I much prefer the beer summits actually. This was boring at times and way too ineffective for actual policy negotiations. If there is one thing politicians love it's a teevee camera. In the end, broadcasting the event really only leads to talking points and politicians wanting to out do each other with their rhetoric. It's a very inadequate way to do anything. But it was nice to see. Though I'm boring like that.
I think the format of the summit greatly favored Democrats and Republicans knew this. Dems planned it, chaired it and came prepared with a framework for action. Republicans wanted no part of that. It's not like Dems solved anything with this either. They too used it for political purposes and even though they had the upper hand when it came to policy, did not miss an opportunity to throw their political divisive language around either. Both sides played toward their audience and that's really all we are going to get out of something like this. This is not to say that we should take the cameras out and let negotiations go in private. It's just to say politics is no stranger to even our most important issues.
I think if Republicans had come with an outline instead of reliance on their entire Boehner amendment something might have transpired. Though it's doubtful even then anything would have been accomplished. It should be noted that Obama's framework contained no fewer than 9 GOP proposals. It was a framework meant to bring the other side into the discussions. But Republicans wanted no part of anything that might appear as a victory for the president. They will continue to insist they have been shut out of the process, that they represent the freedom-loving American people, that somehow opening up insurance sales across state lines is real reform and that their plan that only adds 3 million people to the insured rolls is reform. That's why Democrats should move on without them and pass it with a majority vote just like Republicans did at least 11 different times while they were in the majority.
*Update:
I change my mind. I want to have absolutely nothing in common with Sarah Palin. I don't want any thought of mine, whether a serious one or not, to have any resemblance to her crazy, loony pea-sized brain thought process at all. Now that she has said beer summits are better and more productive, I change my stance totally. Heretofore I conclude beer should be left out of health care reform.
