Six hours later, stalemate remains

Politico.com ^ | 02/25/10 | CARRIE BUDOFF BROWN

[OldDeckHand]

Thursday’s health care summit wound down with President Barack Obama making clear he couldn’t sign on to the Republican plan for reform, wouldn’t abandon reconciliation and had no intention of scrapping his own plan – capping the six-plus-hour session with a dig at Republicans for pitching a bill that covers just a fraction of the uninsured.

“Those steps don’t get you to the place people need to go,” Obama said of the Republican plan.

Republicans said the same thing in their closing comments that they said at 10 a.m. – start over. Obama won’t.

So the parties walked out of Blair House almost exactly the way they walked in – completely at odds over the best way to fix the health insurance system. That means Democrats are almost certain to go ahead with plans to short-circuit Senate rules to try to pass the bill with a 51-vote majority, as early as next week.

The day-long session had flashes of gripping political theater, rival parties laying bare their philosophical differences on a critical issue with TV cameras rolling. At one point, Obama sparred with his ex-presidential rival John McCain. “We’re not campaigning anymore, John,” Obama said. “The election is over now.”

[Paperdoll]

Yes, their arrogance itself is enough to bring up red flags. The Progressives utter lack of regard for propriety when they should know better is unnerving enough. What have we created without term limits for Congress?!!!!!