I would like to see a Democratic plan that did not include any of the already existing compromises to obtain Republican votes.

Let the Republicans negotiate for those compromises so they cannot then complain that none of their ideas were adopted.

Looks like the Dems are calling the R's bluff at long last. Obama may pull this out yet, which would be a huge victory for Dems (and yes, I think the plan has real problems, but is a huge step forward). The Anthem/Blue Cross confiscatory rate increase announced in California last week certainly helped - maybe we're at a tipping point. Or a last resort.

But Obama had better keep acting aggressive, because from everything I hear (both in person and in media) the voters who put him in office are very disappointed in him to date. Too passive, too detached, not ready for hardball. Let's see him get tough.

Just make sure it all gets done before the pussy Bayh departs.

When your only "plan" is to stop any other plan, Hell, you'd be antsy about the summit, too.

Good for Obama!
Now, after all of this, Harry Reid, make them use a real filibuster, you know, the kind where they have to 'speachify' for hours at a time. When folks see how lame, stupid and obstructive they are, maybe we can retake the '10 election and even gain more seats.
Just dreamin...

Bayh will hang around. His wife's job is on the line. They make real jack from that job.

By the way, I am thinking about starting an office pool for how long it takes before Mrs. Bayh is canned from her cushy healthcare job after Evan leaves office.

One hopes the Dem's plan does not give corporations more money for their profits.But I am sure it does. The dems should have offered singlepayer and America would save money , 350 billion A YEAR. The insurance corporations would have been controlled immediately.Corporations would be on notice Obama would be tough. Baucus, Bayh, Nelson , Lincoln, Landirieu. McCasgill ensured the corporations would rake in even more profits and Americans would lose more money.

The republican plan will consist of empty platitudes (let it hereby be resolved that puppies are good) which would be indefensible if the public looked past empty platitudes but they by and large don't. Consequently this isn't quite the trap it would be (in a reasonable and rational society). As for the dems... if the master plan resembles the house bill it'll be a small but significant step forward. If it resembles the senate bill it'll be a big step backwards.

Let's just say I'm not hopeful about which way they break.

It's a trap! A terrorist trap! Anything that forces republicans to commit hard numbers to print only emboldens terrorists!

Better to squeal like an 80's era slasher scream queen, "Obama's going to grow a Hitler mustache and kill your granny!"

Are the Republicans even going to show up?

Don't hold your breath. So far Obama and the Senate Dems have consistently folded when confronted with intransigent opposition. If Republicans come in united in aggressive opposition and Democrats hem and haw -- and then pass nothing, Dems lose.

The Republicans who view this as a trap are very likely correct -- this has the potential to be the biggest trap since Custer's Last Stand. If they decline to participate, the cameras will pan rows of empty chairs, a politically devastating visual which will be replayed over and over again on TV news shows. If they participate, they will lose the debate on the merits, because they have nothing to offer except tort reform, privatization of Social Security and voucherization of Medicare. The only way Republicans could come out of this looking good is if the White House totally screws the pooch by endorsing the Senate version unaltered.

The president is possibly a genius. Force the Rpublicans to defend their plan? On National TV? Without talking heads telling us what to think? Putting the real plans up for a real debate?

We might just get this done after all. Polls show the public is for everything in the Dems plan when you tell them what is in it.
What the public is against is "Obamacare" which takes over medical care and socializes it while killing grandma and costing lots of tax dollars and gives care to illegals...etc,etc,etc.

This seems to me a good way to let them know without the FOX filter, exactly what they are proposing.

Brilliant.

I had a Dean once who always used the "everyman in the same room" strategy for contentious meetings. It ALWAYS worked out great for the ones telling the truth. There was nowhere to hide and those who had spewed the innuendo were more apt than not to take a pass on the meeting. It laid bare who was telling the truth and we all left knowing what was what.

Now, with all that said, you really need a "Dean" (in this case the MSM) who was willing to carry the truth forward. If the meeting is covered by press cameras as Obama wants, even the "Liberal Free Press" won't be able to lie about the proceedings and the protagonists therein. Fox Noise included although they will anyway because none of their viewers will be afforded an opportunity to see it unless they are willing to watch it on a different station. Fat Chance. What fun...

John Brennan was great on Meet The Press last week. It was a pleasure to see him call out politicians for politicizing national security. It has really been fun to watch the Republicans get hysterical about it. They can dish it, but they can't take being called out. Just imagine what they would be saying if Democrats were criticizing President Bush. Oh the horror. They would be called Un-American.

If you want to see more of John Brennan in action, check out this video of him speaking at New York University on Saturday, February 13th . Brennan makes a very powerful and forceful speech on national security. As an added bonus, he speaks fluent Arabic. He talks about his background and experience. Very impressive.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/john-brennan-speaks-national-security-nyu

This could really be a game-changer--not only for health care, but for everything else! Dems could look like winners if all goes well.

