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Healthcare Summit Big On Promises, Short On Results

Taylor Freitas |
February 26, 2010 | 11:12 a.m. PST

Staff Reporter
After a day of partisan bickering, Thursday's healthcare summit between President Barack Obama and congressional leaders of both parties seemed to be without a winner or a loser, according to analysts.

Though Democrats and Republicans failed to come to an agreement on healthcare legislation, the summit provided an opportunity for members of both parties to discuss possible solutions for a troubled system.

Democrats, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Richard Durbin (D-Ill.), vowed to move ahead with efforts to reform the system, whether or not they have support from Republicans.

Healthcare legislation has stalled since the election of Sen. Scott Brown, (R-Ma.) who provided Republicans with the crucial 41st vote to sustain a filibuster.   Since then, Democrats have begun to coalesce around a strategy of reconciliation that would allow the party to pass a bill with a simple majority.   

During the summit, Obama acted as somewhat of a mediator, showcasing his extensive knowledge of healthcare technicalities.  The president was also open to hearing Republican ideas about reforming the nation's healthcare system.

But the event was not without tension. After Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) accused Democrats of making secret deals, Obama shot back.
 
"We're not campaigning anymore. The election is over," the president said.

Ruben Navarrette, Jr., a nationally syndicated columnist, saw the summit as an important milestone in moving beyond sound bites and overcoming partisan differences.

A Gallup poll taken two days before the summit, showed that 49 percent of Americans opposed the passage of a healthcare bill similar to ones previously put forward by Obama and Democrats if the two parties could not come to an agreement; 42 percent were in favor.



 

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