I do share your cynicism to some degree. While the "public option" may be dead in name I do like what I am hearing about the alternate possibility of expanding Medicare to younger age groups or having an insurance program administered by private carriers but regulated by the federal government in the same fashion as that provided to federal employees. I do think that an alternative is needed to the current system to keep the insurance company premiums competitive. God knows the current system of state regulation by insurance commissioners has failed miserably.

I really would like to hear more about the bills/amendments currently before Congress ...an end to the donut hole in Medicare...limiting private insurance carriers' profit/administrative costs to 10% ... permitting the purchase of medications from Canadian pharmacies.

I think much of the problem is a lack of information about these proposals and a great deal of misinformation being circulated by the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbies. The Connecticut air waves are filled with this propaganda urging a no vote on any bill. It does not take too much imagination to figure out who is behind these commercials.