More fun from Ron Fornier's AP: Obama, GOP clash at summit: 'We have a better idea'

[depakid]

President Barack Obama argued Thursday that a sweeping overhaul of the nation's broken health care system is imperative for the nation's future economic vitality, clashing in an extraordinary live-on-TV summit with Republicans who want far more modest changes. "We believe we have a better idea," declared GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander.

With the marathon policy debate available from start to finish to a divided public, Obama cast the health care crisis as "one of the biggest drags on our economy," painting his overhaul effort as critical to the economic revival that's even more pressing to many Americans.

"We all know that this is urgent," he said.

Obama lamented the partisan bickering that has resulted in a stalemate over legislation to extend coverage to more than 30 million people who are now uninsured. "Politics I think ended up trumping practical common sense," he said.

And yet, even as he pleaded for cooperation -- and "actually a discussion, and not just us trading talking points" -- he insisted on a number of Democratic points and acknowledged agreement may not be possible. "I don't know that those gaps can be bridged," Obama said. "If not, at least we will have better clarified for the American people what the debate is all about."

His skepticism about reaching consensus was vindicated as soon as the first Republican spoke -- in opposition to the mammoth bills that have passed the House and Senate. Alexander said Congress and the administration should start over and take small steps, including medical malpractice reform, funding for high-risk insurance pools, allowing Americans to shop out of state for lower-cost plans and expanding health savings accounts.

"Our views represent the views of a great many American people," he said.

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/obama_gop_clash_at_summit_we_h.html
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This is what Democrats are up against- and why it has been, and always will be a bad idea and a losing "strategy" to engage, enable and Republicans and their ilk.