A solution to the Drudge, ABC News, and White House brouhaha over health care reporting

The GOP leadership hasn't earned the opportunity
to debate Obama on health care issues, but libertarians
such as John Stossel have

With an alreadly long list of online resources providing details and viewpoints on the topic, let's take a more sober look at the allegations that ABC News is turning over programming to the White House. 

"The network plans a primetime special -- 'Prescription for America' -- originating from the East Room, exclude opposing voices on the debate," reads the Drudge Report.

"Today, the Republican National Committee requested an opportunity to add our Party's views to those of the President's to ensure that all sides of the health care reform debate are presented," responded Republican National Committee Chief of Staff Ken McKay. "Our request was rejected. I believe that the President should have the ability to speak directly to the America people. However, I find it outrageous that ABC would prohibit our Party's opposing thoughts and ideas from this national debate, which affects millions of ABC viewers.

Here's ABC's take:

ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: With the Republican National Committee complaining to ABC News about plans to broadcast a health care “conversation” from the White House next week, ABC today has responded to the complaint. 

The letter -- to RNC Chief of Staff Ken McKay, from ABC News Senior Vice President Kerry Smith -- points out that ABC “will have complete editorial control” over the broadcasts, and says that “no one watching, listening to, or reading ABC News will lack for an understanding of all sides of these important questions.”

For starters, I agree with ABC's position that Republican Party leadership should not be engaged in the debate, albeit for a different reason. The Republican leadership recently lobbied for and supported the largest government intervention into the health care marketplace with Medicare Part D.  They aren't qualified to act as the spokepersons for the opposition.  Like a pack of hyenas battling over a dead carcass, one could easily argue that GOP leaders -- along with the AMA, pharmaceutical companies and the insurance industry  -- wish to engage in the debate to ensure they get their proper share of the spoils.

In their response to McKay, ABC News inadvertently provided a solution:

Second, ABC News prides itself on covering all sides of important issues and asking direct questions of all newsmakers -- of all political persuasions -- even when others have taken a more partisan approach and even in the face of criticism from extremes on both ends of the political spectrum.  ABC News is looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue.   ABC News alone will select those who will be in the audience asking questions of the president.

Since the Democrats will be battling the aforementioned groups over the spoils, perhaps some representative of those being pillaged should be involved. If ABC News plans to put their money where their mouth is, they've already got a built-in solution: John Stossel.

Not only does Stossel work with ABC News, he clearly doesn't reside in the same camp as the pillagers.  Here's some very recent footage of Stossel with Judge Andrew Napolitano (skip to 1:45 for my question to Stossel) discussing the big health care issues of the day.  ABC could dump either Diane Sawyer or Charles Gibson and add Stossel to the line up to provide a bit more balance.

The current Republican leadership has nothing to do with opposition to ObamaCare, save that they pick up a few bucks, media smears and donations along the way.  The folks who adamantly oppose White House health care schemes are the same ones challenging (with principle) GOP leaders for their hypocrisy: libertarians.

While I think that ABC's decision to broadcast from the White House certainly gives the appearance of taking a side on the issue, I'll hold them to their word for the moment.  As they claim to be "looking for the most thoughtful and diverse voices on this issue," I'll expect to see a lot of libertarians represented on their programming.