As condition for participation in summit, Republicans demand summit be scrapped

by: Chris Bowers

Tue Feb 09, 2010 at 12:53


I have learned, in background discussions with Republican leaders, of additional demands they have made to President Obama on the proposed health care summit.  While these demands were later removed from the letter they eventually sent to President Obama, I have been able to reconstruct them here:

  1. The bipartisan health care summit must be scrapped in order to secure Republican participation in the summit.

  2. The elimination from public instruction in Serbia, both as regards the teaching body and the methods of instruction, all that serves or might serve to foment the propaganda against Austria-Hungary.

  3. A bowl of M&M candies, with all the brown M&M's removed, should be placed in the Republican dressing room.

  4. Leia and the Wookiee must never again leave this city.
Snark aside, here are the actual absurd demands:

  1. Scrap the House and Senate health care bills
  2. Never use budget reconciliation for health care
  3. Post all ideas he will propose at the summit online 72 hours before the summit
  4. Invite Democrats who opposed the bill to the summit
  5. Invite state legislators who oppose the bill to the summit
  6. Invite actuaries from the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services
  7. Invite members from the Congressional Budget Office
  8. Allow Republicans to invite an unspecified list of other health care experts.
  9. Invite labor leaders only on the condition that you call their participation in the process "sweetheart deals."
  10. Broadcast on television all discussions President Obama has on health care with anyone ever.
The letter also contains lots of bold face type.  As we all know, if it isn't in bold face, you don't really mean it.

Update: Eric Cantor, who co-signed this list of demands, now says he will "absolutely" attend the summit.

Chris Bowers :: As condition for participation in summit, Republicans demand summit be scrapped

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As condition for participation in summit, Republicans demand summit be scrapped | 15 comments
I thought the Rs wanted a Grade glass full of M&Ms (0.00 / 0)
before taking the stage? Have they moved the goal posts again?  
Dam! Should read Grande glass full of M&Ms. (n/m) (0.00 / 0)

[ Parent ]
Well I see Obama got his circus freaks by which he can look better (0.00 / 0)
by comparison.  
Ah, Rethugs, always refusing to be diplomatic (0.00 / 0)
without pre-conditions.
You Forgot Something,Chris--54-40 Or Fight! (4.00 / 3)

Damn Canadians, and their socialist health care!  We'll show them!

It's not just the Civil War they want  to re-fight.  It's also the wars we didn't have.  The ones that surrender monkeys stole from us!

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

A Modest Proposal: Conquer Canada (4.00 / 3)
Republicans get a war.  Democrats get a constituency that will provide the votes to pass true health care reform.  It will be a net saving of lives, and that's even if we get to nuke those Frenchies in Quebec.

Things You Don't Talk About in Polite Company: Religion, Politics, the Occasional Intersection of Both
[ Parent ]
Brilliant! (4.00 / 1)
For once we are in complete agreement!

And Michael Moore has already filmed the documentary!  (With John Candy, no less!)

"You know what they say -- those of us who fail history... doomed to repeat it in summer school." -- Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Season 6, Episode 3

[ Parent ]
Ha, Cantor caved. I guess it's not just a Dem thing. (0.00 / 0)

hey i have a great idea (4.00 / 2)
If Obama can just find one or two Republicans to support health care reform then this thing will surely pass. I don't know why they didn't think of this before. Surely the Republicans will come to the meeting in good faith with every intention of voting for the bill once a couple of minor concessions are made. Right?


There need to be some modifications to the cartoon (4.00 / 1)
Charlie should be winking at the health care industry hidden behind curtains while liberals yell at Charlie about Lucy.  
[ Parent ]
Have the sumit anyway (0.00 / 0)
and let the C-SPAN cameras focus on the empty chairs that could have been cradling all those Republicans asses, if only they weren't actual asses.

Obama could even do a role call to start things off. The silence after each GOPper name called would say alot.


"It sounds wrong...
     ...but its right."

My prediction (4.00 / 4)
I predict that the "Kick me again harder" strategy will fail. (Insights like that is what they pay me for.)
DLC Inc. (4.00 / 1)

[ Parent ]
This is about getting some telly time (0.00 / 0)

This is all political theater.  Axelrod was absolutely giddy after Bam smacked the GOP around on tv.  They didn't plan that, they didn't think it would register a blip on the airwaves but it reminded everyone about how down to earth Barrack Obama is and just how evil and stupid the GOP is.

This is part II.

In my opinion,  Obama is just using this as an excuse to remind Americans that he is clearly the less evil of the two options we have.

While I'm no believer in Obama as the mastermind 11 dimensional chess player, I do think he's a pretty good at Candyland.  This is for the television cameras.  It also gives Obama credibility in the next election to say he did strive towards transparency during the process.

One more thing about Obama - he seems to get annoyed when people pressure him and say "Make a decision now!" and he just takes even longer to do something.  This is exactly what happened with the Afghanistan deployment decision.  We're seeing a replay with healthcare.

-Walter

--
I have no comment sig

OBAMACARE (0.00 / 0)
  EVIDENTLY, even if this ObamaCare bill is passed, the provisions that are to provide the millions w/o health care will not go into effect until 2011 or 2014.  The Dems keep telling us that every year 45,000 or 35,000 or 30,000 die because of no health care insurance.  So, I guess it really doesn't matter to them that...if there numbers are anywhere near correct...another 100,000 or more will die before actual provisions go into effect.  Meanwhile, there have been numerous reports that an estimated 100,000 death occur each year in our hospitals from AVOIDABLE ERRORS!!

 Anyone who thinks 500 billion $$$$$ can be cut from Medicare/Medicaid with no effect on the health care provided to Seniors has been into too much kool-aid!!!! The whole thing is crap.  Too many disgusting backroom deals (the Louisiana Purchase, the Nelson deal, the SnoweJob, the sweetheart union deal). One thing I agree with Dean on is....ditch the whole thing and start from scratch.  

As condition for participation in summit, Republicans demand summit be scrapped | 15 comments





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