Lieberman Maintains Opposition to Public Option

Democrats on Capitol Hill today rebuffed a report that Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) has privately dropped his threat to possibly filibuster Democrats' health care plans.

Citing "two sources briefed on the matter," the Hill newspaper reported that "Lieberman has reached a private understanding with Majority Leader Harry Reid that he will not block a final vote on healthcare reform."

Lieberman spokesman Marshall Wittmann told the Hill the senator still plans to support a Republican filibuster of the Senate health care bill if it includes a government-run health insurance plan, or "public option." Lieberman initially said he would vote to block debate on any bill with a public option. He later said on CBS News' Face the Nation that he would vote for debate to proceed but ultimately support a filibuster of any bill with a public option.

Wittman told other news outlets today the Hill report was inaccurate.

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"If you believe this story is true, you will also believe that I am replacing A Rod in game six of the series," he told Greg Sargent of the Plum Line Blog. "There is absolutely no 'private understanding'... Senator Lieberman’s unambiguously clear position, both in private and in public, is that he will vote for the motion to proceed to the health care bill because he supports health care reform that will control costs and insure people who don't have it now, but will oppose cloture on a final bill if it contains a public option."

Reid spokesman Jim Manley also said the story was untrue. "We hope to have his vote in the end but we are not there yet," he reportedly said.

Meanwhile, Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said today that President Obama has not reached out to Lieberman since the senator announced his position on the issue, Huffington Post reports.