A new NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found 76% Americans want to be given a choice between a public and private option. The American people clearly want to have a breadth of options and be able to choose between a plan that suits themselves and their families the best. I hope this is a wake up call to “moderate” Democrats like Sen. Conrad, Sen. Baucus, and other invertebrate Democrats on the need to offer a strong public option so that people can make the best choice for their health instead of being shackled to just the private options.

And the American people will have to make a decision because all health care reform plans so far mandate every American to obtain health insurance like how every driver must have car insurance. Health care reform will earn a bad name if people are forced to pick private plans that they can’t afford. A public option is needed as a check on the private insurance industry to keep them honest and keep prices low. This is because a government insurance pool will have lots of people and can use those numbers to negotiate lower prices. Private insurance companies will have no choice but to adapt to that type of competition by also lowering prices.

It’s a bit galling to hear anti-HCR people say that a public option will run private insurance companies into bankruptcy when it’s just meant to be a viable consumer choice. I thought government programs were supposed to be inefficient and badly run so why is a public option now said to be so efficient and so effective that it can eradicate an entire industry? That’s because those are lies, and the American people aren’t fooled and just want the most options for their families.

Also, note to President Obama. 58% of Americans trust you on health care so please don’t disappoint them. (conversely, no one trusts the Republicans on health care so there’s no need to placate Repubs).