30 Rock

The number of Dem senators who say they would support the public option as part of reconciliation has grown to 30, including the Dems' number two man, Dick Durbin.

"Sen. Durbin has long been a supporter of the public option," reads a statement from Durbin spokesman Joe Shoemaker to the progressive groups Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Democracy for America, and Credo. "I don't know whether the votes exist in the Senate right now, but if the House version of the public option came up for a vote in reconciliation Sen. Durbin would vote yes."


Similar statements were also issued from four other senators: Patty Murray (D-WA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Jeff Bingaman (D-NM), and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN).

To be clear, these are not signatories to a letter--circulated by the three groups--advocating the public-option-through-reconciliation strategy. PCCC co-founder Adam Green put it this way: "We're accepting clear statements that if the public option comes up for a vote, they would vote yes. We're debunking what [White House Press Secretary Robert] Gibbs said last week, that the votes don't exist -- they do...we'll prove it."

So far, 24 members have signed the letter, and five have issued statements indicating their support for passing a public option through reconciliation. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid also stands behind the idea in principle. That means Green et al. have 20 members to go.

No, it's not the same, but it is very encouraging and getting more so daily.  However, this means the Senate Dems are going to have to act one way or another on this soon...very soon.  They need to either start twisting arms to get the other 20 or tell us now this is going nowhere, or there will be hell to pay.