Snowe Suggests Health Care Can Wait

Health care reform maybe shouldn't happen by the end of the year, Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-ME) suggests in an interview with Bloomberg's "Political Capital with Al Hunt," which will air this weekend. "Christmas might be too soon," Bloomberg quotes her as saying. "We should give it the time it deserves." Needless to say, Democrats do not want to wait that long, but Snowe is in a uniquely influential position as the only Republican who supports Democratic reform plans at this point.

And, just in case public-option supporters thought things might have changed as more polling shows the public in favor of a government-run insurance plan, Snowe says she won't support it--meaning it'll be up to Democrats to pass a public option without GOP support, if such a provision is in the cards.