Posted on 12/13/2010 6:41:31 AM PST by mandaladon
WASHINGTON -- Gov.-elect Nikki Haley challenged President Obama over his landmark health insurance law Thursday in a candid, personal exchange in front of Cabinet members and newly elected governors from across the country but away from reporters.
In an exchange recounted by Haley and confirmed by White House aides, Obama rejected Haley's request to repeal the health care bill - but said he'd consider letting states opt out of its mandates if they ran exchange programs, banned insurance firms from denying coverage of pre-existing conditions and enabled people to pool together for better rates.
With only four Democratic incoming governors joining 18 Republicans and one independent, Obama acknowledged the Nov. 2 elections hadn't gone as he'd hoped.
"I'm a very proud Democrat, as many of you in the room are, though not as many as I expected," Obama quipped.
Reporters covered Obama's opening remarks, but they weren't allowed in the room for the unusual exchange of questions from the newly elected state executives and answers from the president at Blair House, an elegant guest house across Lafayette Square from the White House.
Haley, in Washington for her second day of meetings with national leaders, asked two of a dozen questions the Republican-dominated governors asked Obama in the closed-door lunch session that lasted almost an hour.
In addition to their exchange about health care, Obama rejected Haley's request that he reconsider his decision to freeze development of the Yucca Mountain repository in Nevada to receive nuclear waste from the Savannah River Site and sites in other states.
All due respect to Haley, why is she asking Obama for permission as if he were king?
She should tell him “South Carolina is opting out. Period”.
She will be POTUS one day.
Obama and his unity summit
WASHINGTON DC - An afternoon White House closed-door unity summit between President Obama, congressional Democrats and progressive activists decended into a bitter, profanity-laced screaming match of backstabbing, recriminations and total shit talk, according to sources who request you not mention you heard this from sources.
Read more at:
http://iowahawk.typepad.com/iowahawk/2010/12/sources.html
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.