Robert Gibbs Responds To Boehner/Cantor Health Care Letter

8:29 pm EST February 8th, 2010 | News | 13 Comments

The White House says “present them”

The President is adamant that we seize this historic moment to pass meaningful health insurance reform legislation. He began this process by inviting Republican and Democratic leaders to the White House on March 5 of last year, and he’s continued to work with both parties in crafting the best possible bill. He’s been very clear about his support for the House and Senate bills because of what they achieve for the American people: putting a stop to insurance company abuses, extending coverage to millions of hardworking Americans, getting control of rising premiums and out-of-pocket costs, and reducing the deficit.

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. He’s open to including any good ideas that stand up to objective scrutiny. What he will not do, however, is walk away from reform and the millions of American families and small business counting on it. The recent news that a major insurer plans to raise premiums for some customers by as much as 39 percent is a stark reminder of the consequences of doing nothing.

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13 Responses to “Robert Gibbs Responds To Boehner/Cantor Health Care Letter”

  1. jr says:
    February 8, 2010 at 10:17 pm

    They won’t work with Democrats on anything. Everyone is getting primary challengers from McCain to Ron Paul

  2. Jaim says:
    February 8, 2010 at 11:27 pm

    What the hell is the strategy here? Talking with the GOP just opens up a further whittling down of the already craptastic Lieberman/Obama bill.

    No sense of game here. Rahm should have been fired a while ago and Obama needs to stop acting like a sucker.

  3. Oliver Willis says:
    February 9, 2010 at 12:41 am

    “Lieberman/Obama bill” Heh. Who’s this Harry Reid guy?? What the heck does he do? :)

    I don’t claim any knowledge of the endgame here, but should the Senate sack up this is an excellent episode for them to point to should they use reconciliation to pass the bill. “We invited the Republicans to add their input, they refused to be serious about it”. Now, I would have done that months ago, but there you go.

  4. Dave in SoCal says:
    February 10, 2010 at 11:11 am

    From that notoriously right-wing CBS News:

    Obama Says Bipartisanship, But What He Wants Is GOP Surrender

    Unannounced, President Obama took to the lectern in the White House briefing room today to give a personal readout of his meeting earlier with congressional leaders of both parties.

    “Despite the political posturing that often paralyzes this town, there are many issues upon which we can and should agree, he said.

    It was more a plaintive plea than a political observation. His top legislative priorities are going nowhere and he’s searching for a way to get them out of lockup.

    In this 13th month of his presidency, he’s anxious to pass a jobs bill and be seen addressing an unemployment rate that only last week declined from double digits. And his efforts to enact bills on energy, financial regulatory reform and especially health care are stuck in Congress despite the solid majority his party holds in both chambers.

    He’s appealing for a spirit of bipartisanship – urging Democrats and Republicans alike “to put aside matters of party for the good of the country.”

    It’s a familiar refrain from U.S. presidents who can’t get their way in Congress.

    …

    What these presidential appeals for bipartisanship always mean is: do it my way.

    Mr. Obama said he “won’t hesitate to embrace a good idea from my friends in the minority party.” But he wants his way. He wants his energy policy enacted along with his jobs bill, his financial regulatory reform and his health care plan.

    And if the opposition continues to block his objectives, he said he “won’t hesitate to condemn what I consider to be obstinacy that’s rooted not in substantive disagreement but in political expedience.”

    When a sitting president calls for bipartisanship by the opposition – he really means surrender. And if they block his proposals, its “obstinacy” and not political views they hold as strongly as he holds his.

    So President “I Won” couldn’t get his craptacular health care “reform” passed during the entire year he had a filibuster-proof super majority and now he petulantly stamps his feet and demands, DEMANDS, that the Republicans get in line and meekly support his wishes.

    He is apparently too clueless to comprehend that maybe the reason it didn’t pass during THE ENTIRE YEAR that Democrats had COMPLETE AND TOTAL CONTROL OF CONGRESS is not because he didn’t explain it well enough, but because IT’S CRAPPY LEGISLATION that the MAJORITY OF AMERICANS DO NOT WANT.

    The correct response to Obama’s call for “bipartisanship” is a hearty “Get Bent, Mr. President”.

    It’s now 264 days to the end of a Democrat-controlled Congress.

  5. Dennis says:
    February 10, 2010 at 11:17 am

    The correct response to Obama’s call for “bipartisanship” is a hearty “Get Bent, Mr. President”.

    Seconded.

  6. mambochicken23 says:
    February 10, 2010 at 12:13 pm

    The correct response to Obama’s call for “bipartisanship” is a hearty “Get Bent, Mr. President”.

    From July, 2009: “If we’re able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.” – Republican Senator Jim DeMint, speaking about health care reform.

    From the very outset, the Republicans were not interested in compromising, in budging one inch. Not. Interested. They were only looking to beat Obama down. Because this is one of the few things that Republicans do well: Winning elections by playing politics, beating your opponents by lowering them (and not raising your own game). What seems most important to them is simply getting back in power, not actually solving the problems that Americans are facing today.

    The Republicans have brought nothing to the table but obstructionism and negativism. They have openly lied about the content of the various health care reform packages to sway public opinion against the Dem plan. They seem virtually incapable of honest and straightforward debate. And perhaps this is the way that it must be – on some level, they understand that Obama and the majority of the Democrats are smarter than they are, and therefore the Republicans need to resort to dirty tricks and other bullshit to beat them. Because if they don’t, and the Democrats are successful, the Republicans know that they will be in the minority for a very long time. So they fight everything, from health care reform to presidential appointments. Everything in the Senate needs 60 votes now, or else it won’t get done.

