House Minority Leader John Boehner wasted no time in attempting to reframe the White House health care plan unveiled this morning. In a statement, Boehner called the plan “the same massive government takeover of health care based on a partisan bill the American people have already rejected.” He said the upcoming Feb. 25 health care summit “has all the makings of a Democratic infomercial.” One whole paragraph of the four-paragraph Boehner statement is about how health care reform should “protect human life.” This will be another flashpoint to watch on Thursday.
Indeed, Republicans have good reason to be frustrated right now. They are struggling to gain equal footing with Obama leading up to Thursday’s summit. For example, reporters will spend today sending readers to the White House web site to read the Obama health care plan. On the page, under a tab called “Republican Ideas,” the Administration has listed not GOP initiatives that will be presented on Thursday, but rather GOP initiatives already integrated into the House and Senate bills and the White House plan.