In a short post last night, George Stephanopoulos wrote that by going to war against the Baucus Bill, the health insurance lobby had actually increased the chances of some form of public option appearing in the final bill. I’m not sure if I agree with the exact mechanics George sees playing out. But I think he’s got the overall impact right.
Contrary to my expectations, the timing and content of the report were so transparent that they had little effect (at least little that I’ve seen so far) on the conventional wisdom about the bill’s effects but did tend to focus and even unite the supporters of reform.
