Reid Tells Max Baucus to Hurry Up

Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) has been searching far and wide for some Republican support for a health reform initiative. That’s involved big-picture structural ideas like dropping a public option from the bill, and also small stuff like throwing reproductive rights under the bus. That would be frustrating if it was working, but at least if it was working you could say it was working. But thus far, there are no Republicans singing Baucus’ praises. And Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) with whom Baucus typically prefers to work has said things like “I take pride with being an obstructionist” in terms of killing a public option while offering no constructive ideas.

And now Roll Call reports that Harry Reid (D-NV) is telling Baucus to wrap it up:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Tuesday strongly urged Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) to drop a proposal to tax health benefits and stop chasing Republican votes on a massive health care reform bill. [...] According to Democratic sources, Reid told Baucus that taxing health benefits and failing to include a strong government-run insurance option of some sort in his bill would cost 10 to 15 Democratic votes; Reid told Baucus it wasn’t worth securing the support of Grassley and at best a few additional Republicans.

This strikes me as a major vindication of Chris Bowers’ “progressive block” theory. By building a critical mass of progressive legislators who are prepared to walk away from a deal that doesn’t include a public option, the leadership either needs to find a big block of Republican support for a more moderate measure, or else include the public option.