A robust public option would be excellent, but I think it's become clear that this won't pass without controversy. Ramming something through in the same way W rammed tax cuts for the rich through is not preferable. Dropping the public option entirely to win broad-enough support is definitely not preferable. While most still seem to want a public option, the entire process has been (bleep)ed up to such a heavy degree that a trigger is looking better and better and better.
Make no mistake about it; we are facing a vast right-wing conspiracy of media outlets(Fox News Channel, other Murdoch-owned companies) and anger(they still can't get over the fact that they lost in '08). Democrats are trying to govern at a time when there are many challenges that have to be faced, and all Republicans are doing is enjoying a lack of responsibility.
I was amazed that Jim Greer, Charlie Crist's best friend in Florida and head of the GOP down there, would launch the attack that he launched on the President's speech to students slated for next week. Forget about the fact that H.W. did the same thing in '92. Greer is trying to help Crist out-conservative his primary opponent. But what shocked me was when Greer was confronted about the fact that the White House would be releasing the speech early so parents can approve or disapprove of it, and Greer(who had no evidence of anything he had claimed) proceeded to claim that they are only doing so because of all the "outrage" they have inspired and also that the speech would be changed from their original and evil speech/indoctrination/whatever only because of "brave" people like Jim Greer.
They have no shame. They bear false witness. This is all but a game to the GOP, while to Democrats this is governing.
No matter what gets drafted, the health-reform bill will get attacked. The public option as a robust public option(which wouldn't go into effect for years no matter what) is pretty much dead at this point. A trigger(assuming it has no mandate to buy insurance from private providers) is a lot better than something with next to nothing, but even next to nothing is a hell of a lot better and more acceptable than nothing.
We can't afford to do nothing. Worst of all, we are facing massive problems on all fronts of the same scale as our current health care crisis. A trigger has the real potential of forcing private providers into quickly enacting reform. Take it. It's far better than letting them continue to screw us.