GOP Still Won't Take 'Yes' For An Answer

[babylonsister]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2010_02/022527.php

GOP STILL WON'T TAKE 'YES' FOR AN ANSWER.... If you check out the newly-reworked website for the White House's health care reform plan, there's a banner that reads, "Putting Americans In Control of Their Health Care." Underneath it are four areas of interest, including "Republican Ideas."

It's tempting to think that the "Republican Ideas" section would be the area in which the White House blasts GOP critics of reform and mocks them for not even trying to create a comprehensive reform package. Of course, the opposite is true. The headline on this page reads, "Republican Ideas Included in the President's Proposal."

It's clear that the American people want health insurance reform. They aren't interested in Democratic ideas or Republican ideas. They're interested in the best ideas to reduce costs, guarantee choices and ensure the highest quality care. They're interested in ideas that will put them back in control of their own health care.

Throughout the debate on health insurance reform, Republican concepts and proposals have been included in legislation. In fact, hundreds of Republican amendments were adopted during the committee mark-up process. As a result, both the Senate and the House passed key Republican proposals that are incorporated into the President's Proposal. <...>

In addition to the Republican ideas already included in the legislation that's passed the House and the Senate, the President's Proposal incorporates a number of additional proposals that were included in Republican plans that focus on combating waste, fraud and abuse in government.

The President remains open to other policies as well. And the purpose of the Bipartisan Summit is to review all ideas and ensure that the best ideas are included in the plan.

The page includes a lengthy list of Republican proposals that have already been incorporated into the package, and which the president supports.

Now, this isn't exactly new. The Republicans' "Solutions for America" page lists four health care planks -- and the basic structure of literally all four is already included in the Democratic plan.

But this hasn't made a difference because -- you guessed it -- Republicans don't actually want to solve the problem. The only way to satisfy GOP demands on health care policy is to kill the bill and let the problem get worse.

So, what's the point? It's about shaping the debate. Reality should matter, at least a little, when considering GOP talking points, and when Republicans and their allies claim that the reform proposal is "partisan" and that GOP ideas have been "ignored," they're lying.

When it comes to influencing public attitudes, Americans' sense of fairness leads them to think a good comprehensive package would include ideas from both parties. Well, in this case, that's exactly what Democrats are offering.

—Steve Benen

[Vincardog]

1. It is about time we quit worrying about GOP 'ideas' and started to include more Democratic ideas

[babylonsister]

2. I'm all for 'shaping the debate' and educating Americans

regarding the party of 'no'. This way, the rethugs will be doing the educating. ;)

[Jennicut]

4. It is all about educating the less educated. Most people are not political junkies like

us, right?

[rasputin1952]

3. They got nothing, we know it, they know it...

best they can do is make fools of themselves once again...:woohoo:

[ChicagoSuz219]

5. For everyone who doesn't vote FOR healthcare...

...we should be running election ads in their states saying this person did NOT vote for HCR... or Jobs... or the Stimulus... or anything else designed to benefit the American people.

This includes the Blue Dogs.

[damntexdem]

6. Unsurprising: they don't know what the word means.

[necso]

7. The game*

republicans are playing seems to be working for them.

So why would they stop? -- Because they wish, or are driven, to do the right thing? -- Because they care about what happens to others, or to the country at large?

Lol!

republicans seek to "win"; to destroy their opponents (so that there may be no effective resistance to republican whims, wishes); and to take revenge for slights and harms, real and imagined (they especially like (falsely) tossing back what was (legitimately) thrown at them). (Using this lens of perspective (as a starting point anyway) will tend to make overall republican (etc) behavior understandable -- and predictable.)

But this is lost on many people... many voters.

Now, there are things that can be done about this. But what matters most is what the party establishment is willing to do -- and to stick to doing.

*: Shaping bills (or proposing things) such as to put Democrats on the spot, water policy down, weaken bill effectiveness, etc; delaying and obstructing bills (etc; so as to make Democrats anxious to get something through, stop (this or later) legislation from being passed at all, etc); refusing to support bills they (republicans) were influential in shaping; etc.