Reconciliation for the House fixes on healthcare reform will eliminate the need for Ben Nelson, Blanche Lincoln, Joe Lieberman, Evan Bayh and Mary Landrieu. The Insufferables. But several weeks ago, I worried that reconciliation might bring in a new batch of insufferables who might stand in the way of a decent reconciliation bill.
Nate Silver specifically mentions McCaskill, Warner and Bill Nelson. I would also add Kent Conrad, Max Baucus, Tom Carper and Mark Pryor to that mix -- especially if the reconciliation fixes include a straight-up public option or Medicare buy-in.
The bottom line here is that reconciliation isn't necessarily a magic bullet for passing everything we want. Nor is it a cakewalk. But it's the only real path. And so it has to happen.