White House healthcare summit plans take shape
President Barack Obama’s bipartisan healthcare summit is taking on the trappings of a diplomatic visit, complete with a gilt-edged setting at Blair House, the federal style mansion where foreign heads of state stay when they’re in Washington.
Little seems to have been left to chance: they’ve decided on the shape of the table — a hollow square — and a buffet lunch, with name cards in front of each participant. There’s some concern about an echo in the room. The nearly full-day gathering will be televised. And just as foreign officials get to inspect a venue before visiting dignitaries show up, there will be a walk-through beforehand by staff of the congressional leadership.
There’s good reason for this attention to detail. The summit is central to Obama’s last-ditch attempt to pass sweeping healthcare legislation. Obama’s plan to engage Republicans on healthcare in a high-profile negotating session was inspired by his widely praised exchange with his Republican critics in Baltimore in January. The White House hopes the summit will boost the healthcare effort by showing voters that Obama is committed to bipartisanship. Many observers believe the ultimate strategy may be to use a parliamentary maneuver to push through the bill without any Republican votes.
The event, to be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., will begin with a statement by Obama followed by remarks by Republican and Democratic participants. Discussion will revolve around themes, each introduced by an administration official.
Obama will introduce the discussion on cost-control, with Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius kicking of the insurance reform talk, Vice President Joseph Biden introducing deficit reduction and Obama leading on expansion of coverage.
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PHOTO CREDIT – Blair House, the Presidential guest house in Washington, is across the street from the White House on Pennyslvania Avenue. REUTERS/Jason Reed
The First Draft: Assessing the first six months
It won’t be a conversation over beer in the Rose Garden, but today President Barack Obama gathers his Cabinet together across the street at Blair House to talk about the first six months of their term.
With public opinion polls showing support for Obama and for his main legislative priority — healthcare reform — waning, the president retreats with his Cabinet this weekend to talk things over.
Six months ago Obama and his family lived at Blair House for a couple of days before he was inaugurated as the 44th president.
The mood might be different today. Maybe the president and his deputies will be trying to figure out a better way to sell the healthcare overhaul to Americans. Obama has been making nearly daily appearances over the past few weeks in campaign-style events, interviews and statements, opinion polls show Americans are afraid healthcare change will hurt them.
The gathering of the Cabinet takes place as lawmakers prepare for their month-long August recess, without reaching a deal on healthcare reform.
It also comes just as administration officials say the government’s $1 billion “cash for clunkers” auto sales incentive program reached its funding limit much earlier than expected — just weeks after it was launched. The White House is working with Congress to try to extend funding.
Obama has no publicly scheduled events today. Most meetings are with advisers and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, with the exception of a closed-door lunch with business leaders at his private dining room in the White House.
what a alliance to promote Obama,s government health plan this weekend at a town hall meeting,Sebilius and Specter.Can you imagine that? Sebilius who was the main reason that abortionist Hiller could carry on his activities,and received considerable political donations from him in return,and Specter who to save his own skin would turn his back on his party.how can we expect people to trust our politicians?no wounder the reception was a little bit hostile.
Obama losing track of all his things with moves
Barack Obama started out the year at home in Chicago, moved to a Washington hotel for 10 days and is now at Blair House for the last few days before he moves into the White House on Tuesday.
All that moving around has left the president-elect unable to find some of his things.
Future White House press secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Obama’s flight from Washington to Cleveland, Ohio, that his recent move to Blair House had left him “a little discombobulated.”
“He just can’t find where all his stuff is,” Gibbs said.
As long as he hasn’t misplaced his inauguration address…
REUTERS/Jason Reed (Obama on the campaign trail in La Crosse)
I am commenting on the article. Also 52 percent is 52 percent. It isn’t a comparison of the elections of Bush and Obama.
Commenting on facts of the 2000 election. Please don’t cherry pick and ignore this again, but the democrats, led by democratic majority leader Richard Gephardt, did a full recount of Florida six months after the recount ended. Bush still won the election. It had nothing to do with Katherine Harris or the Supreme Court. Bush won, he did not steal the election.
There was a book written by someone in Gore’s camp and he said Gore knew the odds were against him in the recount, but chose to come at it from all sides. So, Once again, the fact is Bush won. It is a fact, go look up the record in Florida, go to Richard Gephardt and talk to him, but Bush did win.
As for being one sided, you are one to talk. Give me a break you hypocrite.
While Bush gives final address, Obama goes out to dinner
WASHINGTON – U.S. President-elect Barack Obama skipped his soon-to-be predecessor’s final address to the nation on Thursday in favor of dining out. At roughly 8 p.m. in Washington, about the time President George W. Bush began his televised speech, Obama left his new temporary residence across from the White House to go out for dinner in a restaurant a few blocks away. The ride in his motorcade lasted about a minute and an aide said his wife, Michelle, accompanied him for the meal. Bush, who was speaking for the final time to the country, reflected on his eight years in office and opened by wishing his successor well. “This is a moment of hope and pride for our whole nation,” Bush said. “And I join all Americans in offering best wishes to President-elect Obama, his wife, Michelle, and their two beautiful girls.” Obama spent the day working at his transition office in downtown Washington, then came to the Blair House — the residence where his family will stay from now until the inauguration — at around 7:15 p.m. He left the house about 45 minutes later and entered the restaurant while Bush was speaking. Maybe he’ll read the transcript? Obama goes to Ohio on Friday to visit a factory. The trip is designed to highlight his proposals to create jobs and boost the economy. On Saturday Obama returns to Washington on a train ride that kicks off several days of inauguration festivities. Obama routinely criticized Bush over domestic and foreign policy during the 2008 election, but the transition of power between the two leaders has proceeded smoothly. Last week Obama had lunch with Bush and the three other living former U.S. presidents at the White House.
Photo Credit: Reuters/Kevin Lamarque. Secret Service agents stand in front of the security canopy after Obama arrived at his temporary residence at Blair House across the street from the White House in Washington January 15, 2009.
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Sometimes it is the subtle things that give you an insight to the character of a man. Despite severe criticism, President Bush continued on his path of doing what he felt is best for the country. I am certain that he was aware that some of his decisions would be unpopular but necessary for the health and future of our country. He has never become bitter or defensive despite unprecedented criticism and disrespectful treatment that he endured. Unfortunatedly Barac Obama lacks this character. Instead he projects arrogance and disrespect, and apparently made a point of making his attitude clear to the world by being out dining in public place while essentially ignoring the Farewell address. This does not bode well for us as americans. We are a nation divided and the rest of the world is aware of this weakness. This level of disrespect for an outgoing president who kept us safe after 9/11, and has shown strength in character when our nation needed it the most is unbelievable to me. In protest, I will not watch the presidential inauguration as I am quickly losing respect for the presumed “messiah” who is to take the office. God help us get back to the days where respect for the presidency, decency of character, and unity as americans becomes more important than personal aggrandisement and political partisanship.
I was just wondering if the Blair House room where the Summit took place yesterday had any monogram “IHS” symbols (representing Jesus) that had to be covered over at the White House’s request like at Gaston Hall last year had during Obama’s speech at Georgetown University? Could we check on that?