Every camera in Washington has flocked to Joe Lieberman once he vowed to join a Repulbican-led filibuster on health care if the final bill contained a public option. Far fewer media types have noticed that at least one Senator has been precisely the opposite threat – that he would not vote for any bill UNLESS it included what he called a “strong public option.” And the opt-out currently in the bill doesn’t quite match up:

Burris insists reform must include a “strong public option,” a government-run health insurance program that would compete with private insurers and — he says — drive down costs for Americans who desperately need health coverage.

“I will not vote for any reform legislation that fails to include a strong public option,” Burris said during a visit to Chicago’s Stroger Hospital, a public hospital that cares for the poor [...]

Burris isn’t keen on an opt-out provision because he said it would carry with it “all types of nuances that would create a situation where I don’t think you can get a strong public option.”

For example, he said one concern was insurance company lobbyists’ influence on state lawmakers, who would determine if their states opt out.

Burris doesn’t quite have the cachet in Washington as Joe Lieberman. But with 60 Democrats in the caucus and universal opposition expected from Republicans, every vote really does count. You would think someone would pay attention to the fact that Roland Burris is arguing from the left something similar to what Lieberman is arguing from the right, but that’s not the case – Burris acknowledged that President Obama hasn’t even spoken to him about this issue, though he has had discussions with Nancy-Ann DeParle from the Office of Health Reform. And clearly, the dynamic is similar – while Lieberman has distanced himself from the caucus, Burris has been a pariah from almost the moment he arrived in DC (and for some decent reasons, I might add).

It appears that Burris said the opt-out wouldn’t fit his requirement for a “strong public option,” but it was unclear, even from the context of today’s speech in Chicago today, whether that meant he would vote against cloture on the motion to proceed or the final bill. Like Lieberman, I’m sure Burris enjoys the attention being paid to him as a result of these statements, but unless he is considering himself a no vote on cloture, it doesn’t mean too much. I have contacted Burris’ press spokesman seeking a comment on that.