Blue Dog Rep. Jim Cooper says he supports to public option, and claims that our R2K poll showing his constituents angry with him is bunk because it assumes that he opposes it.

Of course, we never assumed any such thing, and the poll didn't make any assertions to that effect.

So how come all his constituents don't think he supports the public option? Here's a letter he sent a constituent:

There are already four different bills reported out by House and Senate committees, with one more expected to come from the powerful Senate Finance Committee in the next few weeks. The main House legislation, H.R. 3200, the America's Affordable Health Choices Act, has been amended in different ways by the three House committees of jurisdiction. I recently wrote an article in the Tennessean saying that I would not vote for H.R. 3200 as currently drafted. No one knows yet exactly what the bill will look like that the House will vote on, probably in September, but it will probably be another version of H.R. 3200. We still have a long way to go in the legislative process because, assuming the House passes legislation, and the Senate does as well, then the differences between those two bills will have to be worked out before final votes in the House and Senate. As a member of the fiscally conservative group, the Blue Dog Democrats, I have been working to see that health reform legislation is affordable, as the President has requested. My preferred approach, the Healthy Americans Act, H.R. 1321, is bipartisan, reduces the deficit, and reduces the cost of health care over time. Unfortunately, House and Senate leaders have not allowed it to be seriously considered although it seems to meet all the President's goals. Although this bill does not contain a "public option," I can support one as long as it is on a level playing field. There are many ways to define a public option and Congress should be able to approve one that keeps insurance companies honest without putting them out of business.

You see? He doesn't support the bill with the public option, but he supports a bill, along with Republicans, that DOES NOT contain a public option.

So OBVIOUSLY he supports a public option, because he says so! Nevermind what he's doing behind the scenes.

And he's going to act outraged that his constituents think he's selling them out to the insurance companies that fill his coffers?

Update: Blue Advaark in the comments: