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Obama urges consensus as US leaders debate healthcare

26 February 2010 03:56 (UTC +04:00)

Baku â€“ APA. Differences have emerged as President Barack Obama urged top Republicans and Democrats to focus on agreements at a six-hour televised healthcare summit, APA reports citing BBC.

He urged 40 congressional Democrats and Republicans in Washington DC to avoid political theatre, as part of a fresh bid to save his troubled reform plans.

For the first time, Mr Obama offered his own version of a healthcare plan on Monday.
But Republicans say the plan is not acceptable and a fresh start is needed.

The BBC’s Paul Adams, in Washington, says the passionate showdown may mark the beginning of a bruising end game, with the Democrats seemingly ready to get the legislation passed any way they can.

But analysts say the contentious debate is likely to be beset by bipartisanship: even the shape of the table for the debate at Blair House, opposite the White House, has been the subject of dispute.

President Obama, Vice-President Joe Biden and other leading Democrats are facing senior Republicans such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and Arizona Senator John McCain.