Jim DeMint to Obama: Let’s go over ObamaCare line by line

Can’t say I disagree with anything DeMint has suggested in this interview Greta Van Susteren did with him last night. Instead of generalities about the bill and blind attacks at any and all opposition to it, DeMint want’s details from the President and has challenged Obama to point to specific sections of the bill and explain them, and has even offered to go over the bill line by line with him – something Ed Morrissey reminds us that Obama himself said he would do with Congress on the healthcare bill back in July.

The essence of DeMint’s remarks suggest that he doesn’t really believe Obama knows what’s in the House bill, something the President himself admitted a couple of months ago. Fox News reports that in his speech before Congress tonight, Obama will tell them how essential a “public option” is to healthcare “reform” but will not issue any ultimatum or veto threats, and allegedly will hint around at the possibility that he would be open to tort reform being included in the final version of the reform bill.

I’d like to hear him address whether or not he is still against fining people who choose not to sign up for “affordable” healthcare, as has been proposed by Democrat Senator Max Baucus (an idea that was first floated back in mid-July), I want to hear expanded remarks on the EOL language in the House bill that Sarah Palin is still making sure stays front and center in the debate over ObamaCare, and would like for him to address the divisions between his administration and the CBO on the back and forth over whether or not there will be any “savings” years down the road after all has been said and done.

In the end, though, I anticipate we’ll get what we usually get from this President: Just words. As he has demonstrated time and time again, his rhetoric rarely ever matches reality.

On a somewhat humorous note, Andrew Malcolm offers up a list of 10 things he thinks Obama should say/do tonight. Here’s #2:

No. 2 — Make a pitch with that JFK hand motion for bipartisanship. Americans like such talk. It won’t happen, can’t happen and in the end the people don’t really care. But it’ll give surrogates talking points come next year’s congressional campaigns. (When leaving, maybe walk out of your way to shake a Republican leader’s hand on-camera.)

Read the whole thing.

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