[I]n voting to allow debate, Landrieu and Lincoln hammered some nails in the coffin of a robust "public option" that would allow the government to compete with private insurers. Both senators stressed that if the Senate bill includes a public option, they will ultimately oppose the whole thing. And since apostate Democrat-turned-independent Joseph Lieberman and moderate Republican Olympia Snowe have said something similar, and since health-care reform requires 60 votes, that means that liberals will likely face a choice: between a robust public option and a health-care reform bill that can pass.
In my view, the health care bill faces three hurdles in the Senate. The first is the public option. The second is the abortion language included in the bill. And the third is the Medicare cuts that in the coming weeks will drive seniors to light up the Capitol switchboard. If Beinart is right, then the Democrats will clear the public option hurdle. We'll see about the other two.