Why Liberals Aren't Celebrating Harry Reid's "Public Option" Support

Political watchers are scratching their heads in confusion that liberals aren't exuberantly celebrating their apparent victory in the healthcare reform debate since Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid "sided with his party's liberals on Monday and announced that he would include a government-run insurance plan in health care legislation that he plans to take to the Senate floor within a few weeks," per the New York Times.

The Times continued:

"Just weeks ago, the prospects for such an approach seemed remote, reflecting all-out opposition from conservatives to what they considered an excessive government role in the economy and a lack of enthusiasm from many moderate Democrats. But the idea has consistently drawn strong support in national polls, and it has backing from President Obama... "

My response is that we've secured no victory, outside of convincing leadership that the position promulgated by the Democratic party base merits serious deliberation... a position supported by a majority of the American people.

Only inside the D.C. bubble would a position that bucks rich lobbyists, but is firmly supported by both a majority of Americans and the party that controls Congress, be considered radically daring leadership or a momentous event. Instead, it should be a political no-brainer...

MSNBC's Chuck Todd asked his Facebook friends this week, "Curious, why isn't left declaring victory on public option? Idea of "no" pub option is off table." Responses to his inside-the-beltway wonderment etch a perfect portrayal of the reasons for continuing liberal angst over healthcare reform legislation.

• "Because no one knows what the final outcome is of the negotiations."
• "Because a watered down public option trigger is a blatant success for the insurance companies and a disaster for the American People. There will be no celebrating until there is a true legit public option!"
• "Don't want to look arrogant--I know, a novel idea in politics."
• "Because it's not a victory. A compromise public option is not a public option. Just a way for the right to try to satisfy polls while leaving a way out for insurance companies. It won't work."
• "Because they know that victory is not at hand! At this point they're trying to create the perception that public option is inevitable, but the votes just aren't there..."
• "Chuck, I'll believe it when I see it. Right now, I don't see it getting the 60 votes to get to cloture."
• "Because the true public option is a principled compromise, while the trigger and opt-out public option are both watered-down so as not to achieve the true power of the public option. The left isn't looking for political expediency - we want to solve an intransigent societal problem."

And my response to Chuck: "Because the legislative status of the public option changes about ten times daily, and we rightfully no longer trust the Senate to follow through on ephemeral stances."

That they would seriously pose the question of why we aren't celebrating Harry Reid's support of a public option makes we wonder if they really think we're that stupidly uninformed.... or if Democratic leaders and insider journalists are really that isolated from the realities of the rest of the country.

(Photo of MSNBC's Chuck Todd: Brendan Smialowski/Getty Images)