Suddenly, the Obama administration is back to working with transparency, social networking and the Internet. In fact, just this week they invited 12 Dems and 9 Republicans to a health care conference. You know, to sit down and talk about the health care legislation. Like pals. Just to sort things out.

And they are going to publish the legislative overhaul on online- which will be awesome to read. And they are advertising for a new social networking guru on Mashable…

Are they back to playing nice and trying too hard to get everyone to agree? I think so. He’s even asked the Republicans to bring THEIR health care ideas to the conference. What? Hasn’t this bill been pushing its way through Congress for almost a YEAR now? NOW you want to bring on the Republican ideas? This is ridiculous, Mr. President. He’s even throwing down the transparency gauntlet by putting his ideas up online and inviting the Republicans to do the same.

Mmm. Now that, just maybe, could be a good idea.

"Now is the time to act on behalf of the millions of Americans and small businesses who are counting on meaningful health insurance reform," said the formal invitation from some of the Obama administration.

Republicans are understandably skeptical.

"The existence of any kind of backroom health care deal among the White House and Democratic Leaders would certainly make a mockery of the President's stated desire to have a 'bipartisan' and 'transparent' dialogue on this issue," House Republican leaders wrote in a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, according to Reuters.

The bottom line is that Republicans want the bills thrown out. And they just may get their wish.

The White House has said it does not intend to do so, and the invitation seemed to confirm that. "In the last year, there has been an extraordinary effort to craft effective legislation. The Blair House meeting is the next step in this process," the White House letter reportedly said.

Extraordinary indeed. What we need, though, is an extraordinary effort to actually pass something.

"Nearly one year ago, the President moderated a health care summit that kicked off a national debate that has led us to where we are today: a partisan bill devoid of support from the American people and a diminished faith in this government's capacity to listen. Let us not make the same mistake twice," said Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell. Now, that’s a pretty good one. It is a pretty partisan bill, but it’s not without support and it’s largely partisan because the Republicans refuse to engage with it.

Will a televised argument between party leaders and the President actually solve anything? No. Will it set off a major argument between Fox News and the Huffington Post? Sure. Will someone come out looking clearly the winner? I kind of hope so. Either side- let’s just pass it or not and move on to the next issue. Obama, you can’t get everyone to agree. That’s not how politics works. You know this- why are you acting like you don’t?

Photo Credit: jmtimages (via Flickr under CCL)