In the nineties they tried to pass a healthcare bill and the effort failed pretty completely

[el_bryanto]

Congress didn't seriously take up the issue for another 15 years. Now we are trying again. If this bill fails completely or is seen to have failed completely - i.e. there's no vote and there's nothing - how many more years will we have to wait?

Alternatively if this bill passes, weak as it is, can Democrats come back to the table next year and keep working on it?

There's a big difference between next year and 15 years.

Bryant

[Eric J in MN]

1. The only chance of getting a bill passed with a public option was that...

...it also does something for corporations: gives them millions of new subsidized customers.

Congress isn't going to pass a bill corporations don't like which just helps the public by giving them a public option.

[ZombieHorde]

2. Republicans can come back the next year and work on it as well.

[el_bryanto]

4. That's true and we can kind of guarentee they will do that

But isn't that better than Republicans not having to work on it because it's a dead issue again?

[vi5]

3. Well, when we pick up all those new seats...

..because people are so thrilled that the democrats were "bipartisan" and reached across the aisle and tried to hold hands and catered to a few senators selfish whims and as a result have to spend more of their money to buy insurance with no inexpensive public option.......so yeah, after that happens and we pick up all those new seats from excited voters and an energized base then they can come back to the table and REALLY make a difference and get some good stuff into health care reform.