The reason why?

Most likely scenario is that the bill coming out of conference committee will have a public option, probably not the preferred Rockfeller ammendment but the Schumer ammendment.

The Senate Caucus will hold on the procedureal vote for cloture and the final bill will pass the Senate with 54-55 votes.


Why will Senators who are against the Public Option not join a Republican filibuster?


Its one thing to disagree in committee.

Its another thing to disagree with the majority of the Senate.

Its yet another thing to disagree with the House of Representatives.

And its a completely different thing to disagree with your colleagues, the Senate, the House of Representatives, Your President on the most important legislation that the Party has worked on in 20 years, cross the aisle and vote with the Republicans to sustain a filibuster so that the legislation doesn't get a vote.


Dean, Schumer and Harkin are all predicting victory on a final vote.



What is going on now is positioning for the final negotiation. There will be some face saving gestures - probably on reducing spending in other areas that they can go back to their more conservative states and say that they won the deficit battle, save face and claim victory, and if they want they can vote against the bill after cloture.

Its been rather obvious for a while and Schumer, Harkin and Dean all act like they have already read the final script.