236. The Health Care Fiasco Summit

While biking this morning (stationary of course) I tuned in to the Health Care Summit meeting. Guess I hit it early because the "leaders" were preaching their unbipartisan bills while the big O sat and smirked at the Republicans. When the Republicans did speak, they were concise and exactly on point. Their message was ACT IMMEDIATELY ON THE HIGHEST PAYBACK ISSUES. Did the Dems get it? Nope. Old Harry interrupted the first discussion calling "filibuster" after he preached about personal issues and Nevada. The others did nothing bu defend their bills when none of the Republicans even mentioned the bills. Now, if I had been leading the meeting, I would have had my flip chart stand and would have captured the MOST IMPORTANT issues the public were facing and the MOST IMPORTANT suggestions to meet those issues -- as the Republicans tried to explain. For example, 50% of small businesses have a problem with Health Insurance costs which could be addressed with a simple policy allowing them to shop across state lines which would force insurance companies to create larger pools NATIONALLY to compete AND bring insurance costs down for those 50% of the people. Maybe even low enough for some of those uninsureds to jump aboard. Did the Dems get the message? Nope. Two other early issues from the Republicans were to IMMEDIATELY get 7.5% back by clamping down on fraud, plus another 7.5% by clamping down on frivolous suits and rewards. Again, despite little expense involved to resolve actual Health Costs, not just insurance, and to resolve the issues IMMEDIATELY, the Dems didn't get it. Obama NEVER acknowledged anything the Republicans said -- only repeated the main issue and called on a Democrat to defend their bills! It didn't take me long to dismiss this summit as a totally waste of taxpayer dollars. I wish the public would know what a planning session like this should be like and HOW it should be led. Maybe then they would see what I did -- a rookie in the driver's seat who shouldn't be there. I can't see how this meeting could have been revived after I switched back to FM music! We'll see if the critics call it an "F" too? I'm sure the Dems will call it an "A+" as usual -- blind to the public. I best part of the Fox News coverage was the man in the street who asked what the important issues were. The public was unanimous -- quit screwing with Health Care and address JOBS and the ECONOMY! Most said defer Health Care discussions until the economy and jobs pick up. You listening O? I doubt it. Please don't -- we need Hope and Change in November and 2012. You blew your last chance to turn things around!