Made for TV

President Obama seems to be trying a little bit too hard to get a gold star and a pat on the back for (finally) agreeing to meet with congressional Republicans on healthcare. Contrary to his claims, he has not made the effort before. He may even have been able to be taken at his word that he really wants to work with Republicans were it not for his insistence that he be televised talking with Republicans. Lest we forget, it was House Republicans who invited the president to meet with them at their retreat, but the president who invited the press to witness it.

The reason President Obama has caved and is now meeting with Republicans is because Americans across the land spoke out loud and clear over the past six-plus months expressing opposition to ObamaCare and the secretive, lobbyist-driven, behind-closed-doors maneuverings of the process. They lost trust in him and his party. Earning the trust of the American people is directly tied to earning the trust — at least some measure of trust — from Republicans in Congress. If Obama uses the upcoming televised meetings to attempt to rewrite history and make it appear as though he has been willing to work with Republicans all along, he runs the real risk of pushing his poll numbers even lower. The time for hubris is well over, and a healthy helping of genuine outreach is in order.

Obama should be meeting with Republicans because it's the right thing to do — not as a phony shortcut to better poll numbers. The latter will take a lot longer to achieve.

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