FAILED COMPROMISE?

Reid Isn't Winning Over Moderates

Lieberman, Snowe, Nelson concerned about Medicare.

Surprise, surprise: Joe Lieberman is dragging his feet again. The Connecticut independent, along with fellow moderate Senators Olympia Snowe (R-ME) and Ben Nelson (D-NE), expressed further anxiety over the health-care legislation under debate—this time, over a proposed expansion of Medicare, part of a deal struck by Harry Reid on Tuesday in exchange for the removal of the public option that had previously been the Democrats' stumbling block to peel off moderate votes. Snowe, who met with the president Wednesday, says that she "can't see" herself voting for the bill, while Lieberman openly expressed unease about the impact of the proposal on the "fiscal viability" of Medicare. Nelson conveyed his anxiety that the expansion would eventually lead to a government-run health-care system. Harry Reid would not say whether he has the 60 votes necessary to avoid a filibuster, but did tell reporters that he was "feeling pretty confident."