I like this Health Summit discussion in the public.

[vaberella]

Obama is just showing that these Republicans just don't want to move forward. The Republicans basically said this is impossible. Not to mention, they just don't agree even though technically and on paper they agree more than disagree. They are just picking and choosing and/or interpreting discussions wrong. It's a joke. I doubt the media will see how ridiculous the Republicans appear, but I think if the American people are paying attention----they will notice this.

[madmax]

1. I like this a lot.

We need MORE like this about other timely topics up for discussion. It's informal and entertaining except for the talking heads who break in with their bullshit.

[grytpype]

16. Yeah, this was modeled obviously on Obama's discussion with Repugs at their retreat.

You shine a spotlight on those cockroaches and they scatter.

[Cleita]

2. Too bad single payer advocates weren't allowed a voice.

They would have really showed up the Republicans for the insurance company whores that they are as well as the DLC Democrats. If they had been allowed to show the savings in money to the taxpayers that single payer would accomplish, there would be no reason for a new bill other than to implement HR676 and the Senate version of that bill because it's just an expansion and improvement of Medicare, a program already in existence and running successfully.

[brand404]

4. +10,000!!!

[vaberella]

8. If you notice...it's a meeting of the Senators currently.

And the bills already in place. I don't see how that is relevant to this discussion. You're doing something similar as Repubs. You're not looking at what is at hand and being discussed but running on another tangent all together. It's not moving the discussion forward on ways you want the bill to improve...because we have bills in place. And it's established that there was no way single payer would even EVER have the votes to pass. There are way too many Conservadems/Bluedogs in Congress to even think it's reasonable. Not to mention the entire Republican party.

To even get these bills moving...was difficult and most here think these bills are far too conservative. Yet we are still facing the same obstructionist people----how can one logically make an argument that single payer would gain some ground. A lot of single payer proponents like Whitehouse and Conyers, and House Reps and Senators do support it, and have pushed for measures that reflect some things within single payer that would work here. However, your discussion is moot in relation to the reality it would have to face. And if it was brought up----the bill would have ZERO traction or even coverage. Anyone who sees how this is going will see that.

[Cleita]

11. Oh blah, blah! Single payer advocates were shut out of meetings with

those fabulous senators you are talking about. If anyone is doing something similar as the Repubs is someone who is such a big Tweety lover, a man known to have his ass up Republican ass most of the time, it's you.

[Robb]

13. I must remember to try "blah blah" as a riposte some time.

[Cha]

17. FYI, It doesn't work.

Especially when the person you're doing it to has given you a very reasonable response.

[Cha]

18. Very well done, Vabrella!

[stray cat]

12. Which senator is "the voice for single payer" that was excluded?

Did they kick out Rockefeller and Feingold and others who would like single payer if they could get it?

[Cleita]

15. There is Bernie Sanders too, but Bernie himself has said that they can't

talk about it because it's off the table.

[Vincardog]

3. You can not see it on my TV. We don't get Cspan3

[Jennicut]

7. CNN, MSNBC, and Faux all are covering it.

[vaberella]

9. I was watching it on the WH.gov site link below:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/live/a-bipartisan-meeting-health-reform

[samplegirl]

5. McConnell

sitting there keeping time of how many minutes reps and dems are speaking..HE IS NOT IN CHARGE!!!

[brand404]

6. Sadly this Summit is Mostly One-sided: Status-Quo and Slightly-Less Status Quo..

Unless we can see and hear ALL SIDES which include the Single-Payer advocates we are just seeing a one-sided discussion where insurers win in the end (it just a matter of how much MORE profit they get)

[vaberella]

10. I've addressed this in post# 8.

This is about the senators and legislation that is in discussion. We're not going back a year.

[Cha]

19. No, it isn't ..and fortunately

most people can see that.

[LatteLibertine]

14. Avoid pundit commentary and commercials by streaming it

View it on C-SPAN 3's stream or from Whitehouse.gov.

http://www.whitehouse.gov/live
http://www.c-span.org/Watch/C-SPAN3_wm.aspx

Whitehouse.gov is the best quality stream and I got occasional locks with it. Not so with C-SPAN 3's stream.

[DevonRex]

20. So do I. It has been great. nt

[Change Happens]

21. We all do!

[Cass]

22. I like it, too, and I hope they will do this for other important issues that come up

although I would like to see it carried on C-Span 1 or 2 in the future. We don't get C-Span 3 on our cable here unless you have the top tier package which we don't have. I watched CNN for awhile and they cut into the meeting so their panel could spew talking points which was really inexcusable imo.

But I really do like the idea of having these discussions televised. This meeting really cut through all the bullshit so the public can see what's going on.