Pelosi flexible on public option

Speaker Pelosi (D-Calif.) showed flexibility Tuesday on the public option, acknowledging the political reality that such a plan probably couldn’t make it through the Senate.

A public plan, Speaker Pelosi said at a press conference, is meant to "hold insurance companies accountable and increase competition," but Pelosi added that "there are other ways to do that."

Democratic leaders have sought a number of routes to keep House liberals happy while winning over the votes of centrist Sens. Ben Nelson (D-Neb.) and Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) The House included a public option in its legislation, but Nelson and Lieberman have said they will not vote for any bill containing such a measure.

House leaders also reminded the Senate that moving too far to the center could lose valuable progressive votes in the lower chamber.

"The Senate should know that we need 218 votes," said Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.), chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee.