Washington (CNN) – President Barack Obama will meet with Democratic and Republican leaders at a much-publicized health care summit Thursday that many believe will be long on discourse but short on real bipartisan consensus.
Critics have said the nationally televised six-hour summit basically will amount to a public relations stunt.
"This is about theater," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican. "This is not about substance, unfortunately."
White House spokesman Robert Gibbs rejected that assessment.
"It makes sense to have everybody in the same room," Gibbs said on CNN's "American Morning." "We're going to have a big table. We're going to listen to a lot of ideas."
But there didn't appear to be much mood Wednesday for compromise on Capitol Hill.
From CNN Politics
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Time to act. Either the Republicans will work to get us health care reform or the Democrats use reconciliation to give us health care reform.
No more obstructionism/fear/hate/special deals by either the Republicans , Lieberman or blue dogs like Nelson/Buyh.
I hope the health care bill is better than the credit card reform bill! Thanks to that one, card holders are in far worse shape than before the 'relief' package. We can now look forward to higher minimum payments, huge new fees, and banks that can jack the interest rates as high as they want to with no limit, all done well within the new law.
Thanks, guys!
For gods sake what do these Republicans want? They whine and cry their left out of the healthcare debate now they are included and they are still whining and crying truth is THEY DONT WANT HEALTHCARE REFORM! They like it just the way it is the Republicans are trying to save the Health Insurance compaines huge billon dollar profits while the American people go broke or die because they cant afford healthcare!
DEMOCRATS ENOUGH ITS TIME FOR RECONCILLIATION you know the reconcilliation the republicans used time and time again when they were the Majority!
The republicans are so much in bed with the health insurance industry, they will not help Americans. While right wingnuts complain about unions, they say nothing about the 5 largest health insurance companies making a 56% increase in profits in 2009 and eliminating 2.5 millions customers from their insured roster. I almost forgot, republicans are well paid liars.
People need to understand the current Dem plan will BANKRUPT America. The plan is a 6 TRILLION dollar nightmare. Do not believe the partial accounting, look at the tricks used in this fiasco.
Lets get Tort reform! Lets get interstate competitive purchasing power for people to buy accross state lines, kill pre existing conditions, create a money pool for very ill,. There I solved health care in 3 lines.
I really can't believe this. The Republicans are crazy. All they care about is votes. I can't wait until this meeting is over so the American people can truly see how the Republicans are blocking this. I'm sickened by them.
The republicans are never going to be happy........if Obama wasn't having this Session today they would be calling on him to have an open debate like they have in the past........no matter what this President does the Republicans will complain........they are the most obstructionist and distructive force in our Government right now.......we are the People of this country that want them to go to the table and be productive with out their whinning, lying, with out their negative attitudes.......they know that this meeting is going to show Americans again how they are the Party of NO and will not do anything to work with this President.
The best idea is for each citizen to buy his own health-care insurance, or to insure himself, in a market with only Reasonable government regulations.
I hope that Republicans firmly hold their feet to the ground at this four-ring circus being staged by that Wiard of Awesome Showmen, our very own President Obama.
If this was a sincere effort to involve the GOP lawmakers in this process, why, then has Obama gone forward in writing his own bill? Why are Reid and Pelosi moving forward with reconciliation. This is nothing but theatre and poor theatre at that. To those who say the GOP has just stood around saying "No", the GOP has tried repeatedly to have their ideas included in the package (i.e. tort reform, opening insurance companies to doing business across statelines, etc...) to no avail.
It really stinks in D.C. these days.
all in opposition should rid themselves of the taxpayer sponsored healthcare plans they enjoy
i don't understand why everyone is calling this a bipartisan summit. bipartisan implies each side sacrafice something and meet in the middle. This summit is for the president to present his bill and asked republicans to support it. Is that really bipartisanship?
Make my day Dems and pass this today,will be political suicide for you,the people DO NOT WANT THIS AS WRITTEN,do it,pass it,then perish.Pass it dems and bye bye dems
I certainly hope all you liberal idiots watch this if for no other reason than to realize it is NOT the republicans saying no and stopping progress of reform but that the dems don't have the vote on their own and the MAJORITY of the American people DO NOT WANT Obama's terrifyingly expensive bill crammed down their throats or up their......
Obama is nothing but an actor on a stage, so yes, this will be "Obama Masterpiece Theater", today.
Obama & Dems another day another lie nothing changes smoke & spin another day another lie
If the skeptics think its more theater than substance, then may the best actor win. On the contrary those critics who claim to have substance should be able to come out good and clean...Hence one should put better makeup as the HD technology highlights the need for Botox injections for folks particularly to politicians who always worry about ironing out wrinkles whether its on their face or elsewhere...
no american should loose there home , their credit ,due to a major medical bill,,,period...
Pass it dems,please pass it dems-will be your last official act-too many are against this and your grandstanding-all you have done or do is BLAME IT ON BUSH/GOP and done NOTHING but cry.
Just another photo shoot for NObama/Dumocraps trying to fool the people into thinking they are doing something.Wish they would go against the people and pass it without the GOP,political suicide for the dems.You dems/NObama can not fool the people all the time.
"This is about theater," said Sen. John Cornyn, a Texas Republican. "This is not about substance, unfortunately."
YES – you are RIGHT – it's about THEATRE and it's starring YOU and your sidekicks that want to continue to NOT AGREE with anything this president – President Barack Obama – puts forth.... Case and POINT!!
I can be all about SUBSTANCE if the RepubliCAN'Ts stop saying NO!!!
FIrst, the Rethugs whine because these things aren't being televised, and now they're whining because they are. Typical hypocritical response by the party of NO. I find it hilarious that they call it 'political theater' because they know that most Americans want Health Care Reform and they know that they're going to look even more stupid than they already do. So they denigrate the process that they originally called for. Pathetic.
Cornyn's right, in a way. For the Repugnants, this is all about theater. That's because Repugs have no intention of cooperating, compromising, or doing anything at all about health care.
They are the Party of NO.
Maybe all the Repugs should just go to the theater instead of the health care summit. I suggest Ford's Theater, where they can ponder the fate of a Republican president of 150 years ago. A similar fate awaits them in November.