No Balls

The word is that the Senate version of the healthcare reform bill will have the public option, but only if Barack Obama actually asks for it:

There is a growing sense on Capitol Hill that the White House's refusal to weigh in more forcefully in the health care debate could come at the cost of a public option for insurance coverage.

Democratic aides said that a "handful" of senators who are skeptical of a public plan likely could be persuaded if not to support it then at least to oppose a Republican filibuster, if the administration were to apply a bit more pressure -- or even guidance.

(emphasis mine)

Barack Obama has two problems here:

• He is desperate to sign something, anything, as in keep him away from toilet paper, into law that he can call "healthcare reform".
• He still wants everyone, including the Republicans, to like him.

So he is snatching defeat from the jaws of victory because he does not have the guts to even try to win, even though it appears that Harry Reid is pretty much begging him for some backup on the public option.

I know that it is only 9 months into his term, but it's already screaming "1 term wonder" in my ear.