In addition to the clear signal from Gibbs on Obama’s behalf, we can find a few similar nuggets here.

“My expectations? Probably below 50 percent, but not zero,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-Va., a moderate who serves as president of the Democratic freshman class. “At some point, the public is going to demand that Republicans participate like mature adults, and not just say ‘no’ to everything.”

So the “party of ‘no’” spin continues. That sounds like someone keeping an open mind going into this dog and pony show, doesn’t it?

To illustrate the gap, the House GOP bill would cover 3 million uninsured people, the House Democratic version 36 million.

“That’s quite a gulf,” said Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., the No. 2 Democrat in the House. “And if that’s where Republicans want to stay, I don’t think it’s going to be perceived as much progress by the 33 million who would be left out.”

Let’s see … how many years is it before the Democratic bill starts letting these people in? I don’t think the 36M the Dems are claiming to add coverage for see it as much progress if their coverage doesn’t start for 4-5 years.

And the most telling of all…

Democrats say they want to resolve remaining differences between the House and Senate versions of their own legislation before the meeting. That may mean Obama wants to emphasize contrasts with Republicans, not probe for common ground.

This really says it all. The Democrats want to go in with a united front and end up as the “party of ‘no’” to everything the GOP suggests, then come out and say the GOP had no ideas. What an absolute joke – so much for this being an open discussion for all concerned.