We all know this “summit” is a crock, but it’s technically newsworthy, so I am going to be commenting on it throughout the day. I do have other things going on, so it won’t be an every-minute-update thing, but I’ll do what I can. You can watch the crock of a summit at C-SPAN here.

A few minutes ago, Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) spoke very well about how reconciliation should be off the table, and quoted Senators Reid, Obama and Byrd going after reconciliation. Byrd did it last year, and Reid and Obama did it during the Bush administration. He also noted that cost should be the primary concern, as lowering cost would bring higher coverage.

One thing that really ticked me off- President Obama called Alexander, Reid, Obama House Speaker Pelosi and Senator John McCain by their first names. What is it with this guy and demeaning those around him? We all know he’s arrogant- certainly not the only one in summit; as my father put it, the people in Congress are “certifiably narcissistic”- but this is just too much. Show a little respect.

10:54- Obama says one of the goals is to see where “we agree” and disagree, and where we can bridge these differences. See my earlier post today quoting Major Garrett about how the White House does NOT want to reconcile Republican and Democratic issues.

10:55- Obama says they should not worry about the process, but just worry about the substance. So…we shouldn’t worry about reconciliation? Give me a break.

10:57- Obama quotes the CBO as saying premiums will be lowered by exchanges. What he ignores…Alexander interrupts him! Obama calls Alexander a liar- should be an interesting exchange. (This is almost as exciting as…curling?)

10:59- Obama is quoting the CBO at length. Obama calls Alexander Lamar again, as Alexander tries to defend his points.

11:00- Obama is still rambling. Will he ever let the bipartisan part of the summit happen? Yadda, yadda, yadda, we have used every cost containment out there, yadda, yadda, yadda. Calls Republicans stupid. He won’t let Alexander get his point across. He wants Alexander to compliment his bill, because he was too critical before. *Aw…*

11:02- Alexander, RESPECTFULLY disagrees with Obama on the CBO- but instead of taking advantage of the opening, says other people should talk first. Oy. Come on, Senator- OOH! McConnell wants Coburn to take the lead on cost containment. *Chuckles evilly* (For the record, exaggerated responses are that way on purpose. I’m not really THAT excited about this stuff.)

11:03- Coburn takes off with a cautionary note. Goes right into a medical analogy- treating the symptom not the disease. 1/3 of dollars don’t help people get better or prevent sickness in America. 60% of American health care is government-directed. Why does it cost so much? COST is the biggest issue.

11:05- All people will get treated, and will get labeled with a pre-existing condition. Preventing acute asthma (example) is not well done in America. How do we lower the cost? 10% of the cost is fraud. Someone else Coburn quotes says 15%. That’s $150 billion dollars. We could cut costs by 7.5% tomorrow. A large portion of ordered tests are because of the lack of tort reform.

11:07- Thompson-Reuters says $625 to over $800 billion of health care costs annually are wasted. That fits with Dartmouth Atlas numbers of about 1/3. Coburn talks about philosophical differences. Says we can cut costs by 15% tomorrow. What would happen to access to health coverage? It would go up.

11:08- We don’t incentivize prevention. Management of disease is not encouraged. We encourage bad lawsuits.

11:09- Pay people who do a good job of prevention. Change the food stamp programs to incentivize, and lunch programs to incentivize, less diabetes and better health. We create diabetes through school lunch and food stamp programs. Let’s look at medical malpractice, incentivizing through states, elimination of fraud- private rate of fraud is 1%- we haven’t gone where the money is.

11:10- Let’s go after the 1 in 3 dollars. Let’s create rewarding incentives. Compliments Obama’s bill where it’s good.

11:19- I took a break to talk to my friend RJ, before I fell asleep watching this. House Majority Leader Hoyer is speaking about how incentivizing care needs to be done. Talks about the public option and how it would open up access and competition. He mentions the Donut Hole in Medicare Part D. He says the House bill covers the Donut Hole. He also says Americans are watching the summit, which is a laugh.

