Say It Ain't "No," Joe

Well, that’s what approximately 59 Senate Democrats must be wishing right about now. Here’s the WSJ report on Lieberman’s objection to any kind of public option whatsoever:

Probe for a catch or caveat in that opposition, and none is visible. Can he support a public option if states could opt out of the plan, as the current bill provides? “The answer is no,” he says in an interview from his Senate office. “I feel very strongly about this.” How about a trigger, a mechanism for including a public option along with a provision saying it won’t be used unless private insurance plans aren’t spreading coverage far and fast enough? No again.

Is Lieberman taking a stand on principle? Or is he a wholly-owned subsidiary of Connecticut’s insurance industry?

Honestly — who cares!