Senator Grassley says that Democrats could gain some Republican support if a health-care bill were to address tort reform and allow consumers to purchase insurance across state lines, provided the final bill doesn’t contain mandates or a public option.

That’s very unlikely to happen, and I don’t know if those few concessions would result in a piece of legislation that isn’t bad on the whole. However, from afar those look like pretty reasonable concessions. And the fact that Democrats are unwilling to consider these concessions only shows (1) how hostage Democrats are to trial lawyers and (2) a reminder that the lack of bipartisanship on health care has as much to do with the Democrats being unyielding as Republicans.