(Thumbnail image: White House Flickr)
After months of yielding to Congress, President Obama takes health care reform into his own hands; but critics say this is the same plan Americans already rejected.
We're looking at perspectives from Fox News, NBC, CBS, and MSNBC.
The president is hosting a bipartisan summit Thursday to discuss compromises on healthcare. MSNBC's Joe Scarborough says the summit presents an opportunity for the American people.
“I want to see a president be able stand up once a week and talk to his opponents for an hour and explain his policies. I think it’d make a big difference, John Avlon, especially when our politics are getting dumbed down with sound bites, extremes on both sides, 30-second TV spots. Let’s have leaders talk.
But FOX News' Glenn Beck says he has a message for the president:
"The people you know them, the 'riff raff' that voted for you, they really don't want it. The latest poll in our little episode shows 58 percent disapprove of your health care plan, only 39 percent approve ... Voters also overwhelmingly believe that the plan will increase the federal deficit, which is already a problem, and lead to middle class tax hikes which you promised wouldn't happen."
Others argue the White House just needs to do something. Hotline on Call editor Reid Wilson tells CBS News the Democrats risk losing the power they have in Washington if they don't move on health care.
Wilson: "We're seriously talking about a major Republican sweep on par with 1994, if not on par with greater losses, in say, the Watergate era."
CBS' White House correspondent Bill Plante says reform won't be easy.
"After all of the debate that's gone on about health care over these past months, this bill coming out today, this proposal is the first one that can really be called the president's health care bill and it's going to be no less controversial. Everything that's preceded it created a huge fuss. This is likely to do the same, even though his staff says this is just a placeholder to start discussions with Republicans."
MSNBC commentator Rachel Maddow says it's Republicans who historically prevent progress.
“Famously, in April President Obama said if I’m willing to go a lot further than I have on tort reform, what are you willing to give? Republicans said nothing. We’re literally not willing to give anything in exchange for that. So the idea that it’s just now that Democrats want to sit down with Republicans is again, it’s factually wrong even though it’s Beltway common wisdom.”
So is Mr. Obama's summit a new spin on a stale idea? Or is it a step in the direction of reform?
Writer: Veronica Wells
Producer: Charlie McKeague
