Obama Offers Health Care Concessions...In Return GOP Offers - NOTHING!!

@anniepa (27955)
United States
May 6, 2009 1:27pm CST
Weren't the Republicans FURIOUS about the idea of health care reform being passed without support of any of them and with them being unable to filibuster? Haven't the Republicans wanted malpractice reform for years? Hasn't the GOP being crying that there's no "bipartisanship" since the new Administration and new Congress have "taken over"? ...So, right there in the Cabinet Room, the President put a proposal on the table, according to two people who were present. Obama said he was willing to curb malpractice awards, a move long sought by Republicans that is certain to bring strong opposition from the trial lawyers who fund the Democratic Party. What, he wanted to know, did the Republicans have to offer in return? Nothing, it turned out. Republicans were unprepared to make any concessions, if they had any to make... http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1895706,00.html My question is, do the Republicans have any ideas about health care reform, do they even WANT to be included in the debate or do they actually HOPE it gets put through without their input or that nothing gets done and then they can claim their ideas weren't even "allowed" to be presented? They had a chance and they offered...NOTHING. Any thoughts? Annie
1 person likes this
8 responses
• United States
6 May 09
I would like to know what Obama wanted in return. It may have been something they and most republicans/conservatives would not be wiling to trade for. I can offer you a house paid in full...big nice...great neighborhoood.....but if I ask for one your children in return than you are going to say no. Why yes you want the big nice paid for house. Have always wanted it infact....but the price for what was wanted in return was too high. That is an extreme example I know.....But as I said I wonder what Obama wanted in return. Healthcare companies are already offering to lower their prices a huge amount and get rid of charging more to people with pre existing conditions if it is made a law that every has to have healthcare. healthcare companies are willing to make some HUGE incentives for that. So it seems to me that wold solve the problem. I may not like being told I HAVE to have a healthcare plan....but it is better than having a government run (one payer) system by a long shot. Or having the government involved with telling my doctors what they can and can not do. Heck I do not even like that the health care companies try to do that. So why would I want to add another person in the decision process that should be left to me and the doctor only with only me making the final decision.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 May 09
You can't know what Obama wanted in return because he didn't ask for anything, he asked the Republicans what they were willing to offer, it was wide open and they offered nothing. It wasn't as if he said, "I'll cap or reduce malpractice awards if you (fill in the blank) it was "I'll make this concession, what concession will you make?" Couldn't that have been at least a place to begin the discussion and maybe reach a compromise through some real debate and engagement? I think it's been made pretty clear that we're not going to get a government run health plan. There are some who would like to see that but Obama himself has come pretty close to eliminating it as a choice. Annie
• United States
6 May 09
The same can be reversed and the question of what did the Republicans want in return.
1 person likes this
@iriscot (1289)
• United States
6 May 09
Why would the republicans want to help, they try to block everything put forward to help straighten things out in this country?!!! They hope everything that is being tried to turn around the economy fails, so they can say "I told you so". Bah Humbug.....
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 May 09
I think they might end up on Santa's "naughty" list...lol! Annie
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
6 May 09
First, some questions. Where's the bill? What does it contain? How is it paid for? What text did they object to? You know I am no republican flag waver, but this is a pretty generalized story with out much detail to it. I want to know what specificly they objected to, what is the text of the rest of the bill, what does it still contain and what doesn't it contain? Too little to go on here to comment yet.
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 May 09
There IS no bill as of yet, they were having a meeting to see if they could reach a compromise about all of the things you asked about. WHEN there is an actual bill the Republicans will whine that they weren't invited to the table and, of course, they'll be against anything and everything that is in it but when given the chance they had nothing to offer. Annie
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
6 May 09
Ok, but there still isn't enough detail on the controversy to comment on for me yet. A healthcare debate is going to be far more than talking points and generalized ideals. I would have to see exactly how the administration plans on doing this, the devil is always in the details.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
7 May 09
Once again Annie you have left out the most important things from this particular article. What particulars were discussed in that room is essentially hearsay and is therefore not reliable. Even the courts don't recognize hearsay as a reliable defense. 1. Obama is leaving HIS Health Care Bill in the hands of Congress. That is essentially a huge mistake on his part. I think he needs to take an active part in creating the legislation. It should be his bill. Whether or not I agree with his politics, this is too big an issue to stand on the sidelines and let Pelosi and Reid to hash it out. 2. Congress is trying to ram this bill through with only 51 votes. This is a very dangerous precedent to set, especially for the Democrats. Remember, Republicans could gain a majority again and do the exact same thing. Also, it could very will echo the criticism the stimulus bill had when it got signed without being read. In other words, no one will know exactly what it will contain, where the money is going, and who exactly is going to get it. Plus, don't forget that there are all those extra "provisions" that get added on to any bill. Who knows what those will contain? Not even the bill writers knew what the stimulus bill contained. (Congress ended up looking like a three ring circus after the bonus fiasco). If another bill like that passes, there will be backlash and a lot of it. Most of that will be against the President and his "Lack of Transparency."
@grammasnook (1871)
• United States
6 May 09
Annie I have been saying this since the begining. Same with the darn bailouts known of them would vote for it but they share in hell had their hands out when it was being passed around. They are going through the poor me they dont like me. Obama has extended it several times. The blindfolds are on. Well if by a mirable Obama has all his pins lined up and everything he is trying to do works, that leaves them out in the cold for not taking a chance. They want it their way or the highway, only the dems have to bargain things. So when they hashed out the bailout we got a couple of repubs votes but with that they had 40 percent of the pork in the package yet they dont speak much about that. Just how bad the dems are. Lots of times in order to come to an agreement one has to meet in the middle. This applies to both parties. All parties have to be open minded and realize that with a little effort they actually have the answers to most crisis. They have to research and not put it on one person. They just want him to fail so badly that they are actually "sitting out" not being left out
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
6 May 09
I think you got it! The say they want bipartisanship but what they really want is to get their own way as if they hadn't lost the election! Those of us who didn't help Bush and the former GOP majority in office had to accept the fact that elections have consequences! Annie
• United States
7 May 09
i the beginning even before obama took office they said that things will fix them self that they don't want to do anything so they are doing just what they said they will do nothing, everythibg obama tryed to do that would help the republicans sat there with there fingures up there a** because they figure if things get better for the people they get less money, the republicans are getting worse than the banks that got the bail outs, make the rich more rich and the poor even more poor.
@stephcjh (38473)
• United States
7 May 09
Wow. I just wish they would do something fast with healthcare reform. My family cannot afford health insurance. It is outragious and I highly doubt it will ever be affordable for everyone to have.
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
6 May 09
Story looks like crap to me. It's a typical, one-sided, pathetic excuse for journalism that is written to make Obama look like a hero while portraying the republicans as evil. It has no statement from Obama or the Republicans supposedly involved, nor does it name anyone in the room besides Obama. The supposed sources are two unnamed people who claim to have been in the room. Don't you think it's just a little questionable when Obama himself won't even make this claim or allow any of his spokespeople to say it either? This is something he'd be spreading around if there were any hint of credibility to it.