McCain Nudges Obama Toward His Party’s Health Plans

January 24, 2010

Mr. McCain, a Republican from Arizona, said on the CBS news program “Face the Nation” that President Obama should sit down with Republican leaders and begin adopting some of their ideas for improving the nation’s health care system such as overhauling medical malpractice lawsuits, allowing residents of one state to buy health insurance from a company in another state, and granting tax credits for people who purchase health insurance on their own.

The Democrats last week lost a Senate seat in Massachusetts that had given them the 60 votes needed to block a Republican filibuster of a health care bill that appeared on the verge of passage by both houses. Mr. McCain was asked what would Republicans do in response.

“We’d be willing to sit down and start over from the beginning with genuine negotiations,” he replied. “There are things we can agree on.”

Mr. McCain’s advice was treated skeptically by Senator Richard Durbin of Illinois, the Democratic whip, who pointed out on the same show that Mr. Obama met with Republicans at the start of his effort to pass a health reform bill “and asked them to be part of it,” and that 170 Republican amendments had been accepted as the legislation proceeded in House and Senate committees.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/25/health/policy/25healthweb.html?partner=EXCITE&ei=5043