- Backbone, check.
- Brain, check
- Gonads, check Supplementary Image File.
Posted on 02/14/2010 6:32:28 AM PST by onyx
House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, issued a statement late Saturday in response to President Obama's Friday invite to a bipartisan Health Care Summit at the White House.
Boehner and other Republican leaders are complaining that the event is simply political gamesmanship and that Obama is planning to have a health care deal finalized before anyone even sits down at the meeting, which is scheduled to take place on Feb. 25.
Here's Boehner's statement:
A productive bipartisan discussion should begin with a clean sheet of paper. We now know that instead of starting the 'bipartisan' health care 'summit' on Feb. 25 with a clean sheet of paper, the president and his party intend to arrive with a new bill written behind closed doors exclusively by Democrats -- a backroom deal that will transform one-sixth of our nation's economy and affect every family and small business in America. They will then engage a largely handpicked audience in a televised 'dialogue' according to a script they have largely pre-determined. They will do this as a precursor to embarking on a legislative course that Democratic congressional aides acknowledge has also been pre-determined -- a partisan course that relies on parliamentary tricks to circumvent the will of the American people and engineer a pre-determined outcome. It doesn't sound much like bipartisanship to me.
That was the first I’ve heard that he had a list or as you said, “did the picking.” I tend to think that might not be the case, since Charles Krauthammer suggested sending only one Republican, Paul Ryan.
Scott Brown
I don’t think that suggestion precludes a list. I guess i’m not as up on this as i need be.
Hope his star rises in the Republican Party.
No, you’re right, it sounds just like him to try to do the picking, but the Republicans won’t let him to that. He’d love to have the “reach across the aisle” ones show up, but the leadership won’t allow that.
With even this small sign of willingness to lead from the GOP, the fate of the Donkey is sealed.
Think we should mail them more?
I read the original letter where Obama stated he would post “his” bill prior to the meeting - but do not remember where I found the letter. Here’s the list of invitees:
Senator Harry Reid, D-NV, Majority Leader
Senator Mitch McConnell, R-KY, Republican Leader
Senator Richard Durbin, D-IL, Majority Whip
Senator Jon Kyl, R-AZ, Republican Whip
Senator Max Baucus, D-MT, Chairman of the Finance Committee
Senator Chuck Grassley, R-IA, Ranking Member of the Finance Committee
Senator Tom Harkin, D-IA, Chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Senator Mike Enzi, R-WY, Ranking Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Senator Christopher Dodd, D-CT, Member of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-CA
Representative Steny Hoyer, D-MD, Majority Leader
Representative John Boehner, R-OH, Republican Leader
Representative James Clyburn, D-SC, Majority Whip
Representative Eric Cantor, R-VA, Republican Whip
Representative Charles Rangel, D-NY, Chairman of the Ways and Means Committee
Representative Dave Camp, R-MI, Ranking Member of the Ways and Means Committee
Representative Henry Waxman, D-CA, Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Representative Joe Barton, R-TX, Ranking Member of the Energy and Commerce Committee
Representative George Miller, D-CA, Chairman of the Education and Labor Committee
Representative John Kline, R-MN, Ranking Member of the Education and Labor Committee
Representative John Dingell, D-MI, Chair Emeritus of the Energy and Commerce Committee
My fear is the “gang of 14” will reconstruct itself and we’ll see McLame, Gramnesty and the other boobs ride in to save the day.
I agree, Staying away would play directly into the hands of the libs.
Everything is politics to them. Where are the real people who want to help America?
The list, ping
If the GOP could seduce the dims to give up a KEY PLANK of the current bills, either House or Senate version, then all bills are dead for good.
The US Senate will not pass anything called a "healthcare" bill for another 25years, at least.
The House will not pass anything new, anything, before the election. There are not enough votes in the dim caucus of the House that could come to a 218vote agreement.
Thank you, susan_wv!!!!!!
Very much appreciated!!!
Please see the list of Obama’s invited Republicans! LOL.
Knowing the Pubbies, it is most certainly a maybe or perhaps.
Finally doing what should have been done so many times before; now stick with it and kick the crap out of them.
If they will do what Rush/Palin and the Tea Parties are doing they could do some real benefit to this Country. The WH is completely on the run right now and have zero leadership. They need leaders and we don’t.
Pray for America’s Freedom
I am envisioning a “clean sheet of paper” start-over campaign.
This is great news. I hope they stay the course.
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