“We’re not campaigning anymore.”  That’s what President Obama said to Senator McCain when the senator complained about the health care process during yesterday’s summit.

I was saddened that the president didn’t take this more seriously. I wish he would have said: “You’re right, Senator McCain. The American people deserved a better process than what they got. And that’s why I wanted to hold this summit to see if we couldn’t start over.”

But anytime anyone is defensive, it’s a sign that he doesn’t really get it.

No, the president’s health care plan isn’t unpopular because he didn’t explain it well enough or because he didn’t package it well enough. It’s unpopular because it’s not a good plan and because it was produced by a bad process.

The country understands that. Too bad the president doesn’t.

Here is a novel idea for the president’s health care summit: invite some doctors.

The summit that will be held tomorrow appears to be long on symbolism and short on solutions. Rather than open an honest negotiation, the administration has stacked the deck by releasing the details of the president’s plan in advance of the meeting. We talked about that yesterday and it remains a prime example that this summit is just for show.

But here is another example: the only doctors who will be in on the negotiations are doctors who are Members of Congress. So we’re going to have a meeting about health care and not include the experts on the issue?

That’s some more bad medicine from this administration on health care.

Here is what I think the president should do as he gets ready for the health care summit this week: he should drop this new plan he’s just introduced:

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-02-22-health-care-revision_N.htm

Wasn’t the whole purpose of the summit to start over on health care? Then why is the president trying to resurrect bad ideas like raising fees and fining small businesses?

And what does it say about the president’s willingness to work with Republicans that he is already announcing a plan before the meeting is even held?

This week the president will be meeting with Congressional leaders in a health care summit. And so, by popular demand, our blog will return to the topic of what Obama should do next.

We all get second chances in life. And the president should make the most of this one.

What do you think he should do in this summit meeting? Let me know. And I’ll start letting you know what I think tomorrow.

Any job competition leaves questions and even some hurt feelings. But at the end, one person gets the job and everyone else gets behind him.

As I said all along, ACU could not make a bad choice between Phil Schubert and Rick Lytle. Now that Phil has been selected, the entire ACU family needs to join together to help him succeed. He’ll need everyone’s help since ACU faces some important challenges in the coming years.

Let’s remember that this is “no ordinary university” and let’s help make Phil Schubert a great president. My friend Donny Vaughn has started a Facebook page where folks can salute Phil. I urge you to join. And I urge you to pray for Phil and for ACU.

Last week, ACU chose Phil Schubert to be its next president. And in this blog, we congratulated him and wished him well.

Over the weekend, a number of people have called or emailed me with comments on the selection.

So we thought we would open up the discussion and listen to you. What do you think of the choice?

Later this morning, ACU will name Phil Schubert the school’s 11th president. Several sources have confirmed this for me.

I want to congratulate Phil for his selection and wish him nothing but the best. Phil is perhaps best known for several marketing successes during his time in the ACU administration, including a deal with Apple to give all incoming freshmen Iphones.

He will face some challenges as the new president, especially as ACU’s student body grows more religiously diverse and as ACU tries to maintain its Church of Christ heritage. But I believe that with’s Phil’s leadership the job will be done.

What do you think? Let me know. And look for a press release later today with more details.

Today we continue our series on presidential do-overs. And the health care issue provides a perfect opportunity to do something that the American people want to see from their president: they want him to confront his own party.

As we’ve discussed on this blog before, great presidents always take on their own party. This shows the rest of the country that they are more than presidents, they are leaders. After all, anyone can confront an enemy, But confronting a friend is harder. Yet health care gives the president the chance to do just that.

So instead of outsourcing health care to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, he can work with Democrats and Republicans and create a plan that takes some simple steps that will work: like giving individuals tax credits to purchase their own insurance, or reducing (rather than increasing) the number of regulations on health plans. These two steps would help contain health care costs. So if the president is really serious about “bending the cost curve” he can start by bending the ears of his own party.

Today we continue our series on do-overs. What should President Obama do over from last year’s health care debacle?

This time he should try and include Republican ideas. And the early indications are that he is especially interested in one: medical malpractice. http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/02/09/obama.health.care/

That’s a good place to start. How can we reduce the cost of health care when doctors and insurance companies are getting sued frivolously? Lawsuits only help lawyers. Meanwhile, the rest of us get stuck with the bill. Last year, Obama didn’t seem interested in medical malpractice. This year, he seems open to it. That’s a good do-over.

