wonks say save it.

Count me among the wonks. I say absolutely yes, pass the bill. We've come too far to go back now. This bill still means billions for low-income families to access health care. It means the days of rescission policies and denied coverage due to preexisting conditions are over. If the CBO numbers are right, it also means lower costs for everyone. It means millions more with health care than without. It is the biggest liberal accomplishment since the Great Society. With or without the public option, or even the Medicare Buy-in, this is a bill progressives can smile about.