11:21- Obama calls Senator Baucus and Senator Coburn “Max” and “Tom.” Demeaning again. He compliments Coburn on cutting fraud and abuse, and compliments the First Lady on trying to lower obesity.

11:22- Obama tries to sound normal- “hearin’”- before talking about the public option, and asks to hear the Republican opposition to it. He says it provides a larger group that will have more “purchasin’ power” for insurance. He says some Republicans have supported public options in the past.

11:23- A Republican from Maryland- I didn’t catch his name- talks about incremental reform and small business. He says half of the uninsured work for small businesses or depend on someone who does. He supports small businesses banding together to get the advantages of larger businesses, which helps by lowering administrative costs, among other advantages. He says small businesses have been asking for this for years, and he says this is better than the exchanges.

11:25- Obama is controlling this event very well. Kudos to him, no kudos to Republicans.

11:26- Senator Baucus say “we are very close” on this. He thinks the gaps are not that great. *CoughBS* Oh, pardon me.

11:27- Baucus says Democratic bill allows insurance across state lines and says Secretary of HHS Sebelius is working with states on lawsuit abuse. Says HSA expansion is not bad, but they don’t help the poor as much.

I’m done for now- I have stuff to do that’s way more important than watching this.

Update: Turns out I was an hour behind on all of my original posts- they are updated to the accurate times.

12:36- HHS Secretary Sebelius is talking about pre-existing conditions, and says having insurance companies segregating the healthy and unhealthy is- darn, I forget the exact quote- the worst part of our health care system. Something like that. I think she’s forgetting about abortion…

12:38- Rep. Cantor is talking. He is boring, and is doing the party-line thing about how both sides care, yadda, yadda, yadda. Okay, here he goes- Republicans and the people don’t care for the Democratic bill. But he has to get off the talking points. Fast.

12:39- If Washington gets to define benefits, that’s bad. But let’s assume Washington COULD decide what is most essential well…first- GREAT job, Cantor, hitting Obama on the lack of a CBO score- there are big taxes. It will hurt small businesses.

12:41- Cantor quotes the CBO saying the construct of the Senate bill would cause people to lose insurance. Risky, Cantor- they said those people would go to the public option, I believe, NOT lose their insurance.

12:42- Cantor says to start over. The structure we can’t agree on, but there are areas of agreement.

12:43- Obama mocks Cantor’s change of coverage numbers and compares them to the huge number of people in the country. Can we do that when he talks about individual stories that “prove” his point. Now he’s mocking Cantor more about page numbers. *Yawn*

12:44- He is now comparing meat inspectors and food cost to health insurance. Drug prices, same thing. We already have way too many regulations, Mr. President, on health care. (Barack?)

12:45- Obama says Republicans don’t believe in getting rid of regulations- darn, he’s back to the individual stories- now he says Republicans agree with him on having regulations. He keeps talking about insurance reform, NOT health CARE reform. Big difference.

12:47- He called Sebelius Kathleen…oy. He talks about the page numbers so much, my goodness.

Done again. I can’t stand this anymore. My afternoon meeting was canceled last-minute, so I’m watching “Gladiator.” I’ve never seen it before. (Republicans are letting Obama dominate this too much, anyway. They need to hammer him on abortion, the CBO non-scoring, etc. COME ON, people.)

12:50- Ooh, Cantor is talking about how we can’t afford this, it’s not a perfect world and we should go step-by-step. Good for him. He says to set aside the mandate, and go back to things we can agree on.

12:51- VP Biden is making a stupid argument- he says either have government or don’t. NO MIDDLE GROUND. What a moron.

12:51- Cantor vs. Obama is good, actually- he has Obama stuttering and pausing and avoiding questions.

Back to the movie…

Update: Gladiator is overrated. Back to the health care “summit.”

2:33- Rep. Marsha Blackburn is talking about Anthem raising costs- and talking about interstate insurance buying. She must have read what I posted yesterday on Daily Caller.

