Senator Olympia Snowe joins Senate Finance Committee in 14-9 vote for Baucus health care reform bill

That’s all she wrote. On a 14-9 vote, Senator Snowe bucked Finance Committee Republicans to support Senator Max Baucus, Montana Democrat, and his mark on health care reform.

Now the real fun begins. Public option? Public opt out? Trigger option? These are the debates that will now consume the Senate in the weeks ahead.

Watch for Snowe to come under heavy criticism. While she spoke to the press after the vote, from the peanut gallery could be heard shouts from some woman of “You’re not a Republican!”

Whether that kind of sentiment will be enough to sway Snowe not to end a filibuster remains to be seen – but if the mettle she’s shown so far is any sign, it won’t matter. Ultimately, Snowe is going to vote on what she thinks is the best policy for America – not what her party dictates. That’s the only thing the Senate’s Republicans or Democrats can rely upon.