Senators Mum On Public Option Negotiations

The jury is still out on whether President Obama has cinched 60 needed votes for health care legislation. But before there's any clarity liberal and conservative Democrats will have to reach accord on the public option--an issue Obama eschewed in his presentation to the caucus this afternoon. So where are things now?

With the blessing of leadership, and the help of Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), liberal and conservative Democrats are continuing to meet to find a solution. "I called and personally asked five moderates and five progressives to work things out and the issues that they care a lot about: Public option, small business," Reid said at a press conference after a rare Sunday caucus meeting. "And they've had, I don't know how many meetings, but many."

"Progress is being made and that's not just talk. They've made a lot of progress."

On the table are a number of ideas, including affixing a public option to a trigger, and potentially allowing states to opt in to a public option. Starting last night, some senators began discussing a separate plan to let the government negotiate premiums with private, non-profit companies on behalf of some insurance consumers--much as they do for federal employees.

Details remain scarce. "People are discussing it," Sen. Kent Conrad (D-ND) said today. "But, you know, there's probably not enough detail not enough meat ton the bones at this point for people to reach any final judgment."

"I'll feel comfortable when it's out," said public option foe Joe Lieberman (I-CT). "I don't understand exactly this new proposal. If it's private, and there's no federal government financial exposure and the government's not creating an insurance company--that's the one [idea] I've been concerned about."

Sen. Tom Carper (D-DE), who's been working with moderate and conservative Democrats on the issue, declined to comment. It's unclear, for instance, whether such a policy would sit alongside a government plan, or whether it would replace the public option altogether. The latter would put Democratic leaders in the uncomfortable position of selling something as a public option that's not a public option at all.

"Well, I don't think much of it, frankly, compared to a public option," Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) told reporters last night. "I'm willing to talk to anybody about anything but they haven't sold it yet."

We should know more soon. If Democrats need to dramatically alter the bill to bring all members of their caucus aboard, they'll have to do so shortly, if they hope to have a bill voted out of the Senate by Christmas.