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I don't think Joe Lieberman will allow a public option. I might be wrong, but it seems he's firmly planted himself against such a socialistic takeover of yet another private industry.

"They are going to have to drop some things . . . the obvious being the public option"—a controversial, government-run insurance program that Mr. Lieberman adamantly opposes on philosophical and economic grounds. Unlike some Democrats who have criticized it but remained open to negotiation, he says he is not bluffing.

"I'm being more stubborn and certain about this . . . I think it's such a significant step for the country to create another entitlement program and to have the government going into a business, I feel like I've got to say no."

(emboldenings mine)

There is no constitutional guarantee of health care for citizens. So, the government needs to forget trying to provide health care. Regulation of the health care providers, that's fine; we're into medicare and those entitlements already. Let's not expand those. We simply can't afford it. And, there's more important things to consider, things that are well within the constitution's guidelines.

More Joe Liberman...

Mr. Lieberman says the Democrats' "political problems" come from "supporting two goals which don't go together"—increasing coverage and reducing health-care costs. The bill needs more of the latter. He'll push to finance it with a cap on the tax exclusion Americans get through their employers for health plans because this exclusion, he says, has the "most effect on creating incentives not to overuse the insurance system." He will also work with Republicans to enact malpractice reform.

Does he risk overplaying his hand? Maine Republican Olympia Snowe has suggested she'd support a "trigger" for a public option, and if Democrats win her over, they don't need Mr. Lieberman. He responds that he's not alone. "[Arkansas] Sen. [Blanche] Lincoln, when she spoke explaining why she was voting [to go to debate], was very absolute about her opposition to the public option. I think there's at least Blanche and me, and maybe one or two others."

Mr. Reid's problem is that liberals are threatening to bolt if the bill doesn't include a public option. Mr. Lieberman is unsympathetic. "Some people say to me, 'You would stop health-care reform because of the public option? I mean, you support a lot of this stuff!' So I say, I'll ask it another way: 'You mean the people who are supporting the public option, which is new to this debate, would stop all these reforms because they are stubborn?'"

The Huffpo makes a big deal (full headline!) concerning Obama's Sunday afternoon speech, with full-blown silence as to the public option...

Obama Silent On Public Option In Speech To Senators

As President Obama finished his speech to the Democratic caucus in the Capitol's Mansfield Room on Sunday afternoon, Joe Lieberman made his way over to Harry Reid.

The independent who still caucuses with Democrats wanted to point something out to the Majority Leader: Obama didn't mention the public option.

Lieberman was beaming as he left the room and happy to re-point it out when HuffPost asked him what Obama had said about the public health insurance option, perhaps the most contentious issue still facing Democrats as they negotiate their way toward a final health care reform bill.

"Well, it was interesting to me -- of course everybody hears with their own ears -- that he didn't say anything about the public option," said Lieberman. "In other words, when he outlined how far we've come on the bill, he talked about the cost-containment provisions; he talked about the insurance market reforms; and he talked about enabling 30 million more people to get insurance. He said these are historic accomplishments, the most significant social legislation, or whatever you call it, in decades, so don't lose it."

Obama spoke for roughly 30 minutes and did not take questions, senators said afterward.

Obama spoke in diatribe for 30 minutes to his captive audience of Democrat Senators (and Joe Lieberman) and never uttered a word about the public option. That says all. Obama desperately wants any bill at this point; to avoid the failure stigma.

Mark my words: the public option is dead.

(I really like Joe Liberman; if someone else had been on the ticket with him instead of that fool Al Gore in 2000, things might have worked out differently for all.)

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