Politico forwards spin that GOP would support health reform if Kennedy had been active in Senate

SUMMARY: In an obituary for Sen. Edward Kennedy, the Politico repeated the Republican claim that Kennedy's absence from the health care debate prevented lawmakers from reaching a bipartisan compromise, reporting that "Republicans complained that without Kennedy, Democrats were less willing to make the concessions needed for true compromise." Several progressive commentators have identified this talking point as GOP spin intended to disguise Republicans' obstructionism, with Salon.com's Joan Walsh, for example, stating that "absolutely no evidence supports that point of view," and washingtonpost.com blogger Ezra Klein noting that Kennedy's committee has already reported out a bill.

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