Calling the inclusion of a government-run health insurance program “a mistake,” one senator is saying that no reform at all is better than any reform including this stipulation.

Joseph Lieberman

Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) told CBS’ “Face the Nation” Nov. 1 that he would allow a Senate bill to move forward, but also plans to filibuster for removal of the public option from the bill.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) has indicated his desire to include the public option in a bill up for debate before the whole Senate, with an opt-out provision for states.

Lieberman told CBS that he would not filibuster to stop the health care reform debate, but “there are so many good things we can do to make health insurance more affordable and to extend it to people who don’t have it now.

“But I feel so strongly about the creation of another government health insurance entitlement, the government going into the health insurance business, I think it’s such a mistake that I would use the power I have as a single senator to stop a final vote,” he said.

When asked by host Bob Schieffer if that meant winding up “with nothing instead of something” in terms of reform in the Senate, Lieberman said that could be the case.

“But I’d say to the people who are all of a sudden making the public option, a government health insurance company, the litmus test here, they’re stopping us from getting something done,” Lieberman countered. “This is classic Washington today.”

Lieberman later added, “All of a sudden if you’re not for this government health insurance company, you’re against health care reform.”

Earlier in the interview, Lieberman said his objection to the public option is that it will hurt the economic recovery of the nation and its long-term fiscal situation “because it will end up causing the government to raise taxes.

“It will probably raise premiums or it will put us further into debt,” the senator said.  “The public option, I think, was raised in the last year by people who really want to have a government-controlled health insurance system. That’s their right. I think they’re wrong. But it’s not necessary, as President Obama has said over and over again, to achieve the goals that he has. So I hope it’s not in there at the end.”

On the same program, White House Senior Advisor David Axelrod would not say whether President Obama would sign a health care reform bill without the public option.

“I think both the House and the Senate are going to move forward on bills that likely it will have a public option,” he said. “The president believes the public option is valuable to create competition within the insurance industry, among this group of people who don’t have insurance today, it will reduce costs and it will be a positive thing. So he is eager for that to be in the bill. I think that some version of it will be in the bill.”