Thomas Carper (D-DE) is working on his new new new alternative to the public option, which is really an even worse redesign of Snowe’s useless trigger proposal. Carper’s terrible twist is a non-public triggered co-op. The idea is terrible, and is in no way, shape, or form a public option. It is not an alternative to the public option, nor will it serve any of the goals of a public option. It is worthless.

But if this terrible non-public triggered co-op makes it into the final bill, don’t put most of the blame on Carper. He has made it clear to TPM that the decision to add his worthless idea to the bill is completely up to Harry Reid.

“We’ll certainly file an amendment–if encouraged by our leadership.”

“I think–at the end–the reason why we’re going through this effort is to try to find a way to get to 60,” Carper said.

If the public option is killed with Carper’s non-public triggered co-op it is because Reid chose to kill the public option. Carper might be designing this worthless “compromise,” but he is a team player who will not act with out Reid’s says so. If there is no public option, it is solely because Reid wanted to pass a bill with 60 votes, and not want to hurt Joe Lieberman’s, Blanche Lincoln’s, or Ben Nelson’s feelings. Reid always has the option to pass the bill with a public option using reconciliation, which requires only a simple majority.