Where This Is Headed

My dollars are still on Olympia Snowe:

The only reasonable reading of today's developments is that while the Dems will get 60 votes this evening they are still short of the 60 they need to get to a final vote on a bill that includes an opt out public option. Couple that with the fact that there is 100% guaranteed to be a health care reform bill in some shape or form passed by the Senate, and you're left with somebody needing to strike a deal to get this done.

Lieberman is a no. Snowe is a no. Nelson, Landrieu and Lincoln are tepid at best. Whatever peer pressure could be brought to bear is heavily diluted when you're four votes short. If it were one lone holdout, maybe. But four?

You get Snowe, you get everyone else to vote for cloture, except possibly Lieberman who is a party unto himself. Literally. And I wouldn't be surprised to see George Voinovich and Susan Collins parachute in at the last minute to vote with the majority on the final bill. Liberals need to drop the fantasy that they can hold out for something better. That only works when both parties involved in negotiations are equally motivated to reach a compromise. Git ready.