The news out of the Hill today: the Senate rejected Ben Nelson’s incarnation of the now-infamous House version of the Stupak amendment, the provision barring women from seeking abortion services from insurance plans subsidized by the federal government as part of reform. Rejection of the amendment means the Senate health bill, if approved with the current abortion language, would differ from more restrictive language in the House version passed last month. The slippery slope toward an even more tepid final bill became even more unstable, as this scenario opens up the possibility for Nelson’s defection from any incarnation of the bill in its current form. This move would force Majority Leader Reid to scrape for every remaining Democratic vote — which would have to include acquiescing Republican reform holdout, Olympia Snowe (R-ME) — or worse, that of Independent Joe Lieberman (CT).

To be fair, Snowe’s vote today against Nelson’s measure was also accompanied by her like-minded Maine colleague, Sen. Susan Collins. Of course, their actions on squashing today’s vote is no guarantee of the modicum of support Reid will have to get from Senate Republicans. Add to this headache the ability of Nelson to filibuster to get his way, and you’ve got a recipe for the final nail in the coffin for any semblance of a public option.

So it should come as no surprise that contingencies are being made among the Senate Dems’ liberal and progressive wings: among these (bandied about since yesterday) are included such compromises as Medicare “buy-ins” for potential beneficiaries under age 55, and other “insurance reform measures”, per Sen. Schumer. Seems like Sen. Jay Rockefeller sums up the exasperation of everyone in chambers today by saying:

…If we’re not going to get the public option … then there have to be other ways to encourage discipline and self restraint in the health insurance industry to hold down overall costs…

I had no idea Rockefeller had such a sense of humor. | LINK via Talking Points Memo

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