Providing format allows for real alternatives to be aired

The long-debated federal takeover of the nation's medical industry appeared on the verge of becoming law until Republican Scott Brown won a special Senate election in Massachusetts last month -- capturing the seat of Ted Kennedy on a platform that nakedly vowed to defeat Obamacare.

In the first major move to jump-start his health care agenda after his party's loss of a filibuster-proof Senate majority, Barack Obama has invited GOP and Democratic leaders to discuss possible compromises in a half-day, televised gathering on Feb. 25.

Rep. Darrell Issa of California, the top Republican on the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform, said Monday that the first question for Obama should be: "Did you lie about moving forward on malpractice reform?" He was alluding to the president's earlier remarks about possibly curbing malpractice lawsuits -- a provision not included in the health bills passed separately by House and Senate Democrats in December.

"If we are to reach a bipartisan consensus, the White House can start by shelving the current health spending bill," added Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky.

Republican reluctance is understandable. The GOP pulled off a bit of a political miracle in stopping the socialized medicine juggernaut. To join hands, sing cum-ba-ya, and cooperate in enacting the keystone of Mr. Obama's statist agenda now -- with a few cosmetic changes -- would be equivalent to saying, "Oh, what the heck, he sure wears pretty uniforms," and restoring Napoleon as emperor of France the week after defeating him at Waterloo.

Republicans, nonetheless, would be wrong to issue an outright rejection of this invitation, providing the format gives them any opportunity at all to calmly present their own, free-market ideas.

President Obama and the Democrats have been rightly criticized for breaking pledges to offer transparency in health care deliberations, including "broadcasting them on C-SPAN." Republicans would be hypocritical if they offer a blanket refusal to participate in any public debate.

Nothing stops the GOP from using the forum to showcase such ideas as tort reform, wide deregulation to promote competition through "excess capacity," and a bill invoking the interstate commerce clause to allow health insurance to be purchased across state lines, for instance.

Call the president's bluff. Ask again why -- faced with such specific recipes to allow competition and the free market to work -- Democrats keep claiming, "The Republicans have offered no alternatives."