Dems, GOP: Summit will not break logjam on health

[Oddball]

WASHINGTON – Here's one point on which Democrats and Republicans agree on health care: President Barack Obama's much-touted televised summit has virtually no chance of breaking the political logjam. That means Democrats will be forced to find a way to pass an overhaul on their own or face a huge political defeat.

Lawmakers from both parties suggested the Obama-hosted meeting Thursday will amount to little more than political theater. No cracks appeared in the GOP's overwhelming opposition to Democrats' efforts. And both parties saw the president's revised, far-reaching proposal, released Monday, as a call for Democrats to try to pass the legislation on their own under Senate rules that would bar Republican delaying tactics.

Dems, GOP: Summit will not break logjam on health - Yahoo! News

If that's the case, then call off the whole dog and pony show.

 

[SFC Ollie]

Well it is for certain that this is little more than a dog & pony show. Manly meant for Obama and the Democrats to save face. I almost hope that they force this unpopular bill upon the public. Yet then on the other hand I pay that they allow it to die.

 

[Annie]

Time will tell if Pelosi can muscle the House:

The Big Bluff? - WSJ.com

FEBRUARY 23, 2010, 1:18 P.M. ET
The Big Bluff?
The Democrats in the Senate and Democrats in the House don't trust each other.
By JOHN FUND

...In the House, Speaker Nancy Pelosi only muscled through her more-liberal version -- which included a public-option insurance program -- by 220 to 215 votes last November. Since then, Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida has resigned, Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania has died, and Rep. Neil Abercrombie plans to resign next week to run for governor of Hawaii. In addition, Rep. Joseph Cao, the lone Republican to back the bill in November, has said he won't do so again.

That leaves Ms. Pelosi with 216 votes, shy of a majority. She will have to find new "yes" votes from some of the 39 Democrats who declined to support the bill last time as well as hold the votes of nervous Blue Dogs who voted with her and a dozen or so pro-life Democrats led by Rep. Bart Stupak, who demand tougher curbs on federal funding of abortion than President Obama or the Senate want.

Senators have yet to be convinced Ms. Pelosi can pull this off. Privately, Democratic members tell me she doesn't have anywhere near the votes yet.

Rep. Heath Shuler, the North Carolina Democrat and former football star who heads the 54-member Blue Dog group, isn't optimistic. "I don't think a comprehensive bill can pass," he told reporters. "I hate to use a football analogy, but first downs are a lot better than throwing the bomb route or the Hail Mary."...