Gibbs: Obama Still Committed To Working With Grassley

Undaunted by Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley's declaration that the Democratic health care agenda might empower the government to "pull the plug on grandma," President Obama still hopes to achieve a bipartisan reform bill, his spokesman said Thursday.

Press secretary Robert Gibbs chose his words carefully on Thursday when asked to respond to comments made by Grassley, who is one of three key Republicans on the Senate Finance Committee tasked with crafting compromise legislation. Despite being heavily wooed by the White House, Grassley took up the fundamentally dishonest "death panels" line of attack at a town hall meeting on Tuesday.

Gibbs suggested the Iowa Republican talk to his Republican colleague, Senator Lisa Murkowski of Alaska who deemed the death panel rumor an offensive myth designed to "gin up fear in the American public."

But Gibbs wouldn't go any further, telling reporters during Thursday's briefing that the White House remained committed to working with Republicans to get health care reform passed.

"Obviously the president is continuing to talk to lawmakers in hope that the Finance Committee can come to some kind of agreement," said Gibbs.

Get HuffPost Politics On Facebook and Twitter!

Comments

[jemborg]

Wow! I'm a freedom loving Aussie and I find this paranoia over decent pubic health care amazing.

We've had it for almost 30 years.

I've expounded on this in many of Huffo's threads but let me simply say... America you deserve better, do not believe the Conservative lies.

[niminara]

No one is denied health care in this country. It's a myth. The quality of health care is the issue. As put eloquently in the Huffington Post, this problem has been mis-diagnosed, ergo the remedy being sought will not solve the problem; as a mis-diagnosed disease receiving the wrong treatment. Health Insurance is the issue. Employment sponsored health plans DO NOT preclude pre-existing conditions and provide quality (or quasi quality) health care. Obama's plan puts everyone on government­-sponsored health care to the equivalent of Medicare. To keep private insurance will penalize you 8% additional tax (enforced by IRS). Stop the presses and go back to the drawing board. First provide an accurate diagnosis.

[elan4444]

Grasslee can't take it anymore! If the President acts like he likes him one more time, he'll cry! The man is desperate to stay in office and has fallen out-of-touch with Iowans. (They are after all, the ones who catapulted Obama into the Presidency)So, what to do? In DC, he considered actually doing the right thing, perhaps to make up for his introducing the unfriendly­-to-citize­ns bankruptcy bill that he authored and got enacted. Coincidentally, he pursued the very bad legislation even though he was aware that most Iowans who declared bankruptcy did so because of their inability to continue to pay astronomical medical bills. Now, when he might provide those very same citizens with some type of access to health care, he just can't follow through and has caught the Palin virus and goes hysterical on all of us by saying we have a "right to fear" the present proposal. Sigh. Hopefully he will be replaced by someone who can move forward purposefully. By the way, it was a Republican who inserted the "end of life counseling" portion of the plan.

[really5]

Why work with Grassley???

[PresWatch]

What is that old saying about continuing the same practices and expecting different results?
Give up on bi-partisanship, Obama. It is not attainable.

[kjo46]

What is driving Obama? Is he being threatened or bribed?

[whybsquared]

The only time Republicans are interested in bi-partianship
is when they're the party in power. When they're out of power
they behave liked spoiled children. Americans want health
care reform NOW. Any one who believes a Republican cares
about the average American probably only watches the b.s
that comes from FOX NEWS.

[AnthonyAfterwit]

Um, hello? When they were in power they didn't even attempt bipartisanship. That's how we wound up ruining our national standing by becoming a nation of torturers and fighting two wars with a crumbling economy. The only people who benefit from republican principles are uber rich, anti-science war mongering corporate cronies.

GOP. Misleading the dumbest Americans since 1860.

[chriss0114]

I guess Sarah decided AGAINST honoring the American soldier because she wants to make things up!

Silly Sarah used to be FOR death panels when she was governor..­.I wonder what changed?

http://gov.state.ak.us/archive.php?id=1094&type=6

Also, those on Facebook can vote on a poll to get her Facebook account revoked for abuse:

http://apps.facebook.com/realpolls/m/76g5ulg1k

[TruthJusticeForAll]

McFlip-Flop provess you can be a Harvard graduate & a fool.

[Nofuzzydreams]

Obama is clueless on how to deal with the opposition. He has never faced anything other than adulation in his life. And of course he has not run or managed anything in his life. And it is showing.

[Strega]

y.er clueless & yet continue making.one.id.yatic. post.after­.another! what.did'c­ha.call.so­me.onthe.m­ainpage - oh yea, loooooooooooooser

[QOTW]

You mean he didn't know how to organise and fund a 2 year primary Presidential Campaign against opposition? Or perhaps that he didn't know how to win the Deocratic Presidential nomination against opposition? Or maybe how he didn't know how to win the Presidency against opposition? Yes, against all that opposition I can see how you could think he's totally clueless at managing and organising anything.

[clarryr]

So when Obama talks he is talking about the issues and staying on message.
When the republicans talk they make stuff up, are hysterical, and scare old people.
Which ones do you think the majority of Americans is paying attention to?
Obama knows exactly what he is doing. The opposition is full of crazy talk and
he is the calm cool one. But just wait. It will all come to roost when the next
round of campaign ads start running. The republicans are providing so much
ammunition to use against them it's rather pathetic how easily they'll be voted
out of office.

Meanwhile, being the only adult in the room, Obama will get decent legistation
passed that actually benefits Americans. They'll remember that too.

[OldPete]

I donated $25.00 to Bob Krause who is running against Chuck Grassley and I invite you to do the same!

[jaschrod]

Obama needs to stop trying to be the good guy and deal with Republicans, they will stab him in the back, and the American people the first chance they get.

[blackfriday1978]

Agree... when the majority of GOP is on the low level, there is nothing Obama can do to please them. So, stop tryinig already!

[freedom77]

I agree. He tried bi-partisanship and he got nowhere. Give him credit for trying. Now stop diluting what might be a good health care bill with gop crappola, Mr. President and give us something that will work.

[Cecilia Repetti]

I agree. Sometimes you just have to say "Its my ball so we play my way or we don't play at all".

[BPCentrisAmerican]

Grassley is on C-Span right now snow jobbing his voters talking about Jesus and everything, he's quoting the Lumen Group, I'm not sure about the spelling, how government healthcare is such a terrible system and the Btits are killing off old people. Considering the think-tank he's talking about is a shill for big insurance, and the Brits like there healthcare, that would make a Grassely a slick operator in a down home way. Fortunately there are some smart questions coming from this audience, good for them.

[jaslyn]

I hope the 'panel' comes for him first, because clearly, he's ready to be put out to pasture.

[greenkathy]

I am sort of amazed that most people on this thread are continuing to give Obama the benefit of the doubt. I, for one, am quickly losing faith in him. He shows no passion for reform, and is utterly wimping out on the public option. I suppose if he DID make closed door deals on Pharma and to dilute the public option (as is now being reported on HuffPo and in the NYTimes), he has tied his hands.

Boy, do I wish we had gone with Hillary. She's not perfect, but she would be better than Obama is turning out to be.