Senator Olympia Snowe is the Democrat’s one great hope for “bi-partisan” healthcare. Of course, by that Democrats mean that Snowe is the only one that will give them any cover at all that what they are considering could possibly appeal across party lines. But, even Snowe is saying that the healthcare train needs to be slowed down despite Obama’s cries for full speed ahead.

Snowe has recently begun to say that a vote on the bill before the August recess, as Obama keeps pushing for, is way too soon and that the Senate needs to slow down considerably.

“We shouldn’t be restrained by an artificially compressed timeline,” said the Maine moderate, pointing out that with estimated costs of $2.4 trillion, health care comprises 17% of the US gross domestic product, so reforming health care is a “Herculean challenge.”

“It’s important to us to take time to work through these issues,” Snowe said.

As with all Republicans, Snowe is wary of the so-called public option aspect of the Democrat’s plan, that part where the government will “compete” with the insurance industry for clients.

Many are saying that the public option is a deal killer and even the White House is acting as if it is softening on it despite that the President keeps claiming it is an important aspect of the plan.

Meanwhile, a McClatchy article was recently published that seems to show that the American public is losing its faith in the healthcare plans of the president and his party.
In Americans split on health care as Obama’s approval sinks, McClatchy shows that the country is closely split on the issue.

The poll shows that “there is no broad agreement” on how Obama should tackle the reform of healthcare. This appears to be troubling news for a Congress that expected smooth sailing for the healthcare reforms proposed by a popular president.

People are not expressing an overwhelming sense that the federal government can be trusted to fix the healthcare system. And the more they learn about the plans being floated by Congress the less they like them.

Americans are especially against the funding schemes that have been offered to pay for healthcare reform thus far.

(Cross posted at HealthcareHorseRace.com.)