Snowe Daze

Maine Rethuglican Senator Olympia "Sleet &" Snowe has been the lone holdout in the Rethuglican Party willing to bargain with the Democratic majority on the health insurance reform bill. The fact that she's exercising so much influence among her collegues is a testament to the obsessive quest for "bipartisanship" by the Obama Administration. But as Howard Fineman points out in his Newsweek column:

"In case the White House hasn't noticed, Republicans in Congress are engaged in what amounts to a sitdown strike. They don't like anything about Obama or his policies; they have no interest in seeing him succeed. Despite the occasional protestation to the contrary, the GOP has no intention of helping him pass any legislation."

The results of this obsession may be a watered-down bill that doesn't truly reform health insurance, and will cause a drop-off in support for Obama by his base.

So instead of courting a reluctant Sleet & Snowe for "bipartisan" window dressing, the Administration might want to get its act together and get the best possible bill that provides a public option and other reforms. They'll be judged at the polls for that, and not on the makeup of the votes in Congress.