During an online Q&A last week, Washington Post reporter Perry Bacon was asked about the inconsistency between “The Republicans, media talking heads, and some conservative Democrats” who say they oppose a public option as part of health care reform because they are concerned about costs, and studies finding such a public option would save money. The questioner suggested the real reason for opposition might be that the politicians are “bought and paid for by the insurance industry.”

In response, Bacon essentially denied that “conservative Democrats and Republicans” have made a cost argument against the public option. That's flatly, unambiguously false, as anyone who has followed the health care debate should know.

Bacon was then asked a follow-up question pointing out the inconsistency in the claims of reform opponents. At that point, Bacon said “the conservative Democrats simply feel they can't back the public option for political reasons.” That didn't make much sense, either, since polls show the public option is popular among those conservative Democrats' constituents, as I pointed out at the time.

That brings us to today's online Q&A with Perry Bacon:

Tuckerton, NJ: Considering the majority of Americans want some type of public healthcare option and that 52-percent of Nevada residents feel the same way (as per latest Research 2000 poll), what on earth would prevent Harry Reid from including it in Senate compromise bill? Is he that politically tone deaf?

Perry Bacon Jr.: For whatever reason, some of the conservative Democrats in the Senate aren't wild about a public opinion. (I would suggest the politics of their states, where they have to get Republican-leaning voters, but I know you will cite more polls saying people in Louisiana want the public option. I assume politicians have a keen sense of their own electoral position and the moderate Democrats are weary of this for a reason, but I digress) I'm not sure getting the public opinion in the bill will really hurt Reid in Nevada.

Extraordinary. Bacon “would suggest” the “politics of their states” is the issue, except that he knows he'd get called on it by someone who would point out the public option's popularity in those states. But instead of internalizing that poll data and looking for alternate explanation, Bacon prefers to “assume” the politicians know something the data doesn't show.

At no point does it cross Bacon's mind that the real reason might have something to do with campaign contributions. Instead, he just keeps offering up a series of nonsensical claims, spanning two weeks, only to abandon each one as it is disproved. But he never waivers from one thing: Defending the opponents of reform any way he can.

Let's review:

Bacon claimed public option opponents have not made a cost argument. False.

Then Bacon suggested the constituents of the reform opponents don't want a public option. Polls show that to be false.

So Bacon then said we shouldn't pay attention to the polls; we should just trust that the politicians know their constituents better than poll data does.

At what point might it occur to Bacon that maybe those who oppose reform have been making incorrect arguments and oppose policies their constituents want -- and that maybe he should start looking for reasons why?

UPDATE: Bacon, later in today's Q&A: “I wish the public option advocates would stop acting if the media is at fault here.” Gee, I wonder why Bacon encounters people who think that?

UPDATE 2: More Bacon:

Boston: “I assume politicians have a keen sense of their own electoral position and the moderate Democrats are weary of this for a reason, but I digress”

I realize we don't want to be crass. But these small, poor state Senators are also being lavished with cash by interests who benefit from preserving the status quo or not competing with a Public Health Insurance plan. Add to those gifts and incentives a great deal of media coverage and one could be led to think their opposition is not so motivated by their keen understanding of their state--most Senators know they have a 95% chance of getting re-elected no matter what.

Perry Bacon, Jr.: I don't have a list of the top members of Congress getting money from the insurance industry, but there are plenty of members who get money from health care companies who also support the public option. Some of the Blue Dogs live in districts McCain won by 15 points. They live in places where voters are more conservative, and the Republicans have branded the public option, rightly or wrongly, as a major liberal initiative.

Bacon is all over the map at this point. First he suggests that in the states/districts in question, the public option is not popular. Then he says he would suggest it again, but he knows people would produce polls contradicting that claim. Then he goes back to making unsupported claims about public opinion in unspecified districts.

He's consistent about one thing, though: Have you ever seen a reporter this adamant that campaign contributions do not influence politicians positions? Ever?