President Snowe

By GottaLaff

Why so deferential to Snowe? Has the GOP been deferential to the president? Are "appearances" of bipartisanship that important? Snowe has already said she is against a public option.

How about showing deference to the majority of 2008 voters who still want a strong public option and who also expect you to give a nod to them for putting you in office?

Multiple sources tell TPMDC that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid is very close to rounding up 60 members in support of a public option with an opt out clause, and are continuing to push skeptical members. But they also say that the White House is pushing back against the idea, in a bid to retain the support of Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME). [...]

This new development, which casts the White House as an opponent of all but the most watered down form of public option, is likely to yield backlash from progressives, especially those in the House who have been pushing for a more maximal version of reform.

It also suggests for perhaps the first time that the White House's supposed hands off approach that ostensibly allowed the two chambers in Congress to craft their own bill has been discarded.

It should be loud and clear by now, via poll after poll, that America wants a "robust" public option. Why is one member of the minority being catered to, rather than the majority of Americans, including the U.S. Congress who represents them?