While Republicans have repeated the phrase, "Where are the jobs?" all year as a criticism of the Democrats' economic stimulus package, Democrats continue to request a Republican alternative to health insurance reform.

"I think it's important to spend a little bit of time on the Republicans' plan," Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) said this afternoon at the weekly Democratic leadership briefing with reporters. "It's very clear what that is -- and that is to keep things the way they are, the status quo."

Majority Whip Richard Durbin (D-Ill.) conceded that as the "loyal opposition," it's no surprise that Republicans have been critical of the Democrats' proposals. Still, he said, he'd like to see how they would tackle the imminent problem of the rising costs of health care.

"At the end of the day they don't have anything to offer the American people," said Durbin. "The Grand Ol' Party's coffers are empty when it comes to health care reform."

Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) offered a financial metaphor as well in criticizing the GOP.

"All you have to do is sit at the Finance Committee and you realize the bankruptcy of the Republican Party," said Schumer. "The number of positive amendments, even if you disagreed with them, was small. Almost every amendment was negative, aimed at some kind of message and doing nothing to move health care forward. They have nothing to say. They have nothing to offer."

Schumer went on to say that the GOP's strategy may have worked in 1980, "when the American people were feeling good about themselves and feeling everything was fine -- they don't need government anymore," but not in 2009.

Following the briefing, Schumer told a scrum of reporters that he's spoken with "almost all of the moderate Democratic Senators and they are open to" the public option. That includes Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.), whose bill does not include the option and who voted against the amendments introduced by Schumer and Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) that would have added the option to his bill.

Baucus told Schumer he was not ideologically against the public option -- he just doesn't think Democrats can get 60 votes if it's included in the bill.

"I said, give us a chance to show you," said Schumer. "And he said, fine. So that's what we're trying to do."