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| After summit flop, Democrats prepare to go it alone on Obamacare |
| 2010-02-27 |
| With no signs of compromise from either side in President Obama's health summit, Democrats prepared a final partisan push for their massive health care plan. After House and Senate lawmakers wrapped up the six-hour gabfest, comments of participants showed neither side was ready to give an inch on the major philosophical differences. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said after the meeting she is "not overly optimistic," any Republicans will vote yes on a bill. Republicans confirmed she was right to be pessimistic. "The core problem is this," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said as he left the summit. "We don't think a 2,700 page bill that cuts a half-trillion dollars out of Medicare and raises taxes by a half trillion dollars and drives insurance premiums up is a good idea." Nothing at the summit convinced Republicans to put aside their demand that Democrats scrap the current $1 trillion bill and start over. And Democrats appeared unmoved by a GOP plea to scale back the bill and incorporate ideas like tort reform favored by Republicans. Democrats remain poised to move ahead on the Senate health care reform bill, which would mandate insurance coverage, expand Medicaid significantly, and use tax increases and Medicare cuts to pay for it. They will attempt to pass it in the House first then tweak it with changes recommended by President Obama. Then, Democrats will try to pass a new bill using the parliamentary tactic known as reconciliation, which would require 51 votes rather than the usual 60. "The fact is we are going to move forward," Pelosi said, adding that Democrats should not be deterred by opposition to the use of reconciliation, which the GOP calls the nuclear option. "We have to have the courage to get things done." Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas., who attended the summit, said afterward Republicans would be willing to sit down with Democrats "if they were willing to change their model," but that he does not expect that to happen. In the closing minutes of the marathon event, Obama instructed both sides to return to the Capitol and determine whether they could work on some areas of disagreement, including how many people should be covered under health care reform. The Democratic plan would add 30 million people to the rolls of the insured, while the less expensive GOP proposal would cover just three million. |
| Posted by:Fred |
| #11 Rasmussen Reports has Obama at 43%, his all time low. His approval index is -21. |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2010-02-27 16:33 |
| #10 |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2010-02-27 16:25 |
#9  |
| Posted by: GolfBravoUSMC 2010-02-27 15:56 |
#8 Recommended weekend reading for Democrats... |
| Posted by: tu3031 2010-02-27 14:45 |
| #7 Go It Alone by Beck |
| Posted by: Angomp Prince of the French3259 2010-02-27 12:09 |
| #6 for Saturday shows that 22% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. He's catching up to Bob. Only 19% of Zimbabweans approve of Robert Mugabe's performance. Mind the 3 point margin of error in either direction. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-27 11:50 |
| #5 The Rasmussen Reports daily Presidential Tracking Poll for Saturday shows that 22% of the nation's voters Strongly Approve of the way that Barack Obama is performing his role as President. Forty-three percent (43%) Strongly Disapprove giving Obama a Presidential Approval Index rating of -21. That matches the lowest Approval Index rating yet recorded for President Obama. The only other time the Approval Index was this low came in late December as the U.S. Senate prepared to approve its version of health care reform Heh. Please, more media exposure. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-02-27 11:43 |
#4  |
| Posted by: Caesar Gluter6816 2010-02-27 11:19 |
| #3 no Lemmings graphic? |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-02-27 11:07 |
| #2 "We have to have the courage to get things done." No. You have to have the votes. And you don't. |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-02-27 08:53 |
| #1 Gobsmacked I am, totally gobsmacked. The dem's body language and the lofty chin and nose plane of President Soetoro... I was sure they were full of.... of.... of..... yes, that's it, ooptimisms. |
| Posted by: Besoeker 2010-02-27 08:39 |