Senate Majority Leader Reid Leaning Toward ‘Public Option’ for Insurance

By Robert Pear AND David M. Herszenhorn
NYT

After more than a week of deliberations, the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, is leaning toward including a government-run insurance plan in a health care bill he will soon take to the Senate floor, Democratic senators said Thursday.
Harry ReidBrendan Smialowski for The New York Times Senator Harry Reid.

Mr. Reid’s intentions, which are subject to change, reflect a calculated gamble that all members of his party would vote for the public insurance plan, if it included some mechanism for states to opt out.

Mr. Reid and other Senate Democratic leaders were headed to the White House late Thursday afternoon for a hastily called meeting, where Mr. Reid was expected to ask President Obama to help secure the needed votes.

(More here.)