It's dawned on the Dem leadership that they are in a position to create history, and to deliver a benefit to Americans that will be credited as transformative.

Either that, or get thrown out on their heads.

Not that hard a choice. AHIP's "report" was a desperation tactic, and fortunately was interpreted as such.

As we Americans begin to remember we have nothing to fear but fear itself, the political tactics of fear-mongers are being seen for what they are - attempts to sustain "highly concentrated" markets and 30+% profit margins for entrenched vested interests.

Members of our Congress vote against health care reform at their own peril! -Kevo

I'm very happy for anything at all that makes Karen Ignagni's days less enjoyable and more frustrating. When she does it to herself that's just double frosting on the cake. Not that my health care provider would approve of course but it sure is tasty.

i am mildly amused that WaPo is forced to include such a development in its "news"...

caint you just imagine all their potential salon-dinner invitees reading this and having their spokespersons call up WaPo and scream wtf?

i am not assuming that the insurance companies are gonna give up owning medical care in this country anymore than corporate america is gonna give up gang-raping with impunity any woman any time anywhere. it's the nature of the corporation to take what it wants however it has to do so.

Can't call the public option "rescued" until it is in the final bill that passes out of both houses that the president signs. Until then, we can only say that PROSPECTS for the public option have been rescued.

It's not a small distinction. I feel better than I did last week at this time but we cannot rest yet.

This would all be just fine if President "Can't We All Just Get Along?" wasn't hell-bent to have one Republican vote, that of Olympia Snowe, so he's completely willing to sell out everything for his fever-dream of "bipartisan" politics.

I think the bogus AHIP "study" was helpful, but I think the WaPo is way overestimating its impact, just as they overestimated the impact of the astroturf town-hall screaming. It's always a better story to pick out some dramatic turning point, but in fact, the steady improvement in the prospects for the public option suggest that it is real grassroots pressure that is making the difference, not an inadvertant "rescue" from AHIP.

I hear ya, TCinLA.

Fuck Olympia Snowe and the GOP. Bipartisanship shouldn't be achieved at the public's expense.

So ironic, that the President, who declared from the start that health care reform should cost nothing, prematurely declared he would sacrifice the public option, perhaps the best proposal for making reform more affordable.

And now some of the change that Obama promised in his campaign may finally get a chance on the floor of the Senate -- despite the President's earlier surrender -- thanks to the Democratic leadership, grassroots support, and AHIP.

Poetic justice - if it prevails!

Being that they were so much against the public option their turnabout just makes me paranoid as hell. What did they discover...really...since it's all about protecting the profiteering of the ins status quo.

After being deceptive now they are supportive?? Suspicion abounds.