Today we continue our series on what Obama should do over as he now tries to fix the health care mess.

For starters, he should drop any hint of a government-run health option. I know that this is no longer in the Democratic bill, but it is still in the minds of Democratic legislators. Many of them would love to revive the idea of a government-run plan. But the president should reject this. He spent a great deal of time in 2009 trying to convince people that the same folks that run the post office would do a good job running health care. They can’t and they won’t. Government bureaucrats don’t know better than you and your doctor.

So let’s start this new round of discussions on health care by completely abandoning any talk of a government-run plan.

Last week we ended our series on what Obama should do next. This week we begin a new series on what Obama should go back and re-do. By all accounts, his first year in office created a lot of controversy. How can he fix that?

We’ll start by focusing on a key issue where we know the president has stated he is going to try and move forward: health care. Okay, fine. But what should health care reform look like? We know what it shouldn’t look like: the bill House and Senate Democrats produced last year. It’s time to start over. So this week, I’ll be giving the president some helpful hints about what should and shouldn’t be a part of health care reform.

Check back in each day for more information!

Today we conclude our series on what President Obama should do next. And it’s the most important thing he can and should do: focus on jobs.

http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/stock-market-news-story.aspx?storyid=201002050845dowjonesdjonline000354&title=data-snapus-jan-jobless-rate-falls-to-97-payrolls–20k

Today news reports indicate that another 20,000 jobs have been lost recently. In total, this recession has cost this country 8.4 million jobs. So the question is: why are focusing on anything other than jobs? Health care can wait. Foreign policy can wait. But jobs can’t. The president should immediately work with Congressional leaders to enact a jobs plan. And it needs to be based on reducing taxes and empowering individuals and entrepreneurs.

The economy is the issue…now is the time.

Today we continue our series on what Obama should do next, particularly with the budget.

Of course, a big part of the budget is taxes. Here is an interesting fact: in 2011, the Bush tax cuts from 2001 will expire. That means that marginal tax rates will increase, capital gains tax rates will increase and dividends tax rates will increase. In other words, a huge tax increase is coming.

But Obama could change that. He could call for extending the Bush tax cuts, or better yet, making the tax cuts permanent. At a time of great economic challenge, we need lower taxes now more than ever.

RANDY HILL AND ADVANCED TRAILER PROFILED IN FRONT PAGE STORY IN THE FORT WORTH STAR TELEGRAM

Feature article calls Hill a “natural entrepreneur” who is trying to transform biomass

ABILENE, TX—Texas Entrepreneur Randy Hill was profiled today in a front page story in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, a member of the McClatchy Newspapers. The story highlighted Hill’s work with both Texas Tech University and the University of Idaho to use the Advanced Trailer for drying, storing and hauling the wood chips that fuel biomass.

“This feature story in one of Texas’ largest newspapers shows that the Advanced Trailer for Biomass is picking up steam,” Hill said.  “This isn’t about me.  It’s about a revolutionary concept for how we dry, store and transport biomass.  This is just the beginning for the Advanced Trailer for Biomass.”

The link to the story is here: http://www.star-telegram.com/local/story/1942556.html

Today we continue our series on what Obama should do in his budget. One thing he shouldn’t do is raise taxes:

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/100201/us/usreport_us_budget_backdoortaxes

Unfortunately, it looks like this budget might attempt to raise taxes using the “back door.” Here is how: the Bush tax cuts of 2001 are schedule to expire in 2011. If Obama lets them expire, taxes will go up for millions of Americans.

Are you an investor? Your taxes will go up. Are you an income taxpayer? Your taxes will go up. Are you a teacher who uses an education tax credit? Your taxes will go up. Trying to inherit your family’s land? Your taxes will go up.

President Obama can and should stop this right now by calling for the continuation of these tax cuts…otherwise we’ll all be paying more.

This week, we continue our series on what’s next for President Obama. And the timing couldn’t be better.

President Obama will soon unveil his new budget. I’ve got some ideas on what should and shouldn’t be in there. After all, politics is about money. So the budget is the place to look to see how a president wants to lead and where he wants to go.

Check back in each day this week for more on what President Obama should do next.