Professor Obama schools lawmakers on health-care reform

The Washington Post ^ | February 26, 2010 | Dana Milbank

[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)

[2ndDivisionVet]

From what little I saw, he was a five-star ass. Why they didn't just stand up and leave, I'll never know.

[Rosemont]

no barf alert?

[bray]

Did they write this droll today or yesterday?

Pray for America’s Freedom

[highlander_UW]

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."

And yet despite his catty retort Obama entirely ignored the substance of what McCain said about special favors and the back room deals. I wish McCain would have replied back..."so are you saying that you endorse the backroom bribes and lack of transparency...for the record?"

[GatorGirl]

Spinning like a whirling dervish. Typical!

[Nachum]

Who wrote this? They must be on crack.

[Michael Barnes]

Good Lord; I thought the lasagna I ate tonight was bad going down....ugh.

[Mengerian]

It was unreal. And people thought Bush had a swagger, arrogance, and overwhelming hubris - they best take a better look at Obama. The pinnacle of megalomania, and the archetype of narcissist.

[Mobties]

What was Dana Millbank smoking during the summit? I saw a president unprepared, uncomprehending, and uncivil, making snarky comments and picking his nose.

[screaminsunshine]

Dana is a Fop.

[AU72]

Obama called out everybody by their first name but he was “Mr. President”.

[BookmanTheJanitor]

Picture of the author.

[jeffc]

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.

Exchange the "Obama" with "Bush". Can you imagine the WaPo writing that sentence?

[new cruelty]

HAH. This reads like a parody. I wonder if dana intended it be?

[2ndDivisionVet]

Even at this late date, they still think Dear Leader is a genius messiah that’ll bring hope, change and socialism to a right-of-center country.

[Billthedrill]

Milbank is just as condescending as his idol 0bama and will be just as dismayed when November comes around. If he thinks the Dems won anything by this he's living in a fantasy world - but what am I saying? He is living in a fantasy world.