Senate bucks public opinion

Democratic leaders, hoping to make their bill more attractive in the Senate, have been backing away from the public option and a proposed extension of Medicare to people as young as 55. They’re moving directly against public opinion. The public option and the Medicare expansion are the most popular ideas floated in the health care debate. Roughly 75 percent of Americans favor the Medicare expansion, according to a Kaiser Family Foundation poll. On the public option, 59 percent favor it, according to a survey by CBS News and the New York Times. But when asked about the Senate bill overall, Americans are increasingly negative. A CNN poll found 61 percent opposed, compared with only 36 percent in favor.