Meet The New Gang; Just Don't Call Them A Gang

The Hill is reporting that a new bipartisan group of seven senators has been formed to try to pass “bipartisan” health care reform.

The new Senate group includes GOP Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe of Maine, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) and Democratic Sens. Ben Nelson (Neb.), Claire McCaskill (Mo.), Landrieu and Ron Wyden (Ore.). Four of the members — Snowe, Collins, Lieberman and Nelson — played a significant role in helping pass Obama’s $787 billion stimulus package.

But these lawmakers are hesitant to call themselves a Gang of Seven, or any other type of gang. They are still wincing at the memory of the weeks of protracted negotiations among members of the Finance Committee that failed to produce a much-hoped-for bipartisan agreement.

Will this new gang (that is not a gang) succeed where others have failed? Only time will tell. It should be noted that five of the seven senators have publicly stated their opposition to a new national public option that would be available on day one.