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It's striking to me -- and hopefully to the people in the room -- how much they agree. There is a lot of common ground on specifics -- it's a combination of philosophy and partisan politics that's keeping them apart. One thing is clear -- the American people would be well-served by having more of these bipartisan policy summits.
11:14 a.m.: From CNN contributor John Avlon: Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Oklahoma, is sometimes called "Dr. No" -- he's a small-government conservative and a practicing physician.
At the outset of the summit, President Obama gave him a hug -- these apparent political opposites actually co-sponsored a bill together when Obama was in the Senate, a transparency bill known as "Google for Government."
Coburn focused his remarks on the costs of medical malpractice reforms and waste, fraud and abuse in Medicaid. It's a doctor's perspective that is worth taking into account. I've personally never understood why health care reform isn't framed as a bill who substance was determined by doctors. People trust their personal physician a lot more than their congressman.
11:06 a.m.: From CNN contributor John Avlon: Let's boil down some of the wonk: Republicans have advocated a step-by-step approach to health care reform. Some of their specifics -- medical malpractice reform and purchasing insurance across state lines -- would make powerful, substantive pickups that the Democrats should adopt.
It may anger liberal constituencies like trial lawyers, but that's precisely why it would send a substantive centrist message to independent voters. But the core idea of a market exchange to pool insurance purchases -- through private or co-op mechanisms rather than a new government bureaucracy -- is an idea that should appeal to Republicans. Reflexive opposition to it indicates that politics is trumping policy.
11:02 a.m.: Obama and Sen. Lamar Alexander get in a tense exchange over whether the president's health care plan would increase premiums.
Obama says he'd like to get the issue settled about whether premiums are reduced "before today, because I'm pretty certain I'm not wrong."
11:02 a.m.: From CNN's Dana Bash: E-mail from a GOP aide as Reid is talking -- "Wow.. Dems decided the best way to open this summit is to choose the two least popular politicians in their party to speak."
10:57 a.m.: Several lawmakers jump after a loud bang. It's just the pool reporters departing (and the door slamming).
The clock above the fireplace appears broken. It's stuck at 4:00, which happens to be when the summit ends.
10:55 a.m.: From CNN contributor John Avlon: Washington considers this summit nothing more than political theater, but independent voters expect more.
They want to see more than photo-op bipartisanship -- they want to see substance, civility and accountability, a constructive give and take.
President Obama's opening remarks aimed for both the head and heart. He was careful to lay out expectations in a way that connected with independents, challenging the assembled congressmen to "not just trade talking points."
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He spoke about his family's experience with health care. The challenge is for the president to define the common ground and then encourage the Congressional leaders to build on it.
That doesn't mean starting from a blank sheet of paper, as Sen. Lamar Alexander demanded -- but he was right in pointing out that historically major pieces of social legislation have passed with bipartisan margins and were build that way from the beginning.
10:52 a.m.: Obama says all of the speakers so far have gone over their allotted time, including him. He encourages everyone to "be more disciplined" going ahead.
10:50 a.m.: Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid says "no one is talking about reconciliation."
"The bill on the floor that my friend Lamar [Alexander] is lamenting here has significant input from the Republicans," he says.
Reid says Republicans have a right to oppose the current legislation, but they also have a responsibility to "propose ideas for making it better."
10:45 a.m.: From CNN's Dana Bash: Sen. Lamar Alexander has a relatively low profile on the Hill despite his big title: chairman of the Senate Republican Conference. This is like the old Lamar Alexander from the presidential campaign trail. Alexander pursued the Republican presidential nomination in 1996 and 2000.
10:43 a.m.: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi quotes the late Sen. Ted Kennedy, saying, "Health care is a right, not a privilege."
10:38 a.m.: CNN's Dana Bash points out Republicans have started sending out e-mail challenging Obama's and Pelosi's remarks: "Like a campaign event or debate, partisan opposition research/fact-checkers are up and running."
10:32 a.m.: Sen. Lamar Alexander seems to be laying out the Republican ground rules -- start over and stay away from reconciliation.
Reconciliation is a process that bypasses the Senate rule of 60 votes being needed to end debate. By using it, only a majority vote would be needed to advance a bill. Republicans have warned of severe political consequences if Democrats go that route.
10:24 a.m.: Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, says Obama's plan is too much like the Senate plan. He recommends taking the current bill and "putting it on the shelf and starting from a clean sheet of paper."
Sen. Christopher Dodd, a key author of the Senate health care bill, told reporters Wednesday that if Republicans continue to demand that Democrats scrap their health care proposals and start over, "then there's nothing to talk about."
10:19 a.m.: Obama says he doesn't know if all of the gaps can be bridged.
"But I'd like to make sure that this discussion is actually a discussion, and not just us trading talking points."
10:17 a.m.: Obama says he has looked at the various health care plans out there. "There is overlap. It's not perfect overlap, it's not 100 percent overlap, but there's some overlap."
Obama says he thinks the health care plan he released Monday is "the best blend of the House and the Senate legislation that's already passed."
10:12 a.m.: Obama is delivering opening remarks. The summit has four themes: cost control, deficit reduction, insurance reform and expanding coverage.
10:04 a.m.: President Obama walks into the Garden Room of the Blair House.
9:50 a.m.: Lawmakers are taking their seats at the Blair House, site of Thursday's health care summit. The house, which is the official guest house of the president, has been the scene of historic moments that go far beyond a diplomatic hotel.
Related: Health care summit site already a part of presidential history
9:47 a.m.: CNN's Ed Henry reports: The administration's new goal for passing the final health care legislation is by Friday, March 26, three top Democratic sources tell CNN. If Congress misses the deadline, lawmakers will have to move back to other issues like job creation and unfinished spending bills.
The new deadline adds more pressure to the White House negotiations because it gives the president only one month after Thursday's summit to get a final package completed or else he will risk seeing his signature domestic issue go down in flames.
9:36 a.m.: From CNN's Dan Lothian, who is serving as pool reporter: At the president's seat is a small clock. Each setting has a Blair House notepad, pencil and napkin. At House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's seat, there is a black notebook and two pens.
9:35 a.m.: A source in the Congressional Republican leadership tells CNN they are not inviting an additional party member to today's health care summit, rejecting a late offer by the White House to include another Republican and underscoring the animosity which built in the day before the summit. This, after officials in the Obama administration invited an additional Democrat, Sen. Ron Wyden of Oregon and an additional Republican, Sen. Olympia Snowe of Maine, CNN Radio's Lisa Desjardins reports.
Republicans are furious, saying the White House insisted there was no more room at the summit for any members or staff. Wyden is expected to attend. As CNN's Dana Bash reported, Snowe declined, citing party protocol.
7:30 a.m.: Republican Sen. John Cornyn of Texas tells CNN the health care summit "is about theater. This is not about substance, unfortunately." Cornyn is not attending the summit.
7:15 a.m.: White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs says "we're very close to health care reform for the American people." Asked he thinks Obama should have presented a plan earlier in the debate, Gibbs tells CNN's American Morning that this administration has gotten health care reform farther than it's been in seven decades. "I'm not going to second guess the process that's gotten us this close," he says.