See the video;
MR. GREGORY: You say it’s essential, Senator Schumer; the president saying now it’s just a sliver. He’s backed away, hasn’t he?
SEN. SCHUMER: I don’t think he’s backed away at all. I’ve talked to the president personally about this in the last few weeks. He believes strongly in the public option. Obviously he is working hard to get a bipartisan bill, because that would be a better bill. But I believe that at the end of the day we will have a public option. And frankly, I believe we could get a public option that could be passed with the 60 Democratic votes we had. A level playing field public option, where the public option competes on a level playing field with the insurance companies, was backed in the House by both Blue Dog Democrats and more liberal Democrats. And I think that’s the direction we’re going to end up in.