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Boehner on Sunday
“Obviously, I am pleased that the White House finally seems interested in a real, bipartisan conversation on health care,”
Source Politico: ‘White House announces televised health meet’
Boehner On Tuesday
“It’s going to be very difficult to have bipartisan conversations with regard to a 2,700 page health care bill that the Democrat majority in the House and the Democrat majority in the Senate can’t pass,”
Source foxnews.com: Boehner to White House: “Why Are We Going to Talk About a Bill That Can’t Pass?”
When America was winding down from the Superbowl, and Bourbon Alley partied on, Solid Principles asked this question about the Obama Health Care summit with the GOP leaders on this article ‘Malicious Transparency?‘
Let me be the first to speculate, I don’t think he told any of the Republican congressional leaders about this plan. If am I right, then this tactic is not transparency, this is ‘Malicious Transparency’.
How does forcing the agenda upon the Republican Party, picking the setting, and televising it ever got to be considered transparency? It is far closer to a show trial or a court involving a hopping marsupial from Australia. CRAIG EDWARDS
Let me be the first to speculate, I don’t think he told any of the Republican congressional leaders about this plan. If am I right, then this tactic is not transparency, this is ‘Malicious Transparency’.
How does forcing the agenda upon the Republican Party, picking the setting, and televising it ever got to be considered transparency? It is far closer to a show trial or a court involving a hopping marsupial from Australia. CRAIG EDWARDS
If Boehner was playing chess with Obama, he lost on his first move. By not calling the Obama announcement ‘a stunt’, nor pointing out the multiple flaws of the plan (only dragging his feet after Talk Show pundits screamed it was an ambush), Boehner’s delay in responding means the GOP cannot fight the summit invite. It shows the GOP learnt nothing from the House Republicans retreat in Maryland when Obama scored a victory during the Q&A, which Obama had televised at the last moment with Republican approval.
I will say it again, this is the biggest game changer The White House has undertaken in 2010. Obama has discovered a way to force the Republicans to defend GOP opposition to Obama’s version of Heath Care Reform. The Democrats on the other hand have placed Health Care Reform, or the right to Health Care on their party agenda for decades. This forum will force the Republicans to open their play-book on their version of Health Care reform, a topic that is not in their cannon. And best of all, it will be televised!
If you thought watching Palin speeches was awkward, wait till February 25th rolls round.
Craig Edwards
Tags: Ambush, BIPARTISANSHIP, Boehner, Health Care Reform, House Republicans, Malicious Transparency, Obama, Obamacare, Republicans
So you think Republicans should shy away from a chance to tell the president to his face – and on national television – that his policies are wrong? How is that leadership?
I am saying, they squandered their opening moves. The waited a few days to finally show hesitation and question the agenda. This meeting is designed to shut down opposition to his bill and force the Republican party to be on the defense, but also show their game plan. Why is Obama placing transparency on the Republicans and not his own party? Once again, Republicans had no say nor any impact in his healthcare bill, had no votes they could use to stop it. The Democrats had a super majority, yet they still couldn’t pass it. The hesitation came from Obama’s own party, not the Republicans.
The fact is this, Obama has controlled the setting, picked the forum, then invited Republicans. This placed the Republicans on the defense, and they lost their chance to attack proclaiming the forum a stunt. Telling the President live on televison “how wrong his agenda is” will be twisted as a party refusing to be bipartisan. Obama will come out afterwards and say, “See I tried to extend my arm to the Republicans to work with them, but they are unwilling’. Factors like this gain sympathy for his supporter base that also see his poll number rise. Obama’s poll number rise after major events, Obama has used Bread & Circus Town Halls all during his 1st year. But now the Town Halls are not working, and now these events are getting and brighter. Like the State of the Union, the larger the Political event, the larger the chance he can boost his poll numbers. This is all being done to kill opposition to Obamacare & boost his unpopular poll numbers.
Like the oft repeated comment that the bill was his Waterloo, this really is Obama’s Waterloo moment. The disappointment from this article is the Republicans really have to step up. Boehner is on the defense, when he need to attack, now he’s trying to claw back. Still not a very good opening move, that’s why he’s been checkmated on his first move.
Craig Edwards
I think that the Republicans could really shame the Obama if they do this right. First have their proposals, which are not included in the bill (tort reform, cross state insurance, relaxation on minimum coverage requirements (mental health, sex changes, etc.), and uninsured emergency room abuse) presented by Dr. Ron Paul, since he actually understands the medical field. Bring up the unconstitutional back room deals that need to be removed from this bill (Cash for Cloture, etc.) Point out that the Stupak amendment needs to be included in the Senate bill. This could be played right, since, it shows that 1st, The republicans have valid ideas that center on reducing medical costs without increasing government control, and 2nd, that it exposes all of the shady dealing.
It can then be proposed to start over the process, with the shady deals removed and having all negotiations televised from the start, with the Republican options on the table. That would show that the Rebulicans care about reducing costs and are willing to do work across the isle if there is real transparency. They do have two weeks to prepare, surely they could do that, I mean, that is, ostensibly what they are elected and paid to do.
Let’s hope the GOP can do all that Eric, but I don’t like how the Odd are in favor of the (White) House.