First President Obama saidcritics of his health care plan had no ideas worth considering.Then he saidhe never said that. Now he says he is eager to hear those previously unacknowledgedideas.

Taking Obama at his word (always a risky thing to do), is there any realistic prospect that themeeting he plans with legislators from both parties later thismonth will, as he suggests, produce "some agreements"� on how toproceed with health care reform? Not if he continues to ignore theconflict between his approach to expanding medical coverage and theother major goal he says must be addressed by any serious reformproposal: bringing health care spending under control.

Obama wants to cover the uninsured by expanding Medicaid andproviding various other subsidies: to small businesses...