White House Disputes 'NYT' Report That Bipartisan Push On Health Care Is Over

The White House is denying a New York Times report today that the Obama administration and fellow Democrats have decided to move forward on health care overhaul plans without Republican support. The story quotes White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel saying that the GOP leadership "has made a strategic decision that defeating President Obama's health care proposal is more important for their political goals than solving the health insurance problems that Americans face."

But White House spokesman Robert Gibbs says that "absolutely" does not mean the president is giving up on a bipartisan approach.

Speaking to reporters this morning, Gibbs repeated the president's stated intention to work with anyone who wants to work constructively on health care.

But the signs from the GOP aren't encouraging. The Senate's number two Republican, Jon Kyl of Arizona, told reporters yesterday that "there is no way that Republicans are going to support a trillion-dollar-plus bill." And one Republican who has been active in health care talks, Iowa Sen. Charles Grassley, said this week he would vote against a health care overhaul that contained all the provisions he wants, if it did not draw wide support from other GOP lawmakers.

White House spokesman Gibbs also announced that Philadelphia radio talk show host Michael Smerconish will be broadcasting his program from the White house tomorrow. Perhaps not surprisingly, the president will be among his guests.

Update at 3:05 p.m. ET. At this afternoon's back-and-forth with reporters in the White House briefing room, Gibbs was asked if the White House thinks any Republicans will vote for the health care package that's eventually hammered out. He didn't get too specific in his answer:

"I think there are many (Republicans) that would like to see some health care reform," Gibbs said, and "I trust that the three Republicans that are working in the Senate Finance Committee are doing so in good faith."

Update at 1:02 p.m. ET. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont., just sent this statement to reporters, NPR's Audie Cornish tells us:

"Bipartisan progress continues. The Finance Committee is on track to reach a bipartisan agreement on comprehensive health care reform that can pass the Senate. Our group will be meeting tomorrow and our staffs continue to meet as well. I am confident we will continue our steady progress toward health care reform that will lower costs and provide quality, affordable coverage to all Americans."

(Brian Naylor is one of NPR's Washington correspondents.)