Obama's "Bi-Partisanship"

Obama's recent call for the Republicans to sit down and find some "bi-partisan" solutions to healthcare is just so much bunk. Since he is not willing to take the Democrat's totalitarian healthcare plans off the table and listen to real alternatives to the Progressives' plans, then his proposal, while sounding "fair-minded", is just a blatant invitation to blame the Republicans for not being willing to at least to buy into "some" of his plans.

There is just no place for the Repubs to buy into any part of that plan and not commit suicide themselves at the polls in November. The issue is radioactive and any attempt to craft a big government version of Healthcare will bring the wrath of the voters down on them.

As a tactic, the Dem's plan has some real upside for them if they can snooker the Charley Brown Repubs into taking another run at Lucy's football that she is holding. Theoretically, if the Dems can split the existing big-government plan in half, this tactic would assure that Obama gets at least fifty percent of his bill passed, and the hapless Repubs get rolled again by providing cover for the Dem's radical healthcare takeover.

Having once split the Repubs wall of unity, the Dems will then proceed to use the same tactic to destroy the opposition to all the rest of their agenda.

I understand the word is that the Repubs might be no-shows at the "bi-partisan happy hour" sponsored by Obama in a couple of weeks. I think that bold and dramatic move - something totally out of character for the normally milksop Repubs - would crash the Dem's plan. Of course, the move would have to be explained - articulated - effectively and preemptively so that the Dem's don't get the first or last word.

The Repubs, if they know what is good for them, will demand that the entire healthcare issue be on the table, and the Dem's plans put into the trash and publically burned before both houses of Congress. Starting from a clean slate, with the whole country watching would be the first and only condition for a starting point for bi-partisanship. Even then, I would be deeply, deeply suspicious.

With the gang we have in Washington right now - Dem and Repubs - I cannot put any trust in their work product.