Posted on 02/27/2010 9:16:57 AM PST by Kaslin
Obama stacked the deck during the health care summit, giving Democrats twice the speaking time as the GOP. But how well did Republicans punch back?
Depends who you talk to.
“I think we need to start out by acknowledging Republicans brought their ‘A Team.’ They had doctors knowledgeable about the system, they brought substance to the table, and they, I thought, expressed interest in the reform,” wrote The Hill’s A.B. Stoddard. “I thought today the Democrats were pretty much on their knees.”
That wasn’t the only opinion.
“Republicans aren't being tough enough,” said Quin Hillyer of the American Spectator. “GOP politicians, here and in most forums, just don't know how to ask questions in a way that makes their points best. It really is painful.”
It’s clear that Republicans were on the defensive – but there really wasn’t another option, given the structure of the debate, said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity, who is fighting the Democratic health care bill.
“When the President of the Untied States says, I want to talk about this issue, you have to listen,” said Phillips. He thought that Republicans managed to hold their own, and do the best they could given the circumstances.
President Obama made himself moderator and speaker-in-chief – talking just as much as members of each party. But given the total speaking time allowed, those GOPers needed to make their points much more quickly – and with much less detail – than their Democratic colleagues.
House minority leader Rep. John Boehner (Ohio) was one of the main GOP attendees to rebut some of the points put forth by Obama. During the last session of the day – a session designated by the President to discuss entitlements – Boehner complained that a government takeover of health care that would bankrupt the country. Here’s how the President responded:
“Right now, what we’re doing is focusing on the issue of federal entitlements. I will come back to you at the end of the session to answer the range of questions you just asked.”
The President never did.
Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) tried to get into some details during the first session, citing specific figures regarding health insurance costs in different insurance plans. But he spoke quickly, because he knew the Obama was trying to interject – which Obama did, cutting Kyl off with a story about his college years.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) tried to bring up the point of reconciliation and political will to pass the health care bill.
“Americans aren’t all that interested in procedures inside the Senate,” replied Obama. “They are interested in how we’re going to move this issue along for a vote.”
That, said Phillips, made Democrats look bad.
“I thought the president looked testy, and frankly unpresidential, when he attacked McCain,” said Phillips. “McCain was making a pretty reasonable point, and Obama attacked him in a very personal way. I think Republicans played it about as well as they could.”
But Chip Hanlon, editor of the site RedCountry.com, thought there was more room for improvement on the Republican side. He noted that when Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) went on a detailed rant about costs, Republicans just sat pretty.
“Our side isn't fighting, it is actually – astonishingly – negotiating! The appropriate response to Baucus' remarks would have been to interrupt him, reminding him that our side does not even agree on the Democrats' basic premise: that government has a role in the providing of healthcare,” wrote Hanlon. “Instead, the viewer is left to assume--what?-- that maybe the Republican heads on the other side of the table were nodding right along with this assertion from Baucus?”
I hope our new crop of Congress critters are strong enough to repeal the bs Obama and Congress have passed.
We should be asking our candidates if they are willing to do this.
hear hear
abd hope odumbo doesn’t keep making power grabs like he has.
That writer who wanted the GOP to interrupt Baucus is wrong. Odumbo looked petty and rude interupting.
The real point is only about 30 people watched this and the way the MSM played it Odumbo looked in charge.
Thank goodness for FR.
WE not only know what went on but we spread the truth.
GO Free Republic
Au contraire. Our side IS fighting, and shamed the Dems with their intellectual, factual firepower.
They made Obama, Pelosi and Reid look like the utter fools they are.
Our side won the debate, hands down.
GOP members spoke for 110 minutes; democrats, 114.
The Repubs did an outstanding job!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2460500/posts
Pray for AMerica’s Freedom
“Right now, what we’re doing is focusing on the issue of federal entitlements.progressive liberal democrats have wanted this for fifty years Novamberjust may end their dreams for ever.Everybody vote or be fitted for chains.
Why is it so hard for people to admit that the Democrats unequivocally and totally lost that round where it really counts; in the court of public opinion?
Obama is a fascist. Democracyarrodingto the feacl headed idjit is a chance to manipulate the masses with propaganda, massage the stupid and fleece the intelligent.
Barak Obama can go Eff himself along with his whole nationalist socialist Junta.
DON'T TREAD ON ME!,
Obama is a fascist. Democracy according to the fecal headed idjit is a chance to manipulate the masses with propaganda, massage the stupid and fleece the intelligent.
Barak Obama can go Eff himself along with his whole nationalist socialist Junta.
DON'T TREAD ON ME!,
Strange! Watching, my observation was that the President was on the defensive, never on the offensive, with the possible exception of his last comment, which should have been his opening statement, had he been honest.
Having sat through many corporate meetings, where a Chairman was being presented with new ideas, or ideas which competed with those currently being advocated, the mark of real leadership came through when that person did not immediately either bristle or defend the old position, but courteously engaged in dialogue without making it apparent his response was pre-planned and dogmatic.
Perhaps if this President had experience in such a setting, he might understand how to elevate his behavior to fit the office he now holds.
As long as they keep kissing up to him, we’re going to be stuck with him. They need to be saying, “Obama doesn’t care about YOU, Obama doesn’t care about JOBS, all Obama cares about is his stupid SOCIALIZED MEDICINE bill.
You are way short on the rats, I heard it was 400 minutes.
“Republicans brought their ‘A Team.’”
The Republicans were the adults in the room.
“GOP members spoke for 110 minutes; democrats, 114.”
And Zero for 119 minutes, IIRC!
I don’t think any of it really mattered. No one who is gainfully employed watched this charade for 7.5 hours. No one who is unemployed watched this thing for 7.5 hours. Thus we are left to sound bytes and Ryan’s was priceless. Its youtubed all over the place and at last count. 100’s of thousands of views, not to mention every tv station playing it.
The guy needs to watch more C-SPAN of the Senate and fewer talking-head shows. The etiquette is a tad bit different.
Nonsense. Our side fought with facts rather than whiney sob stories, and presented them clearly and understandably. The dems looked idiotic with all their moronic made-up fantasies about sick people. The Republicans stuck with the facts and hammered the dems with them.
And oh, BTW, it would really have looked great to have the Republicans interrupting and badgering the other speakers - NOT! Let's leave that to the Obungler, who was frightened by the sight of the healthcare bills (which I thought was one of the funniest moments of the whole thing) and looked petty and mean most of the time.
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