Health Care Summit - #1 - Lose the opening speeches!

Why don't politicians get that we don't want them there today talking to us! Stop the opening addresses with the usual blah, blah, blah. We want them there to talk to each other and finally find ways to get some things done. Start talking specifics!

The really sad thing that was apparent was that there are some really smart people in Congress, on both sides of the aisle. Unfortunately, none of them are in leadership roles. The President pleaded over and over to stick to details, point out things in current bills that they liked or disliked, and make alternative suggestions. Yet, every time it was the majority or minority leader's turn to speak, they went back to general political grandstanding - the worst of it from the two leaders of the party I begrudgingly support. Senior members of both parties, of both houses of Congress did nothing to help the process along - they actually stopped any constructive dialogue that was ongoing and the President had to restart it again...

Pathetic showings by Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, and Charles Rangold on the left, and John Boehner, Eric Cantor, Chuck Grassley, and John McCain on the right.

I completely agree with John McCain that it is criminal that certain Congressmen (their states) and special interest groups are getting perks that are included in current forms of the bill as part of deals made. But, at the same time, I'm sorry...but McCain has now completely turned into that raving cranky old neighbor that we all had growing up. He just can't be taken seriously any longer.

Republican Mike Enzi tried hard to point out ways they could work together. Sen. Tom Coburn (R- OK) made some great points as well. He said, basically, that while trying to lower costs, we should be putting just as much focus on lowering the costs involved in actual health care, not just the costs of the insurance premiums, in particular things like giving incentives to "preventative care!"

Other ideas I liked.

Small business being able to pool together in order to get lower cost insurance plans - good idea. No set guidelines for the insurance companies allowed to sell to the pool (Republican addition to a similar plan) - bad idea.

Be able to shop across state lines to increase competition - absolutely! Health insurance companies cannot be trusted to keep their own costs competitive - cannot be trusted at all, in any way. We should pit them ALL against each other!

I ended up watching just about all of the summit and when it was over, I felt that I was in dire need of healthcare myself, immediate healthcare, to heal my wounded brain...

I want to be hopeful that something will get done, and not by the "reconciliation" technique - I am not in favor of that method for a case like this. That's Bush Administration type tactics. I am just not sure that they are going to come together on enough to make this work. They need about ten more of these types of televised meetings!

Not saying that I'll be able to watch all of them - my head might explode - but I'll try...