Harry Reid “trusted him”:

“The question is, do I trust Senator Lieberman? The answer is, yes, I trust Senator Lieberman…. We’re looking forward, we’re not looking back. We’re not looking back at the 95 filibusters that were conducted, those are something that took place in the past. We’re looking forward to the future, a future that we believe sets a new tone for America.” – Harry Reid, November 18, 2008

Nice going, Senate Majority Leader Reid. Well, you trusted him, you fought for him — now you own him.

The news yesterday was the Harry Reid would include a public option with an opt-out provision in the Senate bill. There has been some reporting Reid might not have the votes for the opt-out and might need to water it down to a public option “opt-in,” state-based public plans, or trigger. A public option opt-in [...]

And the yo-yo moves back up. TPM gets multiple sources confirming earlier reporting, which was denied at one point, that the President prefers the trigger option that would keep Olympia Snowe (R-ME) in the fold on an overall health care bill to a public option with an opt-out mechanism for the states, a version Harry [...]

Sam Stein and Ryan Grim at the Huffington Post say that Harry Reid is working the phone because he’s “just one or two Senate votes shy of having a filibuster-proof majority in favor of a public option for health insurance coverage with a provision allowing states to opt-out.” “One or two votes shy?” That means [...]

A public option is something that 80% of Nevada Democrats want.

Call Nevada Democrats and let them know Reid says he has the votes for a public option, he’s just not sure he wants one.

ABC is reporting Reid is leaning towards putting a national, weak, “level playing field” public option with an opt-out provision in the merged bill. The move could be a result of real leadership, terror at the thought of losing his election, courage, profound personal conviction, incredible pressure from inside the caucus, necessity, or a combination [...]

  Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) told Poltico that he felt Harry Reid (D-NV) and the White House were leaning toward a national public option with an opt-out:   Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) briefed Nelson and other Democratic centrists on Thursday morning. “I keep hearing there is a lot of leaning toward some sort [...]

At least Deeds has done progressives one favor. He has shot a giant hole in one of the main arguments for the public option opt-out “compromise.” The argument is that no Republican governor (and/or state legislature) would be stupid enough to deny their constituents a public option that could save them thousands of dollars a year. Here we have a Democrat saying he might opt out a purple state. Then again, Deeds is not yet governor–and if he keeps this up, he never will be.

Sen. Bill Nelson was on MSNBC with David Shuster talking about the AHIP extortion attempt report about insurance premiums, which he rightly dismissed. (“You have to look at who produced the report. The insurance industry did.”) After saying that the Senate Finance Committee would pass the bill tomorrow with all Democrats supporting it “to get [...]