Who wouldn't pass a more robust stimulus? Yes the Senate, and who is responsible for no public option? Right the Senate,

Are people still trying to rewrite this history? A refresher here:

Several hospital lobbyists involved in the White House deals said it was understood as a condition of their support that the final legislation would not include a government-run health plan paying Medicare rates — generally 80 percent of private sector rates — or controlled by the secretary of health and human services.

“We have an agreement with the White House that I’m very confident will be seen all the way through conference,” one of the industry lobbyists, Chip Kahn, director of the Federation of American Hospitals, told a Capitol Hill newsletter.

And that deal was confirmed by Messina

Not to worry, Jim Messina, the deputy White House chief of staff, told the hospital lobbyists, according to White House officials and lobbyists briefed on the call. The White House was standing behind the deal, Mr. Messina told them, capping the industry’s costs at a maximum of $155 billion over 10 years in exchange for its political support.

So that was way before the final vote, and before other versions of a public option cropped up, like the one involving Medicare buy-ins for the over 55 opposed only by Lieberman in the Dem caucus, one which hence could have passed the final reconciliation vote, where Obama inexplicably instead let it twist in the wind (see here and here for non-firebagger perspectives on what went on there).

As for the stimulus, the opposition from the moderates Collins and Snowe was not on the SIZE of the stimulus, but on what should be in the stimulus bill and what should be in a separate budget bill, and on stuff she didn't think was stimulative. it was not about size. In short Obama got the size he wanted. Look how deferential those GOPers sounded at the time:

“The house passed bill is much more like an omnibus bill than a stimulus bill," Collins said.  "I believe we need to have a more targeted and affective bill for it to pass in the senate with bipartisan support.”

Snowe said that Obama was very receptive to her list and suggested that each provision within the bill should have a job creation number associated with it so its effectiveness can be scrutinized on an individual basis.

Snowe also indicated that Obama would not budge much on the overall size of the package in order to reach the proper goal.

“He thinks that it is important to have the right size stimulus plan to affect the economy,” Snowe said adding, “He understands there have been concerns…he was much aware of the discretionary expenditures that were in question.”

Again, see those 'concerns'? They're about specific discretionary expenditures. On size, they pretty much let Obama have his cake. If he had asked for what Roemer thought adequate he would have gotten a bill double the size of the one he ultimately opted for. I.e. if it failed, he owns that failure.

I can't believe we're still having this argument. This is pretty straightforward stuff. The senate rules do create all kinds of limitations, but the failures of the PPACA and ARRA are entirely the administration's.