Senators who support the public option hope resistant moderates will 'come around'

"Democratic Senators in favor of including a public insurance option in health care reform expect resistant moderates … to come around once they see the details of the final legislation," Roll Call reports. Centrists such as Sen. Joe Lieberman, I-Conn., have suggested that they may not support reform with a public option. "Senate Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer (N.Y.) said Wednesday that moderates are likely to climb on board once they read the final bill" (Drucker, 10/28).

ABC News: "When majority leader [Harry] Reid put the controversial 'public option' back on the table this week, he did so confident that Lieberman, short of outright supporting it, would at least allow it to pass. [But] Lieberman dropped a bombshell when [he] announced he would not vote" to move forward on a health reform bill that includes a government-run health plan (Schutzman, 10/28).

CBS News: Meanwhile, "Sen. Evan Bayh, a moderate Democrat from Indiana, said Wednesday that he may not be able to support a motion to proceed with the health care debate on the Senate floor, depending on what is included in the bill Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) brings forward." Bayh said he was "less focused" on the public option, but was worried "a couple elements" in the bill could raise premiums for families with insurance (Condon, 10/28).

Chicago Tribune: Democratic leaders are also creating some friction on the left. The White House recently dispatched health care adviser Nancy-Ann DeParle to meet with Sen. Roland Burris of Illinois. "It signals that the White House is not taking for granted the support of Burris" for the health-reform bill. He has called for an even broader government-run plan than Senate Democratic leaders offered (Skiba, 10/29).