The public option will likely get a vote

[ProSense]

Senator Reid has said it. Senator Menendez has said. The WH has said it.

Lieberman undecided on using majority-vote tactic on healthcare

<...>

Lieberman, a key Senate centrist who caucuses with Democrats, said that while he hasn't ruled out using the budget reconciliation process to finish healthcare legislation, it's his preference not to do so.

"Let's put it this way: I don't prefer reconciliation," Lieberman told reporters before Democrats' weekly caucus luncheon.

"I've always wanted something as big as healthcare to be done in the regular order," he added.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has signaled he's inclined to use the budget reconciliation process to finish healthcare, which would allow Democrats to pass a series of changes to their original Senate vill with only a simple majority of votes, instead of the 60 usually needed to end a filibuster.

<...>

Likely supporters:

Akaka
Begich
Bennet
Bingaman
Boxer
Brown
Burris
Cantwell
Cardin
Casey
Conrad
Dodd
Dorgan
Durbin
Feingold
Feinstein
Franken
Gillibrand
Hagan
Harkin
Inouye
Johnson (new)
Kaufman
Kerry
Klobuchar
Kohl
Lautenberg
Leahy
Levin
McCaskill
Menendez
Merkley
Mikulski
Murray
Pryor
Reed
Reid
Sanders
Schumer
Shaheen
Specter
Stabenow
Tester
Udall
Udall, Mark
Warner
Whitehouse
Wyden


Plus any two from this group:

Baucus
Bayh
Byrd
Carper
Landrieu
Lieberman
Lincoln
Nelson, Bill
Nelson, Ben
Webb
Rockefeller

Plus Vice President Biden, and a health care bill with a public option would find its way to the President's desk.

[rgbecker]

1. That's all? A simple Majority? What the fuck is this country coming to?

[ProSense]

2. Yeah,

it's making Republicans nervous.