Pratts Pub

If you follow my comments on the news articles I post you will know I am completely against the Republicans attending this so called Health Care Summit with Barack Obama.

(if you don’t follow my news headlines comments, you should start. Take a look at the home page or follow us on Facebook)

The Republicans are being set up pretty bad here in my opinion. And to a degree, depending on how you look at it, they are kind of between a rock and a hard place.

For starters if they attend this summit, they will not be allowed to debate the Democrats current health care bill. They will only be allowed to present their ideas to the President. My understanding is that this is how Obama wants it. Which makes sense on Obama’s part.

So the Republicans won’t be able to point out all the bad items of the Democrats current proposals.

Next, once they propose their ideas all the President is going to say is that those ideas won’t work. Basically all the Republicans are going to do is give the President ammunition to try, and I do stress TRY, and discredit the Republican ideas in public. He wills state something like “the Republicans ideas won’t do anything to lower costs or ensure everyone receives affordable health insurance”.

Mark my words on this.

And finally if they back out and basically protest by not going to the summit, then the President will cry fowl and tell all the American people how the Republicans are refusing to work with his administration and the Democrats.

Of coarse I think a lot if not most Americans will see through this at this point.

The only thing this “Health Care Summit” is being held for is for Obama to try and show he is willing to listen to ideas. Then of course he will have the right to bash those ideas while the Republican are not allowed to do the same during the summit.

In fact, according to politico.com the President is planning on walking into this summit with an agreement in hand between Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid on a final Democratic bill

So what are the Republicans to gain? Nothing.

Now the Republicans say they are open to compromise if the Democrats are willing to tear up the House and Senate bills and start over.

The Democrats say that is not going to happen.

WHAT SHOULD THE REPUBLICANS DO?

I believe they should bail on the whole thing. They collectively or individually should hold press conferences, let the American people know the whole plan of the Presidents as far as not really listening to them.

Don’t spend the time talking about how bad the Presidents/Democrats plans are. Everyone already knows that.

Spend the time politely talking about how this Health Care Summit is a sham and they will not be a part of it.

They (Republicans) have NOTHING to gain by attending this summit.

“This is a clever tactic by the president to try to put the Republicans on the defensive,” said John Feehery, a Republican consultant and former congressional aide.

“Assuming the president is sincere about moving forward on health care in a bipartisan way, does that mean he will agree to start over?” said a letter to White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel from House Republican leader John Boehner of Ohio and Whip Eric Cantor of Virginia.

Once again, Republicans should steer clear of this “summit” and stick to their guns. Not fold. Not compromise. Stick to what they believe in.