As if that’s not sad enough, the money quote doesn’t come from Baucus, even, but from San Francisco mayor Gavin Newsom: “We thought Democrats were in control of Congress. If we’re going to capitulate and give up on the public option, only we can be to blame if (reform) fails.”

To be sure, I’m not convinced that the public option is the only way to make headway with health care reform this year, but it certainly would be the most dramatic. And Newsom’s words cut to an interesting point. If Dems scuttled this whole bipartisanship charade and refused to even entertain the likes of Charles Grassley and Mike Enzi, whose ludicrous and insensible demands in the so-called name of bipartisanship are well documented, they really could hold the line and push through a public option. Of course, the right would vilify the party in power, but that’s happening anyway. And a couple of Blue Dogs would take considerable heat in their districts and really face some tough races in upcoming elections.

But then a funny thing would happen: the public option would come on line, and folks would enroll. After a few years–I daresay before Obama completes his second term in office–insurance companies would respond to the effects of a credible competitor with a completely different model. The result would be happier customers, all around. And by that time, Dems would be able to take credit–sole credit, as it were–for the success of health care reform.

Instead, saddled with a plan (Baucus’) that is “still too radical for conservatives and too meek for liberals,” Dems could be forced to take credit for a crappy piece of legislation. Fortunately the Baucus plan is not a stand-alone option. It’ll be reconciled with a whole lot of other paperwork before anything can even be prepared for a vote. Despite efforts to keep the price tag below a trillion and the plan deficit neutral, the White House seems reluctant to get behind Baucus just yet: “White House press secretary Robert Gibbs offered less than a full endorsement Wednesday, calling the Baucus plan ‘an important building block.’”

All of which must only add to Max Baucus’ sense of isolation today.