President Obama’s opening statement at the health care summit focused on four major things:
The economy and deficits and how the unsustainable health care system is a drag on both.
Real life stories from people who write the President letters about their problems with insurance companies. The President also talked about Malia’s asthma, Sasha’s bouts with meningitis and how his mother had to fight her insurance company from her death bed.
Overlap. The President read back some of the statements Republicans have made about how broken the health care system is. He singled out John McCain, Chuck Grassley, Michael Enzi and Mitch McConnell.
Democratic power. After he made a case for bipartisanship, the President conceded that Republicans Democrats are far apart on some key health care issues. He said, “I don’t know that those gaps can be bridged” and promised to move ahead even if Republicans don’t want to work with him.
UPDATE: See the President deliver his opening statement here.
Some fun tidbits:
The President and Joe Biden walked to Blair House from the West Wing. When Obama entered the room, he walked around the table and shook everyone’s hand. The C-SPAN cameras picked up Republicans Marsha Blackburn and Paul Ryan introducing themselves to the President. When Obama got to Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad, he was heard saying, “What’s goin’ on, brother?”
Eric Cantor has big stacks of paper in front of him. Are these props for a point he intends to make about the size of the Democratic health reform bills?
Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is seated next to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid were huddling closely before the summit began.