Republicans in tough spot on Obama health summit
By Stephen Collinson (AFP) – 1 hour ago
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WASHINGTON — Republicans were dug into tough bargaining positions and facing a political conundrum Monday, after President Barack Obama cajoled them into a health reform summit during a live Super Bowl interview.
The meeting, on February 25, will be broadcast live on television, forcing Republicans who have vowed to block Obama's top legislative priority to justify their opposition, or propose their own approach in front of the US public.
The gambit reflected an apparent acknowledgement by Obama that he will need at least some Republican votes to pass the historic measure, after Democrats last month lost their vital supermajority in the Senate.
It was also an example of how a president, using the symbolism and weight of his office and by cleverly manipulating the media, can garner helpful news headlines and shift the momentum in a tough political argument.
But while Obama called the opposition party's bluff, it was unclear whether he was ready to offer genuine compromises on the bogged-down plan, or was simply trying to paint Republican foes into a corner.
Obama unveiled the new political gambit in a CBS interview Sunday as millions of viewers were tuning in for the annual National Football League championship game.
He was adamant that he would not accept Republican demands for a new start on the reform plan, after a bitter year of trying to drive it through Congress, and previewed the political theater sure to develop during the meeting.
"How do you guys want to lower costs?" the president asked during the interview.
"How do you guys intend to reform the insurance market so people with preexisting conditions, for example, can get health care?
"How do you want to make sure that the 30 million people who don't have health insurance can get it? What are your ideas, specifically?"
Republicans, after complaining for months that their ideas on health insurance had been ignored by Democratic leaders in Congress, had little option but to welcome the summit.
But they signaled that after mounting blanket opposition to the Obama program, they have no intention of folding under political pressure.
Senate Republican minority leader Mitch McConnell, who has the power to block or delay Obama's reform agenda after Democrats lost their 60th Senate seat, said the president must put his mammoth health bill "on the shelf."
McConnell argued Obama's effort would result in higher taxes and cuts to the Medicare health program for the elderly -- a charge the White House denies.
"We always appreciate the opportunity to share ideas with the president, particularly on an issue where Americans have spoken so clearly," McConnell said, in an sign Republicans may have the political wind at their backs.
John Boehner, the top Republican in the House of Representatives, called on Obama to abandon his bid to pass comprehensive reforms of America's mostly private health care system, and to start afresh on a "step-by-step" process.
Obama's suggestion of a live televised health reform meeting, came after he was hammered in the press for going back on a campaign promise to hold negotiations on the bill live on C-Span public affairs cable television.
It also followed his widely praised televised showdown with House Republicans last month, which White House insiders believe showed the president at his best, and outmaneuvering critics.
Should Obama somehow succeed in securing Republican votes for his proposals, he may still be able to claim a famous victory -- though likely one well short of the sweeping reform dreams of his liberal backers.
However, with mid-term congressional polls looming in November, and amid a poisoned political climate in Washington, compromise looks unlikely.
But even if the meeting fails, Obama may be able to portray himself as the kind of bridger of political divides that voters tell pollsters they want.
In a crucial campaign year, he could also charge Republicans with blocking a historic reform drive and consigning Americans to rising health care costs, a narrowing of access to care, and leaving them prey to insurance firms.
His decision to shine the spotlight on Republicans also takes the heat for the time being off Democrats, and House and Senate negotiators who have failed to piece together a joint bill that can pass either chamber.
Some Democrats from conservative states may also get temporary relief, as they agonize over the prospect of difficult votes, on a measure that is now seen as unpopular in the US heartland.
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