Now that the Health Care summit has come and gone, what’s left is the fate of the Health Care reform bill in Congress. The summit solved nothing as to fundamental divide between Democrats and Republicans in Congress & the White House. The Republicans in attendance echoed their moderate-smaller steps and advocated to solve some of the health care system problems. The Democrats on the panel reminded the viewers continually that they believe their big government overhaul of our health care system is the only way to go. Some suggested that the summit was called just to give the American people a look at the faces of the obstructionist GOP Members in Congress. Others believed it was to serve as a political stunt to create an impressive “photo op.”

This writer believes it served no positive result, except to show the American viewing public that many in Congress are out of touch with the American people. Consider first, the numerous constituent letters that many panel participants referenced. They read these letters with feigned shock and surprise at the hardships and sad stories. Cong. Slaughter’s story about the women having to wear her dead sister’s dentures seemed so out of touch, it was comical. It is no wonder Congress has such a low approval rating. Slaughter even finished her “story” with this statement, “would you ever believe that in America, that’s where we would be?” This is the same member of Congress who back in August, during the Town Hall meetings, said: “I’m not doing town hall meetings; I’m not going to give those people a forum. Frankly, to tell you the truth, my own dignity and the dignity of the office I hold is important to me.” It is no wonder that all of the TV Nets and most cable channels did not return to the summit following their lunch break.

So the summit proved that most Members of Congress are out of touch, and displaying this was not good TV viewing. What might have been better TV viewing and resulted in more positive results was for the Congressional Democrats and the White House… to meet with Congressional Democrats. After all, they are the ones that can't come to enough of a consensus to get a bill passed through Congress.

Since nothing was resolved by the Health Care summit, maybe Congress can shelve the idea of Government takeover of 1/6 of our economy for the time being and start all over again from the beginning. In the meantime, it might be nice to see our Congress focus on the out of control spending, our debt and other vital aspects of our crumbling economy.  Contrary to what some Members of Congress expressed today at the summit, the state of our economy is what many Americans would have never believed they would see in this country.

Elizabeth Letchworth is the Owner-Founder of GradeGov.com, 4 times elected United States Senate Secretary for the Majority/Minority, U. S. Senate-retired, presently senior legislative advisor @ Covington & Burling, LLC