    And this is ALL so that the Republicans can get to November and say, “Hey, America, look – the last two years have been unproductive. And LOOK WHO WAS IN CHARGE!”

    Fuck the Republicans. Fuck them all. When they stop playing politics like it’s a goddamn football game, then maybe they can be listened to. But I won’t hold my breath.

  7. Dave in SoCal says:
    February 10, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    From July, 2009: “If we’re able to stop Obama on this it will be his Waterloo. It will break him.” – Republican Senator Jim DeMint, speaking about health care reform.

    I seem to recall this occurring following President “I Won” in January and after Republicans had been excluded from every White House meeting on health care reform up to that time (but don’t worry, the SEIU and BigPharma were well represented in those closed door sessions).

    And this is ALL so that the Republicans can get to November and say, “Hey, America, look – the last two years have been unproductive. And LOOK WHO WAS IN CHARGE!”

    You mean like in 2006, when the Democrats had the opportunity to work with Bush on reforming the Social Security juggernaut that will eventually bankrupt this country, and their response was to attack Bush and claim that there is NO Social Security crisis and therefore no need for Democrats to put out their own proposal?

    Like that?

    Fuck the Republicans. Fuck them all. When they stop playing politics like it’s a goddamn football game, then maybe they can be listened to.

    Blah blah blah. My side does everything your side does but your side is all evil assholes and I hate hate HATE you all.

    Got it.

  8. mambochicken23 says:
    February 10, 2010 at 3:42 pm

    I seem to recall this occurring following President “I Won” in January and after Republicans had been excluded from every White House meeting on health care reform up to that time (but don’t worry, the SEIU and BigPharma were well represented in those closed door sessions).

    What? He did win. I seem to recall Bush talking about his mandate and political capital when he won in 2004 by a few percentage points – Obama’s margin of victory was greater. What’s your point? As far as those meetings you’re talking about, I don’t know if they happened before or after that quote, but it doesn’t matter. If anything DeMint should have been complaining about being shut out (if that indeed happened), and not talking about how to “break” the current POTUS simply as a political strategy. As for BigPharma, that’s a non-sequitur and also something that I don’t necessarily like. Your point?

    You mean like in 2006, when the Democrats had the opportunity to work with Bush on reforming the Social Security juggernaut that will eventually bankrupt this country, and their response was to attack Bush and claim that there is NO Social Security crisis and therefore no need for Democrats to put out their own proposal?

    Like that?

    Yeah, it’s exactly like when Bush wanted to privatize Social Security and put it into Wall Street. Damn, it’s too bad that didn’t happen, right? Because nothing bad has happened on Wall Street since then. The market’s been awesome. So if all my Soc Sec money had been in it, I would be a quadillionaire when I retired! Bush’s plan was stupid, and the Dems rightly said that it was stupid.

    Blah blah blah. My side does everything your side does but your side is all evil assholes and I hate hate HATE you all.

    Got it.

    Our sides are not equal. Look at OW’s home page for one example of it (nominee holdups). We are not two sides of the same coin. While I wouldn’t necessarily call your side evil, I would definitely say that Republicans tend to be dumber, less rational, and more dishonest in the political sphere.

    But mostly dumber. The only reason you guys are viable is because there are a lot of stupid motherfuckers in this country.

  9. Duros62 says:
    February 10, 2010 at 3:58 pm

    You mean like in 2006, when the Democrats had the opportunity to work with Bush on reforming the Social Security juggernaut

    If by “reforming Social Security” you mean selling it off piecemeal to Haliburton, then no, not like that.

  10. Dave in SoCal says:
    February 10, 2010 at 4:18 pm

    Well, they never showed us their proposal, so I guess we’ll just have to wonder, won’t we?

  11. Dave in SoCal says:
    February 10, 2010 at 4:32 pm

    Bush’s plan was stupid, and the Dems rightly said that it was stupid.

    The Dems also said “Crisis? What Social Security crisis?” and then did jack squat to address the issue. Like back in 2004 when their cry was “Crisis at Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac? Don’t be silly!” Why? Because scoring cheap political points off the other party is ALWAYS the primary mission. Where is the high mindedness that you and other liberals like to imagine the Democratic party represents?

    While I wouldn’t necessarily call your side evil, I would definitely say that Republicans tend to be dumber, less rational, and more dishonest in the political sphere.

    I guess you just gotta have SOMETHING to wrap yourself up in to make you feel better about yourself. Whatever gets you through the night.

    there are a lot of stupid motherfuckers in this country.

    Not to worry, most of them are now realizing their error in electing Obama and putting the Democrats in complete control of Congress and are already taking steps to rectify it. Expect to see more examples of this in November.

  12. mambochicken23 says:
    February 10, 2010 at 4:39 pm

    I guess you just gotta have SOMETHING to wrap yourself up in to make you feel better about yourself. Whatever gets you through the night.

    Tell me, Dave… to what political side do the most educated members of our citizenry lean to?

    Tell me, Dave… what side has been more successful in creating and mainstreaming wacko conspiracy theories and other such nonsense?

    Tell me, Dave… what side tends to be more overtly religious?

    Just let me know what the answers to those questions are. Thanks.

  13. LongHairedWeirdo says:
    February 12, 2010 at 11:30 am

    Well, good. Let’s let them refuse to work with Democrats, on national TV. Let’s let the American people – Real America – see them do their thing.

    I’m sure that, since they’re only being true to Real America, that Real Americans will swarm to their side.

    I mean, it’s not at all possible that their opposition to health care reform is based in intellectually dishonest arguments, right? And Real America just loves watching a tantrum on live TV, right?