While once again renewing his call that a Congressional health care reform will bill with a public option will be passed and on Pres. Barack Obama’s desk by Christmas, U.S. Sen. Tom Harkin suggested that there are several reasons why speculation that Connecticut’s independent senator would block a bill with a public option won’t come to fruition.

“There’s just a lot of jockeying going on here for all kinds of positions from a few people that are using their position right now to maybe extract other things, to get other things done,” Harkin said Thursday morning on a conference call with reporters.

Earlier this week, Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) suggested that he would support a Republican filibuster if the final Senate bill contains a public option.

“As I said before, when it comes down to getting the 60 votes necessary to pass this bill, I do not believe that Joe Lieberman would want to be the one person who caucuses with the Democrats … to bring this bill down. I don’t think he wants to go down in history like that,” Harkin said.

“He still wants to be a part of the Democratic Party although he is a registered independent. He wants to caucus with us and, of course, he enjoys his chairmanship of the [Homeland Security] committee because of the indulgence of the Democratic Caucus. So, I’m sure all of those things will cross his mind before the final vote.”