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New White House tactic to bring GOP back to health debate?By Ed Hornick
CNN


WASHINGTON (CNN) -- In the chess game over health care reform, the White House's last move was to say Democrats might use a procedural move to get a bill through without working with Republicans.


Congress will take up the health care reform debate in September.

But will Democrats really try to muscle something through without GOP support or is it a gambit to bring Republicans back to the table?

"I think this is something that they are putting out there maybe as a threat that they could pull back," said Roy Sekoff, the founding editor of the progressive blog, The Huffington Post. "And I think it is a smart move."

On Tuesday night, Democratic sources told CNN that the White House was considering using the budgetary procedure called "reconciliation," which would bypass the normal 60 votes to get a vote on the Senate floor and instead require only a simple majority of 51.

But the White House said Wednesday that the president welcomes bipartisan support and will listen to any viewpoint. Press Secretary Robert Gibbs said that proverbial olive branch may change if Republicans show they unwilling to work across the aisle. Watch more on if the White House is changing course »

Democratic strategist and CNN contributor Paul Begala said Obama has two campaign promises in conflict.

"He ran around the country and said 'I will be post-partisan ... I'll bring Republicans and Democrats together.' He's not going to be able to do that," Begala said Wednesday.

"He promised to do health care and he promised to be bipartisan when those two are at war. Health care is a lot more important. He's gotta do his job which is try to bring quality, affordable health care to people even though the Republicans won't do their job."
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