Health care reform update

Ezra Klein, one of the best policy wonks out there, has a great interview with Sen. Kent Conrad on a possible alternative to a public health plan option. It would set up non-profit cooperatives that would provide coverage to members, and it's not an awful idea by any means. Plus it's much more preferable to simply not doing anything, but it's still not as ideal of a solution as the public health plan.

This MyDD post points out how the Senate Parliamentarian might become the most important person in the whole process, which is maddening in its own right. Conrad acknowledges that 55 to 56 Democrats are willing to support a public health plan, meaning that it would pass on a straight, up or down vote, say 55-45. That is a clear majority, however, the arcane rules of the Senate mean that 60 votes are needed for cloture, thus obstructing the ability to pass legislation that more than 70 percent of the country supports.

Again, the cooperative idea isn't terrible, but it's not the best option on the table nor is the one that has the strongest backing by the public.