Most Americans want President Obama and the Democrats to jettison the healthcare bill they almost got together before 
this week’s political earthquake in Massachusetts and instead look for something Republicans can support.
That’s according to a new USA Today/Gallup poll which says 55 percent of Americans want work stopped on a House-Senate compromise between Democrats, while 39 percent want the Democrats to press on.
In fact, a sizable minority — 46 percent of the 1,010 adults surveyed — say healthcare reform is important but should not be Obama’s top legislative priority. Nineteen percent say healthcare shouldn’t be a major priority at all.
The poll was conducted the day after Republican Scott Brown won Ted Kennedy’s dyed-in-the-wool-Democratic-blue Senate seat in Massachusetts. The findings have a 4 percentage point margin of error.
Those who want Republican input on healthcare may get their wish.
Influential New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer says his colleagues are mulling over a handful of options and could choose one within the next few days.
And some of the talk is about reconciling with Republicans.
“That’s one of the options. I wouldn’t say there is a ‘the’ top option right now. There are two or three,” Schumer told a scrum of reporters that congealed around him in the U.S. Capitol on Thursday. 
