Healthcare summit: Talking points dominate summit’s first hour

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Sen. Harry Reid has a tough reelection race ahead. So it’s no surprise that the Nevada senator jumped at the chance to talk about his home state -- and plainly said that he didn’t want to talk about Washington.

Reid hit on the popular Democratic talking point -- the Medicare ‘doughnut hole’ which affects senior citizens, a prominent voting bloc in his state. And he used constituent stories to illustrate his points, at one point referencing someone in Reno getting ‘jerked around by an insurance company.’

But Reid couldn’t help himself, and his comments eventually wound their way back to Washington. Reid took the opportunity to justify the use of reconciliation, a parliamentary sidestepping of the need for a supermajority to bring a bill to vote. If Democrats are to pass a healthcare bill without Republican support, it’s Reid who will be responsible for employing the controversial tactic.

So much for Obama’s goal that the summit won’t be all about talking points.

-- Kim Geiger