The bipartisan summit is going on right now. You can watch it in a little picture box I’ve embedded after the jump. The president said he wants “for everybody to focus on not just where we differ but focus on where we agree, because there actually is significant agreement on a host of issues.<\/i>“<\/p>\n
The points of agreement between Republicans and Democrats do not really matter. Look at it this way: Democrats want to massively extend health care by providing hundreds of billions of dollars of subsidies to low-income Americans over the next ten years, and that will require recouping money with new taxes and Medicare cuts. That’s where they’re coming from. Republicans say they want a whole new bill that somehow reduces health care costs. Also they’d like to cut taxes. That’s where they’re coming from. It’s a completely different approach to health care reform, and taxes, and government.<\/p>\n
So yes, both sides think that insurers should enter into interstate compacts<\/a>, and other items. That’s wonderful, but it doesn’t matter. It’s like saying Keynesians and Hayekians agree that unemployment insurance is important. That’s nice if they do, but it doesn’t come close to resolving any larger debate.<\/p>\n