It’s the liberal wing of the Democratic party vs. the moderates. The issue is government’s reach in the delivery of healthcare — in particular, the issue of the public option. Liberals know that any sort of government plan — even a modicum more expansive than the rudiments of a public option — is essentially off the table. That’s why they’ve launched an ad campaign targeted at their Public Enemy #1, Senate Finance Chair Max Baucus. Although Baucus’s staff say that he is not intolerant of the public option, he supports the competition with Big Insurance at the hands of non-profit co-ops — something Insurance wants no part in.

Sens. Schumer (D-NY) and Rockefeller (D-WV) support government involvement in the form of a payment negotiating body and Medicare model for coverage, respectively.

And those moderates? They could be looking to Olympia Snowe (R-ME) who supports the use of a public option only as a threat — a stipulation for insertion into the healthcare marketplace only for non-compliant insurance companies which don’t keep their premiums “in check”, whatever that means.

Lawmakers get back to work today. | LINK

UPDATE: It appears as though those same liberals failed to get a public option in the Senate Finance version of the reform bill. | LINK

Related Posts Within Doctor Pundit:

1. Sebelius: Public Option Now Not ‘Essential’ Is the public option dead? It appears as much. With...
2. House (and Some Senate) Democrats Strive for Public Option in Spite of Obama Aides’ Downplays Yesterday, while this blog took some time off, healthcare’s political...
3. White House Releases Statement on Public Option ‘Rumors’, Some Top Dems Unconvinced The President’s drive for a public option is rife with...
4. Early Senate, WH Reaction to Reid Public Option Version Favorable Less than a couple hours after Senate Majority Leader Harry...
5. Democrats Said to Have Reached Consensus As Public Option Provision Withers Democrats have just announced that a “broad agreement” has been...