Calling it a "stunt" would mean that the outcome was known in advance and that the "summit" was just an attempt to trap Mr. Obama's political foes in a place where they either gave in or looked like they were holding up progress on an "important issue." Oh, wait...

It would appear that the "health care summit" was intended to make the Republicans look obstructionist, but only made BO look stupid. Without his teleprompters to tell him what to say, he found he did not have the answers to the questions Republicans asked. It looks like he hasn't read the bill either! It was a political stunt that backfired. So now they have to find a way to sneak it through, before others find out what's really in it.

Calling it a political stunt is giving the Obama administration way too much credit. I see it more as desperate liberal thrashing like someone who can't swim over his head. However, it does give the leftmedia a chance to chime in (Paul Krugman) and keep socialist health care reform near the top of the news. Perhaps that's the kind of 'stunt' they were looking for.

Of course it was a stunt but a well choreographed one. What wasn't known until the end was that it was only part one. Part two is next week with the president's way forward speech (jeez, another speech). With H. Clinton now talking about the debt and deficit being a "National Security issue it wouldn't surprise me to have that as a pretext for some executive order on health care if the big bill can't be rammed through.

If the goal was to cover the uninsured they could have just tried for that and made their arguments but the whole process has been dishonest from the start because the goal is National Health Care.

I don't know what you would call it other than boring and partisan. All were respectful other than BHO who called the Senators by their first name. I would of did a Barbara Boxer on BHO, "please call me Senator, I have earned it". That might of spirited up the partisan divide. Provided fireworks and made it newsworthy.

I'll add this for Rep. Boehner, R-Ohio. The "stunt" of having that "huge paper bill" was just what people needed to see. "A picture is worth a thousand words" exactly, and that "pile of papers" translated into English was this. "The details are astonishing and UNKNOWN".

I would have gone farther than what the Rep. Boehner did, I would have "lit a match to pile" and it would have "gone up in flames", being reduced to ashes, and then I would have brought a discourse on "How UNCONSTITUTIONAL this monstrosity is"

I believe I would have made the "Newspapers and TV "news", but BEST of all, I would have made the hearts of my fellow Countrymen, HAPPY who have had to labor watching these "horrible proceeding".

I guess we had to "see it for ourselves". And we sure did. May the Lord deliver US.

For God & Country

Ruth Ann Wilson

It was a bizarre six hour Kabuki dance, painful to watch at times, with BHO as a moderator instead of the president he reminds everyone he is. He certainly does not come across very presidential. Everyone was respectful of the office, calling him Mr. President, yet, he, not one time, addressed anyone as Senator, showing a total lack of class.

I still address my former college professors with sir or Dr. out of respect for their office and seniority.

Republicans were prepared, the dems and their leader appeared as obstructionists, lacking reason and the knowledge of the bill they were presenting. The arguments were childish and unconvincing.

I agree with Connie, without the teleprompter, the CIC's luster, eloquence, and Messianic presence lacked in both fluidity, substance and credibility.

The props the dems used such as the story of the woman wearing her dead sister's dentures went unchallenged - the health care bill proposed does NOT contain any provisions for dental care, why then use such an example to push a false agenda? According to a previous poster, who is a dentist, it is not possible to wear someone else's dentures. It makes sense since everyone's palate is shaped differently and has different dimensions - even a few millimiters can make a huge difference between utter pain and comfort.

Kudos to all republicans who were very well prepared, especially Senators Cantor and Alexander.

Yes.

@Jim: "I would of did a Barbara Boxer on BHO, "please call me Senator, I have earned it".

I would also add if he did to me what he did to McCain: "We're not campaigning any more." I would have responded with "So, were you lying then or are you lying now?"

Obama is delusional and thinks Americans are too stupid to understand all of this. Americans, overwhelmingly, do not want a vote on this. They especially do not want reconciliation used. They want it killed.

Welll, Duh!!!

He set up the summit(???) and then spent the preceding week slamming the Republicans for being obstructionist. Of course we are! That what happens when people go to Tea Parties.

But, of course, the democrats (they haven't earned the capital D) and the liberal and the lame stream media didn't obstruct anything between 2001 and 2009, did they? Of course not, they were just making certain that the American people were being well represented. Yeah, right, Wilbur!!!!!

Duke

Naturally,

A scam and a sham on we the people. It was time to expose the party of no for the last remaining bit of some semblence of common sense in the swamp!

Pray for your children if they will be permitted to be born.

WEM