The Oregonian syndicates a column by David S.Broder of the Washington Post this morning, quoting Oregon Senator Ron Wyden calling on President Barack Obama to remove "the rock" of a national public health insurance option from his healthcare reform plan.

Oddly, Broder cites bipartisanship as the reason Obama should abandon the public plan. Broder writes that Wyden's plan "in simplest terms—would have guaranteed portable, affordable health insurance to every American."

But that's just not true. Democrat Howard Dean argued in Portland last week that we should "throw bipartisanship over the side" if it means sacrificing a national public health insurance option—which Wyden's plan doesn't include.

"Meanwhile," Broder writes, "there is a preliminary but intense debate shaping up about whether a government-sponsored plan should be made an option for people choosing from a menu of coverage options. Liberals want that included. And Obama has reiterated his support for it."

"Liberals?!" Yes, Obama stated last week that he wants a national public health insurance option to give Americans a broader range of options and "keep insurance companies honest." But the majority of small business owners support a national public health insurance option, too. And so do all of Oregon's Democratic congressmen and its other US senator—even though they don't seem to have the guts to call Wyden out on it.