2:34- “Care delayed” and…options?…delayed are care and options delayed. Something like that. Really good. State legislatures and governors should be given more control.

2:35- He called her Marsha. AUGH! Now he is agreeing with interstate insurance purchasing.

2:36- Obama is saying the unemployed are leaving insurance because of costs. He’s right. This, as he is explaining, causes those who need insurance to keep it at more cost. The answer, he says, is to broaden the pool. How about getting people JOBS?

2:37- Bridge the gap- national exchange with minimum standards.

2:38- He used to be against the mandate- now he’s for it. (He said “sayin’”- really pushing that average person thing, huh?) Independent economists support something he is talking about…unnamed, of course. Shall we take his word for it?

2:40- STOP CALLING PEOPLE BY FIRST NAME!

2:40- Blackburn is responding- she says Obama wants to let (he just interrupted her) companies in, she wants to let people out. He is so rude.

2:41- Stop talking and let her talk. You rude man. He just said “I want to finish this, guys” when BLACKBURN, a woman, tried to finish. Come on, great communicator. Get the gender right, at least.

2:41- He didn’t let her finish. He moved on. What a tool.

2:42- He called Biden “Joe.” Now Biden is talking about the impact on the deficit. He admits to not knowing what Americans want- he’s been in DC too long. How about polls, town halls and voting?

2:43- Comparing this debate to Social Security mandates. Both are immoral. Plain and simple. (My take, not Biden’s.) Biden almost swore. *Chuckle*

2:44- “We all agree” that costs have doubled in a decade, costs have huge waste, and America has the best doctors. Biden needs to be quiet now- he’s yakking randomly. He is all over the place. He sounds like Olbermann.

2:45- CBO has scored the various plans regarding bending the cost curve, says Biden. He says the Senate bill cuts costs, but it does not. He is forgetting that the CBO looked at ten years to 2019, but expenditures only go out from 2013, so the calculations are wrong. Not CBO’s fault- it’s the fault of the people in DC. What a bunch of narcissistic buffoons, almost all of them.

2:47- He hasn’t breathed in three minutes. Be quiet, Biden.

2:48- He is still talking- but he is talking about not overpaying insurance companies in Medicare Advantage and getting rid of waste. WHAT ABOUT PAYMENT REFORM? That’s the biggest issue. Biden is still talking. Oy. His voice is almost as annoying as Obama’s…

2:49- He said he wants to make another point…but he hasn’t made one yet. He says he wants to bend the cost curve- no, really? WOW! Does he say anything of substance?

2:50- Rep. Ryan is starting off strong. Go Ryan! He is now quoting Obama as saying he won’t sign a single dollar to the deficit, and says no CBO score for the Obama bill, but compares it to the Senate bill. He says it will not lower the deficit, and is now going through it. GO RYAN!

2:52- Gimmicks and smoke and mirrors- GO RYAN! He says the bill costs $2.3 trillion, not the less than $1 trillion Obama claims. Now he is going through, line-by-line, and is citing that part of the bill is a Ponzi scheme.

2:53- He says the bill cuts Medicare to make new program, not help Medicare. Says the chief actuary of Medicare says businesses will go under, and it will hurt people. According to Ryan, cutting out the gimmicks, it’s a huge deficit, and the most cynical gimmick is leaving the Doc Fix out. YAY! GO RYAN! WOO-HOO!

2:54- “Hiding spending does not reduce spending.” Where is the cost curve going? It’s going up, says the Medicare actuary.

2:55- “We agree the status quo is unsustainable.” This is not the answer, and the analysis we get proves that. Ryan says “we represent” the people, and if Biden does not know what they think, he’s not listening to what the people are saying.

2:56- Obama is stu-stutt-stuttering…again. )

2:57- “Your side,” Obama? What about post-partisanship?

2:58- Obama is talking about Medicare Advantage. No comment, as I don’t know enough about it to say anything.

2:59- Ryan looks very composed, and unlike Obama kind of confident and relaxed.

