GOP Leaders to Obama: Start Over, Then We Can Talk — UPDATED

Unrelated but worth mentioning. Just saw this headline: “Freeze on HIV spending sparks concern in Africa.” The article talks about the US freezing money to combat and treat the HIV virus in Africa. The article goes on to say many Africans see Bush as a hero because of his efforts to combat the HIV virus in Africa. I’m sure ABC will be all over this shortly.

The republicans are right to insist on starting over. The democrats with the whitehouse, a super majority in the senate and a comfortable majority in the house are still unable to govern and come up with a bill that the public can support. Why on earth would the republicans put themselves in a position that would allow the dishonest dems to blame them.

The democrats are only coming to the Republicans to help bail them out of the mess that they alone place themselves in.
I agree with the the Republicans “Start over at ground floor or walk”. The Democrats don’t even deserve that, I don’t trust them in this process.
They are crooks, they have proven that. They have buy votes, with the American peoples money taking pay offs to a new level – in the past they would pay under the table with their money.
I say through the bums out all of them included the head bum.

one other condition….no nancy pelosi. she has to stay out of the room. she is a deal killer who rode on her husbands coattails of welth.

I suspect an “end run” by Obama on this one.

You just can’t deal with Republicans. Even if you do negotiate a compromise they refuse to vote for it. Remember the Stimulus Bill in January? Hell, these fools won’t even vote for their own bills if someone points out that the bill would actually help someone. We would all be better off if the conservatives packed up and moved to some nice, cozy little conservative country like Kuwait, Saudi Arabia or Iran. Let’s see how they like living in the nightmare they are trying to impose on America.

For the Republicans on here claiming Obama must start over, where was your parties plan througghout this? Better yet, were was the plan to overhaul the health system when your party was in charge, im tired of your parties nonsense..they had 8 years of power and did nothing. They spent our country from surplus to record debt with nothing to show for it…im tired of their bully mantality. Wether you like Obama or not, he is the President now, who do those people think they are demanding him to go by their rules or else. Republicans are jokes and as an independent voter I will no longer support the party. They are more then obvious in their contempt of this Preisdent and are willing to do anything to cause his failure, even if its at the expence of the country. Pathetic, I hope Obama rams that bill down their throats.

The Republicans are as pertinent as Paris hilton in our society. As a former republican I can clearly state that this current form of GOP has nothing but it’s own self interests. The Tea Party and GOPers want to give the keys back to the drunk drivers that the American electorate took away from in Nov 2008.

The republicans became a minority and decided to destroy this country to regain power. They had only one card left to play, hatred, and they played it well. They opposed health care reform from the beginning, not because they were against it, but because they didn’t want to give Obama a success. Just look at Senator Jim DeMint: “If we’re able to stop Obama on this, it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.”
They lied about everything. Death panels? Government takeover of health care? They even lied about the size of the bill, which is irrelevant anyways. They pretended to have all these solutions, which was just another tactic. They never had any intention of reforming health care, and they don’t now.
They stirred up all the hatred we see at the tea parties. They even made Obama’s address to students sound so terrifying that people kept their kids home. Oh no! The president is coming! Hide the children!
I have never been more disgusted in my country. I have voted for republicans before, but never again. I will oppose anybody that associates themselves with this pathetic organization any way I can. If you have an R next to your name, I will vote against you.

They are setting conditions? To do the job we elected them to do and are paying them to do? What is wrong with this picture and why aren’t all of you DEMANDING that these elected officials, start acting like ADULTS and open up some dialogue. It’s like if they can’t have their way they’ll pout and take their ball and go home. Wah! I am so frustrated! In the meantime, read the article in AARP magazine about the Veteran that lost his home, and doesn’t qualify for assistance because he and his wife together get too much in soc sec and her measely income–less than $15,000 a year! He got injured at work, then had some other health issues that wiped out their savings. He lost his insurance and now he has Alzheimers. She had to go part-time to take care of him and now she has no insurance because she isn’t old enough for medicare. They are living in a 1 BR apt now and sometimes don’t have enough money for food. He’s a veteran for heaven sake, who served his country, has worked and saved his whole life and is now living in poverty. So while the Republicans are crying and making demands, this kind of thing continues all across the land. Where were all you whiners when Bush was dragging us into this stupid expensive, wasteful war, and piling on the national debt so that corporate fat cats could get a big tax break? Wake up people and start caring a little more about those that have less. It’s not socialism–its a moral obligation.

