Research

The nostalgia of the campaign still hasn’t worn off for Obama’s pugnacious mouthpiece, Press Sec. Robert Gibbs. 

Gibbs was on the attack again yesterday when he took aim at Republicans, this time accusing them of not participating in health care negotiations:

I would suggest this for the RNC and for anybody that's in the Republican Party:  There are millions of people that don't have health care this Christmas.  There are millions of people that are watching their health care rates skyrocket.  And instead of giving chippy interviews, it might be good to actually be part of negotiations and a solution to get health care reform -- to make health care reform a reality for the American people.  I think that's what they want to see from their two political parties in Washington.

The truth is that despite the best efforts by Republicans in Congress, as well as the President’s and Democratic Leadership’s specious promises and false claims of bipartisanship and openness, Republicans have been completely shut out of all formative discussion on the Democrats’ trillion dollar government takeover of health care,.  When it comes to health care reform, this administration and the Democrat Congressional Leadership make better doors than windows.

In case Mr. Gibbs had been uninformed, Republican attempts toward bipartisanship and the Democrats’ refusal to cooperate have been going on for some time and are well documented. After Republicans in the House sent a letter to the President offering their assistance and input on reform, the Obama administration replied only with a “tersely worded letter indicating that they had healthcare reform under control.”  In fact, Democrats in Congress were explicitly told not to work with Republican members by their leadership, and Republicans have not been invited to meetings on reform held at the White House.

With growing disapproval over his handling of health care reform, President Obama faces a tough audience in the American people. Now he and his administration are reacting in the only way they know how; by lashing out in true Chicago fashion. When the White House and the Democratic leadership are done blaming Republicans for their own problems and are ready to listen, they will find that the American people oppose their government takeover of health care and that Republicans offer common sense cost cutting solutions to the rising costs of healthcare.