3:00- Senator McCain is saying why should Florida be a special case about Medicare dollars? HAHAHAHAHA! Go McCain.

3:01- Coburn is saying do we want to leave more debt for our kids? Seniors don’t want that. (Oh, no- now he is talking about Oklahoma. Don’t do that. Stay on the nation…) Say we are broke, Medicare is broke, let’s not add new benefits, and let’s make sure current benefits are spread more fairly.

3:02- Obama seems to be confident about Medicare Advantage, or rather, his take on it being bad for 80% of seniors. DON’T CALL COBURN TOM! Call him “Dr.” or “Senator” or something respectful.

3:03- Obama said “previous Congress on Medicare Advantage,” but it happened under the previous administration, NOT the Congress. He apologizes for breaking decorum…but he keeps doing it. Over and over.

3:04- Rep. Becerra is saying there needs to be a referee on the field. Do we believe CBO or not? Good point. He’s hammering Ryan- gentlemanly- for supporting CBO over the years and is now saying they are wrong.

3:05- Ryan is interrupting. Good for him. He’s now clarifying- Becerra is finishing. He is doing well, but he is manipulating what Ryan said. Becerra is quoting CBO regarding deficit, and is saying they say the bills will lower deficit in the second decade.

3:06- Becerra is talking about overutilization. Good. He at least recognizes the issue exists.

3:07- My prediction…Obama won’t let Ryan respond to Becerra’s manipulation of what Ryan said. Watch. I’ll be right.

3:08- Follow-throughs on care. Becerra knows his stuff. Yup. Coordination of care will lower costs dramatically. He is right. Let Ryan speak, though. You can do it…

3:09- Darn…they didn’t let Ryan talk. McConnell didn’t let him talk. Darn. Senator Grassley is reading the statute for Medicare Advantage. He needs to stop talking now. Let Ryan talk. Please. I ask you, Senator…

3:10- Grassley is reading some letter. LET RYAN TALK! Grassley has an awful voice for this stuff. He also is not a dynamic thinker, and sounds like a partisan hack. (Obama called him “Chuck.”)

3:11- He sounds like Biden. Oy…

3:13- Grassley needs to stop talking. Now. Let Ryan talk. Now. Be quiet. Please…Ooh, never mind. He’s going after the mandate…never mind. He’s going on a rant now about grassroots.

3:14- Grassley needs to stop talking. He needs to retire. Stay on focus, man. Come on. Don’t talk about your state, you sound like a buffoon.

3:15- Good point- no cuts will happen, as hospitals will close. CBO grades what’s in front of them versus the reality of future Congresses. He’s right, but could have said it much more succinctly. Now he keeps being a buffoon, and says he learned about health care last year. He sounds like a buffoon.

3:16- Obama is talking about hard decisions- we’re in big trouble if nobody will make those decisions. He’s right. Which is why DC needs to be taken over by people who aren’t politicians, and are business people and not DC-ers.

3:17- But…but…SPEAK, Mr. President. You can do it. Ooh, hitting insurance companies for making a lot of money. True? I don’t know. Average is 3%. I don’t know about Medicare Advantage.

3:18- Grassley is taking 30 seconds to respond- he’s doing well thus far. He is saying the cuts won’t happen. He’s right.

3:19- Obama is saying MA (Medicare Advantage) is going to insurance companies. He called Senator Conrad “Kent.”

3:20- This should be interesting. Conrad is a smart, effective moderate Democrat. Medicare is going to go broke in eight years.

3:20- Do we want to endanger benefits for Medicare recipients? If so, do nothing. Period. So, together, we can work together. Coburn left? What? Darn.

3:21- Let’s look at those who are chronically ill. 5% of Medicare beneficiaries use 50% of the Medicare dollars. Chronically ill people. Multiple serious illnesses. He commends Coburn regarding care and coordination of care. He’s right. Right on, Senator Conrad.

3:22- A study of 20,000 chronically ill people- 16 kinds of pills on average, they cut out eight. Thousands of dollars were saved. Coburn’s back. YAY! I think Conrad is referencing Dartmouth Atlas.

