From the Washington Times
By Joseph Curl, Political Theater
President Obama pledged to “listen” at the outset of his much-ballyhooed bipartisan health care summit on Thursday. Turns out he meant he’d be listening to his own voice.
By the end of the televised event, Mr. Obama had spoken for 119 minutes – nine minutes more than the 114 minutes consumed by 17 Republicans. The 21 Democratic lawmakers used 114 minutes, giving the president and his supporters a whopping 233 minutes, according to a “talk clock” kept by GOP aides. (Read more.)
B.S. Report–What a farce! I was fairly sure that no good could come of this spectacle and the Republicans should not even attend it, but now I think I was wrong. Obama came off as petty, unprepared and unpresidential as he tried to use debating tactics like dominating the microphone and getting the last word even when he did allow Republicans to speak. But it was so dull I doubt that anyone watched it anyway.
Obama alone spoke for 119 minutes while Republicans spoke for 114, but it was the Republicans who were informed and prepared. They actually had studied the bill and the President seems to have no clue as to what’s in it or what it will do. He even had the audacity to criticize Rep. Eric Cantor for bringing in the 2,400 page bill and quoting from it–he dismissed the bill as a “prop.” This whole conference and debate is about that “prop.”
For the Democrats, this isn’t about doing what the American people want, it’s about government power and gaining control over 1/6th of our nation’s economy. Polls show that voters have already overwhelmingly rejected this plan yet Democrats insist on pushing it through anyway.
At the end of the day Democrats own this bill. They don’t need Republicans to pass it. They have the votes to pass it themselves. It doesn’t matter to Obama whether that means political suicide and losing both houses come November. It would be well worth it to them if it means they get their clutches on health care.
