Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), who has been at the forefront of the Senate battle to include the controversial government-run plan for consumers, said there are between 54 and 56 votes in the Senate in favor of the provision, with several more votes able to be won.
"Here's how you have to look at it: The overwhelming majority of Democrats in the Senate are for it," Schumer said this morning during an appearance on MSNBC. "I'm talking to some of the moderates, and they're very open to it."
As Benen writes, we only need a few more conservadems to vote against the filibuster. Then the holdout can hang back and vote 'no' on final passage. 56 votes for final passage would be pretty strong.
(Adding... For those of you who are new to the process, the Democrats need 60 votes to break the inevitable Republican filibuster of the bill. But they only need 50-plus-Biden to pass the bill itself. Don't let anyone tell you that it's 60 votes for both. And it seems unlikely that any Democrats would vote to support a Republican filibuster of healthcare reform. Oh, and all of this will need to happen twice. Once when the Senate votes on their version of healthcare reform, and a second time when the final post-conference commuittee bill comes up for a vote.)