3:23- A doctor told Conrad that uncoordinated care was being caused, for Conrad’s deceased father-in-law, by chaos. We have a system that is chaotic. It is characterized by chaos. He’s right.

3:24- He prays we come together to work on this stuff. Obama called Beohner John…Beohner agrees with Obama’s premise of why the meeting happened- so he agrees with Obama’s lie? Come on, Leader Beohner. Please…

3:25- Ooh, he mocked Obama. “Let me explain why” people want health care reform to start over.

3:26- We are talking about “A new entitlement program that will bankrupt our country.” A dangerous experiment? We may have problems, but we have the best health care system in the world. He is using talking points, not policy. LET RYAN TALK!

3:27- $500 billion in new taxes in the bill he brought with him, as well as major Medicare cuts. We need to find savings, and use those $ to keep Medicare going. That was already said, Beohner. Move on. Okay, individual and employer mandates are bad. Good, keep going. Wal-Mart likes the mandate, because it can afford it but competitors can’t. (This last part is me, not Beohner.)

3:29- GO BEOHNER! Abortion! All right! Punch him in the kidneys! GO GO GO! WOO-HOO! President’s bill allows federal funding of abortion. Let’s start over, Obama. Let’s do a step-by-step approach. Bring costs down, expand access. Beohner is saying why can’t we agree on tort reform, medical malpractice, insurance buying between states, etc.?

3:30- Obama is now avoiding responsibility. Again. Calls Beohner a liar. He won’t go after agreement because…huh? I don’t get it.

3:31- He wants to stay on certain points, and now wants Jim Cooper to speak.

3:32- Rep. Cooper is a Blue Dog. This should be interesting. He quoted Ryan, and is now supporting competition about cutting deficits, and is saying let’s vote how we talk, when the cameras are gone. He is supporting McCain, Ryan and Coburn. Talk tough, but not vote tough, this is not good enough because of the costs. This is not good enough.

3:33- Conrad-Gregg bill for commission was voted down. He is right to blame Republicans for switching sides, but the commission is not a good way to address the deficit. It lets Congress avoid its responsibility. (My take.)

3:34- Our fiscal problem stinks. Badly. Really badly.

3:35- Tough votes aren’t there. Goes after Republicans for Medicare Advantage costs, and he’s right. Nobody’s hands are clean on our debt. Go for more savings if you don’t like the current bills. The American people will be watching after the cameras are done.

3:36- McCain is speaking- says to start over on the bill. Special deals are bad, and they are more than offensive. Medical malpractice reform. McCain is talking about California and Texas with malpractice reform. (What about Mississippi? They have a good one.) Lawsuit filings are down, defensive medicine increases costs by 10%. Recruitment for physicians is up. Licenses are up. (McCain knows his numbers.) 35% premium slashes by largest malpractice insurance company. All we have to do is enact this into legislation. BAM! Go McCain!

3:39- He is going after Reid for reconciliation. McCain has traction here, as he helped stop the reconciliation modification a few years ago. He is defending the filibuster, and says if reconciliation is done on an issue of this magnitude, it would harm the country and the institution (the Senate, I assume).

3:40- Obama wants to use reconciliation. YES WE ARE INTERESTED, YOU MORON! We want a vote. Not the reconciliation vote. He doesn’t know America at all.

3:41- Obama fairly goes after Beohner for being wrong on claiming tort reform as the biggest deal in health care reform. He says he cares about it, but only put a (relatively) tiny amount of money, $20 million, last year after his September speech.

3:42- Obama compliments Coburn on incentivizing states on medical malpractice reform. He says there is a contradiction with Republicans on respecting states in some ways. (Abortion? Who knows?)

I’m done for the day, everyone. Have a good one. I hope I was able to help.

3:44- Okay, never mind. I’m staying- Senator Durbin is right. Tort reform is not as big as Republicans say it is.

Now I’m bored. Bye.