Lori,
How far does moral obligation go? And just for kicks…when is Obama gonna stop growing this “stupid expensive,wasteful war” ? Our debt has grown under Obama, not lessened. Is this the “change” you voted for?

If you’re not part of the solution then you’re part of the problem.

They all should go back to square one, unless Obama and his cronies just want ot be the party of NO. We all know he was forced into negotiating. Oh the horrors!!

BTW, the problem is not healthcare in America. It is the payment system. Middlemen are making billions while denying care to their customers. My daughter just had her appendix out. Cost $27k. One night in the hospital, less than 24 hours. Surgeon got $1.5k, her pediatrician got $85. You figure out where the rest went.

We need to remember to not make the perfect the enemy of the good. Problem is, there’s no bipartisan view on what the good is. From where I sit, the good is bringing down health care premiums in any way we can. We need to: enact tort reform, perhaps through the use of binding arbitration (a republican idea), enforce minimum coverage for as many people as we can, REPEAL the farm bill, start figuring out how to reduce procedural costs (through Medicare type cost controls, reduction in defensive medicine, streamline recordkeeping, etc.)

“The President looks forward to reviewing Republican proposals that meet the goals he laid out at the beginning of this process, and as recently as the State of the Union Address. (quote from Robert Gibbs in above article)
_____________________________________
Let’s get this straight…
1)”reviewing” Republican proposals. According to my dictionary, the word ‘review’ means to go over a subject again in study or recitation. How is it he is going to ‘review’ proposals that he and members of his party and administration claim they haven’t even heard of yet. Remember, the Democrats have claimed, repeatedly, that the Republicans have no ideas regarding healthcare reform. So, is Mr. Gibbs saying they HAVE seen/heard something from the ‘other side of the aisle’ and want to look at it again while being televised?
2)”that meet the goals he laid out at the beginning of this process”. What goals, exactly, did Obama HIMSELF lay out? What SPECIFICALLY did he ask for? Why do the Republicans HAVE to provide proposals that meet HIS goals, instead of the goals that would be better for the American public? He has been very vague about “his goals” (probably, once again, because he doesn’t really have any other than the power trip), and, according to a recent article in Politico, has not been a major part of the healthcare battle in meetings, debates, etc. as he says he has been (that charge came from a senior Democrat official).
I don’t want to come across as a conspiracy theorist, but it seems that Obama and the Dems have already made up their minds, and are simply doing what they deem politically necessary to cement their ‘vision’ for healthcare. I’m not buying into the whole scenario of bipartisanship. If that were the case, this televised meeting would have been done MONTHS ago.

I just wonder how many of you, who are writing in support of the Dems HCR bills, live in Nebraska, Louisiana or Nevada; or how many of you are members of congress or the SEIU. If you are one of those, I can certainly understand your position. But if not, you support back room deals that hurt the rest of America.
It does not take 2400+ pages of dirty politics to protect our citizens against the crimes of the insurance companies. If what we need can be said in a few sentences, then what we need can be written in a few sentences.
Gut the HCR bills and get down to the basics of what we need to insure all citizens. BTW, illegals are not citizens or Americans. Then add TORT reform, and we will have a bill that the majority of Americans can support.
We need Health Care Reform!! But we need it the right way.

As I read the comments following this article, I cannot help but wonder: WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN the past decade?
I was formerly the chair of my county’s Republican party. I founded the College Republicans at my university, which had over 100 members. Yet, I am DISGUSTED when I see people who send me in paystubs and bills, who used to pay $1,200 a year in health insurance and now pay $7,200 (and not because they got married or had kids, but because of the increases by Big Insurance – and the decreases in company subsidization!)
Meanwhile, my wife is a doctor, a pediatric physician at a large hospital in our city with over 400 physicians. They are ALL clamoring for Obama’s reforms.. meanwhile, tort reform? Ha. My wife makes over $280,000 a year, and her malpractice insurance is barely more than our homeowners’ insurance. Why? Because those re-insurers know (and their actuarial tables prove) that they are not really sued that often or – lose that often.
Tort reform is a red herring. It is simply another Republican talking point to try and make their opponents look bad.

