I found Obama's comments to Senator McCain to be patronizing, egotistical, snide and uncalled for!
As were McCain's to him. Every politician KNOWS that their Campaign promises cannot all be kept, and every Politician(ever), in order to become elected, has engaged in some of these empty Campaign promises..................so you'd think in a meeting to discuss the details of Health reform for struggling American families, it's a bit frivolous and snide to bring up "gotcha's" when they've nothing to do with the discussion of reform.
ETA: In the spirit of being a 5 year-old, I'd say "McCain started it." But really, who cares>?
This was NOT a simple campaign promise. And it wasn't about something that was not FULLY within Obama's control.
Both candidates, promised to end the corruption and backdoor dealing. As Chief Executive that IS within Obama's ability to accomplish. He doesn't have to support,, or sign into law, any legislation which doesn't meet his ethical standards. He can say 'no'. He can publicly condemn any wrong-doing he sees. He can act in the best interest of us ALL, and not in the best interest of a partisan agenda. These are HIS CHOICES.
These carve-outs and backroom deals are an important part of that legislation, and a deal-breaker for Republicans. Obama is the one who REFUSED to take the already proposed and rejected ideas off the table. If they had started with a clean sheet of paper, as Republicans wanted... none of this would have been germane to the discussion. In choosing his "starting point", Obama is the one who put this topic on the table. It wasn't just sprung on him out-of-the-blue. It was there... within the parameters of Obama's preselected "starting point".
Bear in mind, that Obama's only concessions in his personal proposal were to extend the Cornhusker Kickback to all states and to extend the Union Carve-out on Cadillac Plans to everyone. These things DE-FUND the Senate bill. What's more, there's still a bunch of other crap in the Senate bill that wasn't addressed, like Gator-Aid and the hospital in Connecticut.
The Senate bill is POISONED. It's unacceptable to Republicans and Obama KNEW that when he sat down. Yet, with just a handful of changes... that was his "starting point". He had stacked the deck
before the meeting took place. It was kabuki theatre from the start. And now, he wants to cry foul?
