Summitology- Obama: "Let's talk about the substance"

Hissssss!

My Watcher was at wits end while watching the Health Care Summit on Thursday. So, I sauntered on in the room to see what the hell was she ranting about this time. I stopped mid-stream into my afternoon cleaning ritual and yes, even this Cat heard the ridiculous, repetitive rhetoric coming from some old white men on the big color screen. Here are a few selected quotes that were less than substantive:

Lamar Alexander: "The Congressional Budget Office report says that premiums will rise in the individual market as a result of the Senate bill Hissssss! Wrong!

Tom Coburn: "I think today is going to be enlightening" Hissssss! Huh?

Tom Coburn: "The biggest thing on fraud is to have undercover patients so that people know we're checking on whether or not this is a legitimate bill. And you don't know who's an undercover patient and who's not, and all of a sudden you start changing your attitude of whether or not you're going to milk Medicare or you're going to milk Medicaid. Hissssss! Double huh?

John Barrasso: "Half of all the money we spend in this country on health care is on just 5 percent of the people. Those are people, for the most part, that eat too much, exercise too little, and smoke" Hissssss! Got that, we need preventative care but, Uh, those that lost their jobs??

John McCain: "I'm reminded of that everyday" (this after President Obama had to remind him that the election was over) Hissssss! Do I hear- sore loser?

Mitch McConnell: "Just in terms of trying to keep everything fair, which I know you want to do. To this point, the Republicans have had 24 minutes, the Democrats, 52 minutes" Hissssss! Wah, Wah, cause you guys just keep repeating quickly!

Eric Cantor: "We don't care for this bill. I think you know that. The American people don't care for this bill." Hissssss! Really? And you know this how? From a Fox fair and balanced poll?

And more words of wisdom from John Barrasso (a doctor): "And especially if they had a savings account-a health savings account-they could put their money into that, and they'd be spending money out of that" Double Hisssss! So that's the solution, a HSA when many Americans don't have a savings account at all?

To which President Obama retorted: "Would you feel the same way if you were making $40,000. Or if that was your income. Because that’s the reality for a lot of folks,” Purrrrrr

Latest poll, Americans would support reconciliation on health care reform!

Hiss! What is bipartisanship?

Hissssssss, what is bipartisanship anyway?

The dictionary defines it as representing members from two parties or factions...Hmmmm

Sounds rather stupid and senseless to me. After all, I've seen on the big colorful screen how Prez O has tried and tried and tried again to reason with this group they call Congress. So, now there is a big "summit" on Thursday to discuss healthcare reform. There will be the members from the GOP and the members from the Democratic Party.. Why am I thinking this is a seems a little stupid. It's like when my Watcher says she's bringing the Peeps dog over. Like we're going to play together? I hardly think so. It's bad enough I have to be in the same room with the other feline in this house..the Calico. Miserable.

So why can't we all just get along? Well it's like this: I like catnip, the dog likes bones. I like to chill out, the dog likes to jump all over Peeps, barking and licking like some wild animal. It's simple, I'm smarter and the dog, well, is just plain silly. So, it seems to me that if you put the GOP and the Dems together you're going to have a some calm, sensible, intelligent people trying to reason with some radical, angry, barking old guys. So, guess which people are the cats? Meeeoowww