Senate Democratic leaders appeared poised to abandon efforts to create a government-run insurance safety net in their push for healthcare reform, as they attempted to close ranks around a bill they hoped would win the backing of all 60 members of their caucus, the Washington Post reports. Party leaders conceded that a key portion of the compromise they crafted to replace the public option—a proposal allowing people as young as 55 to buy into Medicare—did not have sufficient support from Democratic moderates to overcome a likely Republican filibuster, reports the Post.
