The public option isn’t dead; it’s just resting:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is scrambling to push back the notion she lacks the votes for a “robust” public option.

Pelosi (D-Calif.) called an emergency meeting of her caucus Friday morning to declare that she has not abandoned the push for including that provision in a healthcare bill.

The Speaker met late Thursday night with the Progressive Caucus, the bloc of Democrats most supportive of a robust public option, and assured them that it was still on the table, according to a member in attendance.

This is what you do in politics, right before pulling the rug out from somebody — in this case, out from under the “Progressive” Caucus. This entire health bill is bad, but the public government option is the worst part.

And before long, it seems likely that the Democratic coalition is going to be on life support. The moderates and the left-liberals just can’t get along on the government option, which is why it was so shortsighted of Obama to push for it. And shortsighted isn’t the way he usually plays.

Which makes me feel just terrible. Honestly, there could be tears.

UPDATE: Apropos of nothing, here’s a link to the best site on the internet.

UPDATE 2 – ELECTRIC BOOGALOO: Did I really just use references to Star Trek, Monty Python, and Serenity in one short post about health care overhaul? Geekiest. Post. Ever.

UPDATE III – THE FINAL CONFLICT: Oh, and of course in that last update I worked in references to Breakin’ 2 and The Simpsons. I’ll stop now.