GOP the party of do nothing.
Why not let the American people have the health care that the senators and congressman have? We the American people are paying for it anyway. Give the current administration a chance because the GOP will not. The government has an obligation to the American people. The American people need to stop listening to fear and use the common sense that GOD gave them. 2Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but one of power, love, and sound judgment.

I was just waiting to see how they would weasel their way out of meeting with the President on this issue. They have nothing to offer but misinformation it seems. That was clear when the President took questions at their meeting. They didn’t expect him to be that well informed I guess. They looked like silly little bullies caught in a lie. Especially Mike Pence. Even their supporters should be ashamed of how the GOP leaders operate. They are all elected to do the country’s business and behave like adults. In this case, peoples’ lives are on the line. People are going bankrupt because of medical costs they can’t meet. That is a whole lot more important than Republicans voting against everything just because the strategy is to destroy President Obama and the Democratic majority. If they get back in power it will be back to exactly what put the country and as a result the global economy into this massive mess. They should be ashamed. I’m sorry I ever supported them and so is my special forces vet husband from Ohio.

Congress fiddles while the country burns…
Why don’t we re-config the system so the party elected to power can really get their agenda enacted and try to get something done? I’m talking either side, Dem or Repub… let’s set the system so whoever is elected can enact their agenda, within common-sense limits, and then the voters can see which ideas work. Let’s think outside the box. That’s what innovators do when what they have isn’t working. The U.S. is supposed to be such an innovative society… well, let’s innovate!

I need to add that I don’t have a very high opinion of either major party. I think they’re nearly all crooks and wish we could start over with them first before taking on any new major legislation. Having said that, if this fiscal insanity by the Dems isn’t stopped soon, we won’t have a country to fight about. It will be in ruins. And as far as the Government “creating jobs”… it’s an oxymoron.

It’s a bit depressing to see so many party loyalists who will defend “their man” and don’t seem to care about what Obama’s policies will do to them or their country. So what if he’s a Democrat like you?
Do you like the fact that Medicare will be bankrupt by the time you retire, and no one in current leadership cares- in fact, they are happily boosting our level of annual debt to never-before-imagnined levels?
Does it bother you that with the failure of Medicare and our government’s ability to manage it hanging over them, the President and Congress want quickly bang out an entire new monster of a health-care system that will be even bigger and more expensive than Medicare?
Do you even know that Obama quietly pushed through the RealID act, which will require you to carry a Federal ID card at all times- and which he claimed to oppose while running for President?

President Obama and the world knows these people do not intend on doing what is Right for America. And if anyone thinks WE are Sleeping, you’re wrong.

2000+ pages. I can name that bill in…40 pages. The pres wouldn’t look so bad if he would quit making claims that we know are BS. It seems obvious to anyone paying attention that the GOP have been blocked out of the process thus far and this process as transparent as a brick wall. If Obama is the least concerned about America he will scrap the lard ridden bill and start over. He should make it clear that this bill will have no special deals, no pork, and be unquestionably Constitutional.

It is ignorant to believe that one side acts solely out of selfishness and the other out of selflessness. While you may subscribe to one political philosophy, to believe that all of those who share your beliefs do so out of altruism is the epitome of stupidity.
Did you ever wonder why, after 45 years of a “Great Society”, the level of poverty remains the same as in ’65? Which party has profited most from this legislation?
Did you ever wonder why education spending has increased significantly in proportion to inflation while our schools fail us more and more? Who profits from a population more in touch with its feelings than the constitution?
On the other side, who profited from the war on drugs?
Assail Republicans all you want. But to believe Democrats are somehow looking out for your best interests only makes you look like an idiot.

Who would be silly enough to trust this president? Smells like a trap to me.

