POLL: 59% of those in favor of repeal want Congress to pursue the public option

The fight for a public option, not to mention "Medicare for all" single payer, isn't dead--in fact, the popularity of the public option is one reason why there's so much discontent with the as-passed health care bill, according to this post at ThinkProgress.

They note that a national survey conducted earlier this month by Indiana University’s Center for Health Policy and Professionalism Research (CHPPR) found that while 58% of Americans want the health care reform package scrapped, a majority of those people also favor more liberal legislation that includes a public option. Not only that, but 67 percent of Republicans and 59 percent of Independents also agreed that the public option was an important topic to be addressed by Congress.

ThinkProgress isn't surprised, pointing out that "the public option remained the most popular element of health care reform throughout the 17 month debate. In fact, public opinion turned against the bill as it moved through the legislative process and became more conservative and both Republicans and Democrats continued to tell pollsters that they would like a choice between private and public coverage."