Public option polling abounds

There are a pair of interesting polls on the public option out this morning.

First, a WaPo/ABC poll finds that the public option is more important than bipartisanship.

In our most recent ABC News/Washington Post poll respondents were asked:

"Which of these would you prefer – (a plan that includes some form of government-sponsored health insurance for people who can’t get affordable private insurance, but is approved without support from Republicans in Congress); or (a plan that is approved with support from Republicans in Congress, but does not include any form of government-sponsored health insurance for people who can’t get affordable private insurance)?"

Fifty one percent said they preferred the public option; 37 percent said they preferred a bill with some support from Republicans in Congress. Six percent said neither and seven percent expressed no opinion.

Of course, that's a boon for liberal Democrats who think the White House has focused too much on winning the support of Olympia Snowe. But of course the ability to win over particular senators to the public option depends not on national polling but the poll number in each senator's home state.

That brings us to the second poll: The public option wins majority support in Arkansas, where Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D) will be running for re-election in 2010, according to a Research 2000 poll sponsored by a liberal coalition.

56% of Arkansans support a "government administered health insurance plan--something like Medicare," while 37% oppose it. Of course, comparing the plan to Medicare is a controversial wording decision, since Medicare is already fairly popular. Nevertheless, will numbers like these influence Lincoln's vote?