I'm cautiously optimistic . . .

I sincerely hope rebuttals to insane talking points is fielded by reps from CBO and/or some public watchdog group in the health industry. Their opinions are worth more than any senator's.

The outcome of this conflab absolutely MUST be a better bill and a cloture vote. It may not pass, but just ONCE we need these dickwad senators ON RECORD rather than just posturing without ever having truly committed to anything.

I'd like to be optimistic too, but when Republicans these days get antsy, they turn vicious. Look for them to come up with some really outrageous accusation just before next Thursday, designed to usurp the news cycle.

And the reason why Obama couldn't have demanded a Republican plan last year is...?

Ten bucks says that the corporate Dems will sell us all down the river again to line their nests. When they do Obama will have nothing to work with so he will sell us out too just to get "something" passed.

You watch.

This has the makings of something very positive. As long as they reject out of hand some of the GOP sleight of hand that got us into this politically untenable Senate "compromise." The GOP had benefited greatly by pushing the Senate into passing bad legislation that they forced but didn't have to support. Let's get people health care. Single payer is still the best way out, but incremental steps are better than nothing.

I'm a bit baffled by all this. Isn't the legislative process supposed to be one of holding hearings covering different sides of an issue, then negotiationg between sides to achieve a workable compromise, etc? In other words, didn't this meeting already happen for the last year? How exactly is this extra-legislative legislative meeting supposed to work? What is the structure? Who is the referee? I doubt that there will be a panel of pointy headed actual health care/insurance experts to point out how unworkable a partial solution is, or how something will work or not, etc. Maybe they could hold up scorecards like at the Olympics. Ths most points gets the gold medal. So what do you have...a bunch of Republicans lying to preserve the profits of their donors with some "partisan" Democrat saying "No, you're full of shit" and then everyone going home?

Besides, the obvious basic problem is that the Repubs do NOT think getting everyone into health care is a goal. Some version of what every other non-retarded country on earth has already done is not on their agenda. 40 or 50 million people going to the emergency room is just fine with them. Just ask our esteemed former President. Plus of course they want Obama to fail (and he has been enabling them for a year).

So - help me here people - how is this supposed to actually work and what is supposed to come of it?

"...how is this supposed to actually work and what is supposed to come of it?" emjayjay @ 4:19 PM.

To answer the first part of your question would require mind-reading abilities; but I think it is supposed to go something like this:
Democrats and Republicans both arrive for the "HC Summit". Each party brings to the table the legislation that it wants to enact. The Democrats will apparently have a bill that combines portions of the Senate and House bills. The Republicans are to bring whatever legislation they wish to enact, if any. Both sides will discuss the legislation and should there be anything in the Republican proposals that meet the criteria set forth by President Obama, that can be included in the proposed legislation.
The answer to the second part of your question is: a bi-partisan HCIR bill that can be supported by members of both parties.
However, since the Republicans have spent a year completely dedicated to preventing any form of HCIR and seemed to be doing so well, they don't have anything to offer legislatively-speaking.
That is what scares the Republicans; their attempt to scuttle HCIR is about to fail because, liars that they are, the Republican goal has NEVER been to provide any reform, but solely to kill whatever bill the Democrats offer. And they are about to be caught out on nation-wide television. It will be interesting to see how Faux spins it...

Thanks Doug. Yes, mind reading abilities apparently required, since it's only a little more than a week away, and no plan for how this thing is supposed to actually work is out there. Just presenting a bunch of lies with no one refuting them? Anyway, here's hoping.
Yes, as I remember, after months of claiming their brilliant plan was just about ready, the Repubs raised the curtain and there it was: End "junk" lawsuits, let people buy the worst el cheapo plan they can find in Alabama or somewhere that will save you lots of money unless you actually have to use it, health savings accounts for rich people, and please eat lots of brocolli.
We agree: The repubs (as shown by their billiant plan) have no interest in actually doing what every other first world country did years ago because they thought it was the right thing to do: bring everyone aboard. I hope the public finds the anti-emperors have no clothes; I'm guessing that unfortunately we'll get a supersized beer summit.

The big difference between the HCR Summit and all the prior hearings is that this event is initiated by the WH and puts everyone under the same roof with the goal of obtaining a concensus by a majority of the participants.

Theoretically, all the cards will be on the table and this will play out like an episode of World Poker Tour. Fortunately, Obama likes to play poker.

People will have to put up or shut up.

I read earlier today that Bonehead is now planning to back out of the meeting if the Democrats present anything other than a blank sheet of paper. It looks like Steve's analysis is pretty much on target and the Republicans know it.