The reason the public option mattered so much was because it was the one thing we were sure was headed in the right direction.
Cumulative media messages about career options matter all the same.
Both options matter and continue to roil the Republicans in a year in which the party is poised to make big gains in congressional elections.
Mr. Alexander was declared a fugitive by the United States last year when he failed to return from a family holiday in Israel to face questions from prosecutors investigating the options matter.
The stock-option matter came to the attention of the tax agency early in 2002, when it was approached by a former top I.R.S. official, James Casimir, who represented Micrel as a partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers, the accounting firm.
Ms. Welling said she protested that the closing agreement, which would have settled the stock-option matter, could be considered only after Micrel's full tax returns had been examined.
For policymakers, it is the relative utility of a policy option that matters.
The range of available options also matters, however, and here government policy makes a tremendous difference.
And he would very much like to be the only option, no matter the consequences.
For many people, however, a career change is not an option no matter how enticing it appears.
