Media reports are generally casting President Obama's invitation to GOP leaders to participate in a televised healthcare reform meeting as a political maneuver – one that could potentially boost the Democratic case in upcoming election campaigns. Most reports, however, give the planned February 25 gathering little chance of breaking the healthcare reform logjam. The President's invitation, made on CBS during the Super Bowl pre-game show, is receiving coverage in major print media outlets this morning. AFP (2/8, Collinson) refers to a "new political gambit" by the President "to salvage his top domestic priority, which is on life support." Failing "to pass the historic healthcare bill would cast deep doubt on prospects for Obama's already pared-down reform agenda, and inflict a damaging blow on his political authority."
The AP (2/8, Babington) reports that the "meeting's prospects for success are far from clear," as "GOP leaders demanded Sunday that Democrats start from scratch, and White House aides said Obama had no plans to do so." Meanwhile, "many liberal groups and lawmakers want congressional Democrats to use all the parliamentary muscle they have to enact" the healthcare reform measures passed by Congress, and the White House "has not ruled out such a strategy."
In a front-page story, the Washington Post (2/8, A1, Shear) reports that "it remains unclear whether a single discussion can begin to bridge the political and substantive policy divide with Republicans, who view their united front against the Democratic bills as a key to their political recovery. Obama also gave little indication during the interview that he is ready to abandon the basic direction his party took on healthcare." The Post adds that "officials said the president will come to the healthcare summit armed with a merged version of the two bills that Democrats strong-armed through the two chambers with almost no GOP backing," and "one White House official" told reporters, "This is not starting over. ... We are coming with our plan. They can bring their plan."
Also on its front page, the New York Times (2/8, A1, Zeleny) reports that "the meeting would mark the first time in the long healthcare debate that leaders from both sides would be allowed to air their ideas publicly and see if they can find agreement." The President "did not say what he was willing to give up in the negotiations or chart a specific legislative strategy for moving a bill through Congress." The Times describes the offer as "the latest example of how the White House is attempting to draw in the opposition party and highlight their ideas in the midterm election year, hoping that the Democratic proposals look better when compared to the Republican ideas."
Politico (2/8, Brown, Allen) notes that "the announcement of the televised meeting comes as Democrats have expressed growing confusion about how the White House plans to deliver a healthcare reform bill this year," as "Democrats on Capitol Hill and beyond said last week they had no clear understanding of the White House strategy and were growing impatient with Obama's reluctance to lead the way toward a legislative solution."
The Washington Times (2/8, Rowland) sees the invitation as "an effort to put Republicans on the spot on healthcare," adding that "the decision to broadcast the half-day bipartisan meeting...comes after Mr. Obama has faced criticism for not living up to his promise of transparency by holding all healthcare meetings, including House-Senate conference meetings, in the open, as he had pledged on the campaign trail."
The Los Angeles Times (2/8, Nicholas) reports, "The summit invitation serves two political purposes. For months, the President has endured criticism that he reneged on a promise to televise healthcare negotiations on C-SPAN. By opening up the summit to the cameras, Obama can argue he is making good on that commitment." Moreover, "the summit gives the President a chance to paint Republicans as obstructionists who refuse offers of compromise. If that's how the event is perceived, it could pay off for Democrats in the November midterm elections." However, "if viewers conclude that Republicans are being reasonable, and that Obama is pushing an unworkable proposal, his gesture could backfire." The Wall Street Journal (2/8, Reddy, Meckler, subscription required), BBC News (2/8), and Reuters (2/8, Bohan) also cover the story.
