According to today's TPM reporting, it appears as though Senator Reid wants to 'hurt' the Insurance industry by stopping the Anti-Trust exemption they currently survive on for years:

Reid is adamant that the insurance industry should lose a decades-old anti-trust exemption that allows companies to divvy up markets and agree not to compete against one another.

According to the report Reid said that he:

Along with Senate health care leaders, and White House officials will discuss the public option in yet another closed door meeting tonight.

Could the threat of losing the ability to divvy up markets be enough to convince the insurance industry to back some sort of a Public Option?

Could it actually work?  You tell me.

Democratic aides said that a "handful" of senators who are skeptical of a public plan likely could be persuaded if not to support it then at least to oppose a Republican filibuster, if the administration were to apply a bit more pressure -- or even guidance.

"There is a clear sense that it would be helpful," said one senior Democratic aide. "Throughout this entire debate the White House line has been 'We will weigh in when it is necessary'.... Well now we need 60 votes. So if it's not necessary now, then when will it be?"

"I think folks in general in Congress were looking to the president to clearly define his feeling on the issue," another aide said. "And I don't think he has done that on the public option from the get-go... With a lot of senators nervous because of elections or other political dynamics, it would be helpful for the president to send a strong signal that this is what he wants in the final bill."

Oh give us a break please.... This is the Democratic Party's way of getting away from any blame if a public option ends up not being a part of the final Health Care Reform package.

I agree with Press Secretary Gibbs on this one, ""I think the folks on Capitol Hill, based on the speech the president gave on Capitol Hill, know where he stands,"

Just last September 7th during a visit to Cincinnati they president said,

"I continue to believe that a public option within the basket of insurance choices would help improve quality and bring down costs."

So what else is he suppose to say, "add it or I won't sign the bill"?  Oh that would solve everything wouldn't it.  Not only would it not give Democrats anymore leverage it would just end up putting all the blame on Obama if the bill does not pass.

Nope, if Obama came out and demanded a public option, it would instead most likely kill whatever they've accomplished so far.

I'm pretty darn sure there will be some sort of trigger or way of going back into the package that is passed this year and changing the rules at a later date, even if that doesn't happen during Obama's term in office.

So, what he's been saying is plenty of ammo for the Democrats to get those 'votes' to stop a filibuster if they truly want to stop it.  If they fail to do so, it won't be Obama's fault, it will prove once again that the Democratic Party as a whole, can't seem to work as a team on anything of any real substance.

I would just like to ask one question about the upcoming health care reform package.  Where is the beef?  Where is the savings coming in at for the American people -- the insured?

Yes, we hear about how we will be guaranteed insurance even with pre-existing conditions.  Yes, we hear about maybe being able to buy insurance across State lines.  Yes, we hear that we'll be able to keep the insurance that we like and choose our own doctors as well (if our employers continue to offer that insurance company package -- which changes nothing, and could happen today even without reform).  Yes, we hear that insurance costs should drop (saving insurance companies money) if we get people to be more concerned about their own health (get smokers and eaters to stop abusing their bodies).  Yes we hear that millions more citizens will finally get the health care they need.  Yes we hear how government will save money and how insurance companies will profit from having new customers.

But, where is the beef?

At what point am 'I' the insured -- going to save money on my health care insurance costs?

I support passing a health care reform bill, don't get me wrong.  My problem is, if we're going to save money by doing so -- show us how, in what way.  Explain in as few words as possible, how our health insurance costs will actually drop or that we will save money in the long run.

If a citizen is paying on average $4800 per year (just an example) for health insurance today, when will that person finally see a drop in that yearly cost or how much they saved by passing this reform bill?  If the bill isn't passed, how much more would they be paying in say, 5 years from now, than if the bill had been passed?

I for one can see the future and how this health care reform will save us all money; but most do not see the bigger picture.  Most Americans support something they think is going to save or bring them money and/or --for change.

So, President Obama and Democrats -- where's the beef?  Give them specifics.  Give them that and you've get yourself a better deal!