Below is my response to today’s POLITICO Arena: The health care summit: Why should, or shouldn’t, the GOP go along with it?

Republicans should confidently accept the invitation to talk about health care with President Obama. Questioning the rules of engagement at the session is a little like complaining about the referees at a sporting event. Athletes tend to do it a lot, but it really isn’t very productive and it makes you look whiny and weak. Additionally, Americans watching the game at home know when something seems fishy and unfair. They are smart and can make their own judgments. They don’t need to hear it from the players.

Republicans should come to the session prepared to talk about all of the ideas they’ve offered over the past year to improve our health care delivery system – ideas which have, thus far, been ignored by President Obama, Rep. Pelosi and Sen. Reid. If the GOP engages, demonstrates (again) that it is the party of real ideas and free market solutions, and forces President Obama to say he doesn’t like their effective ideas, Republicans will have a successful day. Let’s not forget that the issue of health care reform has been a constant drag on President Obama’s job approval ratings all year. One half day session for the cameras isn’t going to turn that around for him. So, it isn’t a detriment to GOP prospects if he has already forgotten his State of the Union focus (remember jobs, jobs, jobs anyone?) by continuing his wrong-headed obsession with taking over 1/6 of the U.S. economy

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