Well it is official. Obama has decided to lead on health care (LOL) and has announced a health care reform meeting with Republicans and Democrats that will occur on February 25th.
http://www.politico.com/...
It appears that Obama has decided to call out the Republicans' bluff and will hold a health care reform meeting with Democrats and Republicans on February 25th.
The White House announced Sunday that President Obama will host a meeting with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders on health care reform.
The Feb. 25 meeting is an attempt to reach across the aisle, but not a signal that the president plans to start over, as Republicans have demanded, a White House official said.
"I want to come back [after the Presidents’ Day congressional recess] and have a large meeting — Republicans and Democrats — to go through, systematically, all the best ideas that are out there, and move it forward," Obama said in an interview with Katie Couric during CBS’ Super Bowl pre-game show.
Both parties don't like this idea because for Republicans as we know they don't want Obama to get a "win" on health care so they will do what ever it takes to block it and for Democrats they tried this and all it did was prolong the process whereby we have no final bill as we speak.
The half-day meeting will take place at Blair House.
I am sure that it will be on all the networks and C-span (perhaps FOX will cut it short if Obama looks too smart...LOL)
I actually think this is a good idea because it will do a couple of things:
It will showcase the Dem health care bills as they truly are which is overall a good idea in which there are no death panels, no government "takeover" of health care, etc.
It will force the media to scrutinize the GOP ideas in the light a day in front of health care experts.
It will show the public that indeed there are some things that both Dems and Republicans agree on with health care which is getting rid of pre-existing conditions, etc.
It will show the public in the open that the White House is indeed trying bipartisanship (which Independents want)
It will show the public in the light of day WHY IT IS IMPORTANT TO PASS HEALTH CARE REFORM PARTICULARLY FOR OUR LONG TERM DEFICT.
If the Republicans don't participate they will look like losers and it will help to encourage Democrats to pass the bill with the reconciliation side car.
Obama needs to keep the option OPEN of reconciliation in the process because it may end up being the end point any way once this is done.
Who do you think Obama should invite? Any guesses?
I expect some of the Republicans will be Senator Collins, Senator Snowe and even perhaps Scott Brown (call his bluff too), Paul Ryan, etc.