Know when to fight.....

Looks like Howard Dean quieted down a bit today, walking back his foolish criticism of the Senate healthcare bill today while on Meet the Press, saying that the bill wasn't the reform needed but had been much improved over the past week.

Strategically, what would have been the point for the White House putting up a fight for the public option before the merged bills? If Obama really wants the public option, he'll side with Pelosi when the bill goes to conference and put his considerable political weight on Nelson & Lieberman and get it put in the bill.

I think the biggest injustice put forth by both the right and left during this whole process is how any one vote is the final nail in the coffin of any given provision. The bill still has a long way to go, and will probably look much different when done. Hopefully, they'll take the best of both bills, and they will ram it through.