[paulusthe]

The public option was killed by Arlen Specter, a Democrat, who refused to go along with the other Democrats. Rs were united, which made his defection critical. Kind of like how Joe Manchin throws a wrench in the works every few years in return for oil and coal extraction benefits for his company in WV

[js2]

It was Joe Lieberman (and 40 Republicans), not Arlen Specter, who killed the public option:

https://publicintegrity.org/health/elimination-of-public-opt...

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2009/10/did-sen-joe-lieb...

[nl]

Blaming one dumb Democrat when all the other party voted against it seems odd.

To be clear: he shouldn't have voted against it. But if the Republicans wanted good outcomes neither should any of them.

[lotsofpulp]

One person cannot kill legislation in the Senate, it takes 51 nay votes.