Posted on 02/25/2010 7:51:33 PM PST by 2ndDivisionVet
Republicans had been hesitant to accept President Obama's invitation to participate in Thursday's White House health-care summit. Their hesitance turned out to be justified.
An equal number of Democratic and Republican lawmakers assembled around a table at Blair House, and each had a chance to speak during the seven-hour televised talkathon. But members of the opposition party may not have fully understood that they were stepping into Prof. Obama's classroom, and that they were to be treated like his undisciplined pupils.
Obama controlled the microphone and the clock, and he used both skillfully to limit the Republicans' time, to rebut their arguments and to always have the last word.
Among the first to have his knuckles rapped was Sen. John McCain (Ariz.). The 2008 Republican presidential nominee accused his former rival of "unsavory" dealmaking, of breaking his promise to put health-care negotiations on C-SPAN, of supporting a 2,400-page bill, of giving favors to lobbyists and special interests. He directed Obama to "go back to the beginning" with health-care reform.
"Let me just make this point, John," the president said when the tirade ended. "We're not campaigning anymore. The election's over." Teacher directed student to drop the "talking points" and "focus on the issues of how we actually get a bill done."
It's a safe bet that no minds were changed in that room Thursday, and it's not entirely clear that Obama was even trying to forge a compromise. Though advertised as a consensus-building opportunity, the summit served more as a moment for the president to tell Republicans, with the cameras rolling, why they're wrong and he's right.(continued)
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Oh GIVE me a freakin’ break! WHO posted this without a MEGA-barf alert!?
The words “Dana Milbank” are their own barf alert.
That's the same smoothness that wowed the Iranians won them over....NOT!
Obama controlled the microphone and the clock, and he used both skillfully to limit the Republicans’ time, to rebut their arguments and to always have the last word. “
Did Republicans THINK it would be any different? Must have...else they’d have told him from the get go to stick his invitation where the sun don’t shine.
Dana put down the bong
Headline: At summit, Republicans prove they aren't putting America's health first
"Without even the hint of such offers, there was little reason for a willing president and his unwilling allies to even consider serious compromise. Now the losers will be the American people, who could have surely benefited from such productive dealmaking."
Democrats in the Senate vs Democrats in the House. No one needed the Republicans vcte which must mean the Democrats have been the "unwilling allies".
Blame Vice President Joe Biden too, for he admitted today that it was great job being a VP because "You don't have to do anything".
Lousy teacher
lousy salesman
lousy leader
lousy President
Headline terribly incorrect. Obama got schooled on healthcare reform. we have a f-g child-Emperor who is the dumbest piece of carbon in any room he’s occupying.
Oh my! Amazing! Let the SPIN begin!!!
How does Milbank even get his tongue in Obama’s ass? Isn’t that area a bit crowded with those abjectly servile ass-kissers Olbermann and Matthews in the area?
Dear Leader keeps a schedule in his office, like President Carter did for the White House tennis courts.
The dunce stands up to lecture the professors.
Even Rats have got to be feeling manipulated by this point.
Good Lord! Katrina didn’t spin this much.
From what little I saw, he was a five-star ass.
He was that and more all day (as usual) only this time I think everyone will recognize what an arrogant, petty, hateful, stupid little man he is.
LMAO!!!
Isn’t this assclown Milbank one of Rahm’s boyfriends? I think Rush was talking about this on his show the other day. Milbank works for Emanuel. Anyway, I watched a pantload full of this “summit” on my TV and Ubanga looked totally out of his depth. Clueless. Milbank is just not good enough of a writer to credibly spin today’s fiasco for Ubanga.
Mac’s response should have been:
Yes, I’m aware the campaign is over. Are you? You are the one,SIR, who seems stuck in perpetual campaign mode.
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