February 17, 2010 11:43AM 

# Health Summit: A Public Co-Option? 

By [Michael F. Cannon](https://www.cato.org/people/michael-f-cannon) 

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Still doubt that the [Church of Universal Coverage](https://www.cato.org/?s=church+of+universal+coverage) is a *bona fide* religion? Consider:

1. The American people have been solidly [against](http://www.pollster.com/polls/us/healthplan.php) the Democrats’ universal-coverage plan since July 2009.
2. [Roughly 60 percent](http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/81185-most-americans-think-congress-should-start-over-on-health-poll-says) of the public wants Congress to scrap that legislation and start over.
3. President Obama will nevertheless use that legislation as the [starting point](http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/16/sebelius.health.care/) for negotiations with Republicans at next week’s health care summit.

Mmmm, that’s good fervor.

Republican summiteers shouldn’t spend too much time discussing their own ideas — which aren’t going anywhere, and really [aren’t](https://www.cato.org/2010/02/11/fisking-gingrich-goodman-on-health-care-reform/) that [great](https://www.cato.org/2010/02/15/fisking-pawlenty/) anyway — lest they unwittingly aid Democrats in changing the below-illustrated narrative. They should instead focus like a laser beam on the [dangers](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10382) [of](https://www.cato.org/2010/02/08/senate-health-bill-may-violate-first-amendment/) [the](https://www.cato.org/2010/02/11/obamacare-litigation-bonanza/) [Democrats’](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10576) [legislation](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=11108), and how [dangerously close](https://www.cato.org/2010/01/25/obamacare-could-become-law-at-any-time/) it is to becoming law.

Then they can all return to the drawing board and come back with [better ideas](https://www.cato.org/pub_display.php?pub_id=10646).

##### Related Tags 

[Health Care](https://www.cato.org/health-care) 

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