Less than a couple hours after Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) publicly made the current definition of the health reform bill on the senate side an official one, the WH has issued a perfunctory measure of support for its language, which includes an “opt out” mechanism for states.

The President congratulates Senator Reid and Chairmen Baucus and Dodd for their hard work on health insurance reform. Thanks to their efforts, we’re closer than we’ve ever been to solving this decades-old problem. [...] the President is pleased that at the progress that Congress has made. He’s also pleased that the Senate has decided to include a public option for health coverage, in this case with an allowance for states to opt out. [...] he supports the public option because it has the potential to play an essential role in holding insurance companies accountable through choice and competition…

Perhaps even more unexpected is the level of apparent support Max Baucus [D-MT] (long a vehement PO detractor) has for the majority leader’s version of the merged product.

It is time to make our system work better for patients and providers, for small business owners and for our economy. It is time for health care reform. [...] Success should be our threshold and I am going to fight hard for the 60 votes we need to meet that goal this year.

Is this a watershed in the entire reform movement (at least by standards on the Hill)? Will progressives warm to the notion of a public option in which many, if not most states, choose to participate? Or will they grow to loathe a position which ultimately favors Insurance and its practically assured regulation of any individual public product placed into the healthcare marketplace? | LINK

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