Monday Morning Open Thread

Good morning.

It's freezing in DC. Okay, not quite freezing. It's 37.

Not a lot on the President's schedule today. This morning, he's heading out to Sidwell Friends for parent-teacher conferences. This afternoon, he's meeting with a Senator who sometimes acts like a petulant child: Kent Conrad.

I still don't understand the White House strategy on the public option. That provision is supported by the President, a majority of Senators and a majority of the American people. The messaging from the White House that the president thinks it's the "best possible choice," but won't fight for it is the kind of messaging that could only emanate from inside the beltway. It doesn't make sense in the real world.

Since an overwhelming majority of the Democratic Senate caucus -- 51 of the 60 Democrats -- support the public option, Harry Reid should include it in the Senate bill. Make the GOP try to take it out. Surely, Obama can secure the votes of all the Democratic Senators, including Ben Nelson, Mary Landrieu and Kent Conrad, to vote for cloture. They've all got their pressure points -- and Obama should have the pressure.

That's one of the stories we'll be monitoring this week...and still waiting for the Defense Authorization bill, which includes hates crimes legislation, to hit the Senate floor.

Start threading..