Rope A Republican

It was during the Ali-Foreman fight that Ali made famous the rope-a-dope strategy. He was on the ropes most of the fight, way back on points - until Foreman got tired in the later rounds and Ali knocked him out. Foreman had strength and power on Ali. Ali played him like a cheap violin.

Now we have Obama, on the ropes, his poll numbers sinking quicker than a lead weight dropped over the a deep sea trench, and he has invited the Republicans to a televised meeting on health care. For the Congressional Republicans to take this bait is the height of stupidity. Yet according to WaPo, that is precisely what they intend to do.

The Senate's top Republican promised Sunday morning that he and his members will attend President Obama's health care summit on Thursday "ready to participate" but said the Democrats are being "arrogant" by refusing to scrap their legislation and start over.

"You know, they are saying, "Ignore the wishes of the American people. We know more about this than you do. And we're going to jam it down your throats no matter what," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Fox News Sunday.

Republicans have accused the president of using Thursday's summit as political theater, and had raised the prospect of not attending. McConnell dismissed the idea of a GOP boycott, saying that "we're discussing the -- sort of the makeup of the room and that sort of thing, but yeah, I intend to be there and my members will be there and ready to participate."

McConnell said, however, that his party will continue to oppose Democrats if they try to use the parliamentary tactic called "reconciliation" to pass parts of their health care agenda without 60 votes in the Senate. He acknowledged that there are "a variety of different options" that Republicans could use to try and slow that process.

"The only thing bipartisan about it would be the opposition to it, because a number of Democrats have said, "Don't do this. This is not the way to go," McConnell said.

"We believe that we think a better way to go is to, step by step, move in the direction of dealing with the cost issue, targeting things like junk lawsuits against doctors and hospitals, interstate insurance competition, small association health plans," he added. "There are a number of things you can do without having the government try to take over one-sixth of the economy." . . .

This is sheer idiocy from a Senator who has obviously spent far too much time in Washington. McConnell also played a pivotal role in the big spending ways of the previous Republican Congress and in refusing to forgo earmarks since. This horse's ass is now going to play right into Obama's hands. I hope that there are ten Tea Party candidates that take part in the Republican primary for this joker's seat.

McConnell is clearly concerned about not appearing "bipartisan." But Obama, Reid and Pelosi have made this the most partisan Congress in over a century. McConnell is spineless indeed if he is afraid to explain that to the American people in no uncertain terms.

The left's health care monstrosity is an economy buster that most Americans do not want passed. It was written by the left with little to no Republican input. Republicans have every right in the world to refuse Obama's dog and pony show on 25 February. They should offer instead to talk about jobs. Barring that, there is not a single thing good that can come out of this for Republicans.

What I expect to happen on Feb. 25 is Obama will attempt to portray his plan as moderate and the Republicans as pure obstructionists. Repulicans will respond in respectful and measured tones wholly inappropriate to the level of malfeasence by Obama and the Democrats in the crafting of this bill, and wholly inappropriate to the level of danger this bill poses to our nation. Regardless, Obama will use that as cover and justification to jam healthcare down the throats of all Americans using the budget reconciliation process. McConnell is assisting. Rope a Republican indeed. God help us, in 2010 we need to throw all the bums out.