What amazes me is the mentality that a huge bill is required to help 30 million receive health care. That is the goal right? Republicans have been pushing for tort reform and other avenues for years and I keep hearing how they don’t have any ideas. Why is it that democrats, while they are in power, say it’s our way or nothing at all? I really don’t think they want to hear any other ideas. Think of health care like it’s a giant jigsaw puzzle. Do you throw the whole puzzle back in the box because you’re missing a few pieces or do you find the missing pieces?

The people of these post protesting Obama are those who need governmental help most. Your future jobs and healthcare security is most insecure than ever. Yet you follow the dictates of millionaire radio jocks who doesn’t any help and other right wing demagogues making money on getting you to take fire. In the end Obama and the millionaire jocks will have theirs, but you will not.

I guess Obama didn,t get the message from MA. His numbers are dropping so fast that soon, only the people who thought OJ didn,t do it will be on his side.

Get real.
The Republicans and the right wing yahoos LOST the election. They are NOT in the least bit interested in bipartisanship of any kind. For 8 years they presided over 3 crackpot wars open ended. They wasted 60k American lives chasing phantoms over the hidu kush. They tore up the bill of rights in the name of their bizzare national security. They LOOTED social security since they couldn’t privatize it and put us into bankruptcy. Their health plan is always the same. If you have insurance enjoy a great medical system. otherwise too bad the ultimate DEATH PANEL. Go die in the streets. 13000 died today. They scream about taking back America. The election said hell no. Time for Obama to do the reconciliation thing and get health care passed with a majority. let them scream. That is all they know how to do. it like social security of the 30′s won’t be perfect. Future generations can fix it. if he rolls over again he will be one term and a poor imitation of a president.

don, Republicans may have LOST the last election but after one year of Obama/Pelosi/Reid, your gloating may be short lived.

More DC follies from the GOPers. They would like nothing better than to have Obama and the Dems toss out everything accomplished so far on health care and start over. That would tie up Obama until November and health care would be stalled out. They desperately want to have health care still up in the air in November. Dems have to wrap up health care and move on to jobs and the economy pronto. The Repubs. have only one objective – that is to take back Congress like they did in 1994. They’re never going to join in constructive debate or God forbid, vote for any Obama initiative.

What are the job killing moves. Is this where a company like INVACARE in Boeners state of Ohio, threatens to take away jobs, if we don’t allow them to make excessive profits? There are good parts of the plan which needs to stay focused on Health CARE, not JUST Health INSURANCE reform, but we need to be careful not to let some of these people like INVACARE blackmail the process.

It seems as though the Republicans smell a rat and they are right. They are right to demand that President Obama throw out the hodge podge of special favors and back room deals that had to be included in the last attempt at health care reform. They are right to insist on real reforms that offer real incentives to control costs, assure medical services to all who need them and make the system more efficient. They are right to insist that things be done to improve the medical system for everyone and not just those who curry favor with this administration and the leaders of Congress. We’ll be watching. If the Democrats continue with their shady deals and worthless budget busting proposals, we’ll be marching on DC and descending on Congressional offices. We The People demand ethical and responsible legislation. The Republicans are our best hope of delivering it.

Concerned that Obama really has no plan to listen with an open-mind. Looks more like he is setting a trap to try and make the republicans look bad. He has had a year working with Congress and the CBO to determine the ‘impact’ of his reform ideas. The republicans haven’t had the same opportunity for the CBO to model their ideas.

If Obama/Pelosi really wanted to deal they would meet w/ advocates of single payer and other systems instead of having them thrown in jail.
This “reform” is just part of the deal to turn over the country to the corporations.
It is painful for this lifelong Democrat (now a Republican) to say, but please GOP save us.
(Or at least save me, bcs I’ll go to jail before I pay $10K/year to the insurance cartel.)

Didn’t see anything in there, that was an unreasonable expectation, for bipartisanship.
I certainly don’t see where those “conditions”, should be “hard to meet”.
At least not if genuine bipartisanship, is being offered.

Why is this so hard to understand. It is simply called “dodge, delay and obfuscate”, what they have being doing for over a year. Thank goodness, finally, the President calling them out for the frauds that they are.