In Olive Branch From Obama, Republicans See A Potential Weapon

[Purveyor]

WASHINGTON - President Obama's call for a televised meeting with Republicans to discuss his stalled healthcare legislation comes as his party unfolds a strategy aimed at forcing the GOP to put policy ideas on the table that Democrats believe they can exploit in the fall elections.

After a year of suffering Republican attacks on the president's plans for healthcare and the economy, the White House and congressional Democrats are gambling that voters will find Republican policy ideas to be even more unpopular than the Democratic plans.

For example, Obama's call for a bipartisan meeting on the health bill, which he announced to a huge television audience before Sunday's Super Bowl, reflects the belief in Democratic circles that most provisions of the party's healthcare bill remain popular, though some polls suggest otherwise.

The Democratic strategy goes beyond healthcare. In recent days, Democrats on Capitol Hill have pounced on a long-term budget blueprint written by Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) that would aim to eliminate the federal budget deficit by, among other things, partially privatizing Social Security and converting Medicare into a voucher program.

Ryan is a rising leader of young and conservative House members, but House Republican leaders have not endorsed his plan. Still, two prominent House Democrats, Reps. John Larson of Connecticut and Linda Sanchez of California, are sponsoring a resolution that attempts to force Republicans to vote on whether they support privatizing Social Security rather than keeping it a federal entitlement program. Partially privatizing the federal retirement program proved unpopular when former President George W. Bush tried to enact the idea in his second term.

"It's a great opportunity for the American people to see the stark differences between the priorities of Democrats who are trying to strengthen Social Security for years to come and Republicans who are trying to tear it down," said a senior House Democratic leadership aide.

Ryan denounced the resolution in an interview Monday, saying that Democrats are encouraging Republicans to offer ideas only to then discredit them.

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http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/michael-jackson/sc-dc-ryan-20100208,0,7552831.story

[Enrique]

1. they are such fucking babies

no offense to babies.

[msongs]

2. obama should act like he is the president and dems won, and repubs and their ideas lost . nt

[shellgame26]

3. that's true

I'm so goddamned sick and tired of hearing about "reaching out" and "bipartisanism". It's not fucking working!!!!!

[Name removed]

7. Deleted message

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[IndianaGreen]

4. You can't appease these people!

Obama should read about Neville Chamberlain.

[FrenchieCat]

5. Scary assholes!

[Vinca]

6. The POTUS needs to find himself a big wheelbarrow,

load the Republicans into it, find a giant toilet and flush. Enough already. If Democrats can't get something done one way or another, it won't get done.