I think Conrad and Landrieu will vote on the public option bills, thus killing them. They only need two, meanwhile, Baucus will vote for it in an attempt to shore up liberal support.

We'll soon find out if the late John F. Kennedy, if he were still alive, will have any Democratic Senator to put in his book he is currently writing.

The Book Is Titled: "Profiles in Courage".

Is the public option deficit neutral?

Vote against the public option...........It's over for you next election. PERIOD.

Generally speaking, doctors who specialize make the big bucks. My neighborhood is a cardiologist and he even admits to being over paid. General practitioners on-the-other hand are under paid - hard to break even.

I'm a finance professional in a hospital. To say that medicare rates are too low is just not true. You have regional rate schedules and you also have treatment schedules. One thing that doesn't happen with Medicare that is a daily nightmare (almost minute by minute) is denial of service by an insurance company. I see this 1st hand - which is the single reason the Baucus plan is a terrible beginning. Who wrote that proposal? Baucus or some insurance company execs. Talk about guaranteeing a revenue and profit stream to corporations.....the insurance companies have struck it rich. So good ole Max is going increase the subsidies for lower income families.....in other words, tax payers will make the insurance execs even richer. And then the Repubs get to complain about socialization and communism. Baucus's plan is a HORRIBLE plan. Goldman Max should resign his chairmanship - he's never delivered anything. He's basically Grassley's little butt boy.

A Robust government option is a must - and it must set lower rates in the areas of specialized medicine. Prevention and GP's aren't over priced or over paid today. We also need to reform malpractice laws in a way that helps patients but also penalizes and removes poor performing physicians from practicing. Government must play a much more active role on this one......and across state lines.

Ok, it all sounds great, now, can we get this done? Good, Lord! People are dying and conditions are getting worse because of the squabbling!

We need to forge an explicit link between the provisions that impose burdens on citizens (forced purchase of insurance, taxes on existing health coverage) and the public option.

Tto put it into the obligatory pithy sound bite:

"No mandates, no taxes, without the public option!"

Unfortunately political battles are won and lost with sound bites, so we need unleash our own arsenal.

Paralleling "no taxes without representation" this gives an easy-to-understand cudgel to pound our legislators with.