Here’s another stunning example of President Obama’s refusal to reverse course after a mistake. You may recall that the administration announced it would transfer the accused 9/11 plotters, currently held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, from military custody to the civilian courts and hold their trial in New York City, site of the worst terrorist attack on U.S. soil. There was a tremendous backlash from the people and local politicians that had the administration back peddling fast. The notion of 9/11 terror trials near Ground Zero was seemingly put to rest.

But Couric broached the subject during her Super Bowl pre-game interview, and Obama said, “I have not ruled it out, but I think it’s important for us to take into account the practical, logistical issues involved. I mean, if you have a city that is saying no, and a police department that is saying no, and a mayor that is saying no, that makes it difficult.”

That’s just like his response to socialized medicine. Even with overwhelming liberal majorities, Congress can’t get it done. The American people said no in town hall protests last summer. They’ve said no in poll after and poll since then. And Massachusetts voters shouted “Don’t you dare!” and denied Obama his cherished Senate supermajority. But Obama hasn’t gotten the message. Far from the “audacity of hope,” that’s the audacity of arrogance.

By the way, while the president is still pursuing the idea of civilian trials for admitted terrorists, I’d like to observe again that three Navy SEALS accused of giving a high profile terrorist a fat lip are being tried in a military tribunal – the same tribunals that Obama and his allies say would be unfair for terrorists. In what bizarre world do jihadists get more constitutional rights than our brave soldiers?

As I was watching the Super Bowl and saw the opening coin toss, I was reminded that conservatives had better be careful about the White House’s offensive game. This administration is constantly on the attack. It’s very good at manipulating events to its advantage and changing the rules mid-game.

For example, President Obama talked about healthcare reform during a pre-game interview with CBS’s Katie Couric. He said, “I want to … have a large meeting — Republicans and Democrats — to go through, systematically, all the best ideas that are out there and move it forward.” Yesterday, the White House announced plans for a “healthcare summit” on February 25th. According to various reports, the president has promised that this summit will be televised live, presumably on C-Span.

Last week I wrote that the administration and congressional Democrats had totally ignored any ideas conservatives put forward during last year’s healthcare debate. In his statement to Couric, Obama essentially admitted as much. If they had been receptive to conservative ideas and input all along, then they never would have attempted a Big Government takeover of the healthcare industry and this summit would not be necessary.

But when conservatives said they were willing to work with the president, they weren’t talking about TV shows. As we saw from last week’s televised Q&A between the president and House conservatives, the entire event was staged for Obama’s benefit. Conservative members of Congress were faceless, off-camera voices, while the president stood behind the podium like a smug college professor lecturing his pupils. He wasn’t there to negotiate in good faith; he was there to score points with his leftwing base and convince the public that he was “reaching out.”

When conservatives said they wanted discussions to be televised, they didn’t mean choreographed Obama campaign rallies. They meant, as Candidate Obama promised, all key meetings in which substantive decisions were being made.

Call me skeptical, but I expect this summit is just another sham attempt to give Obama the appearance of bi-partisanship. The media will sing his praises and give him as much cover as possible. But the differences between the two parties are tremendous and can’t be glossed over in one made-for-TV “summit.” I suspect the president knows that, and all this is just for show – a play fake that allows Obama to say “I tried” and sets the stage for liberals to “go nuclear,” ramming ObamaCare through using budget reconciliation rules.

Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell isn’t falling for it. In a statement this weekend, Sen. McConnell responded to the summit suggestion by saying, “If we are to reach a bipartisan consensus, the White House can start by shelving the current health spending bill, and with it their goal of slashing a half trillion dollars from Medicare and raising a half trillion in new taxes. The American people want lower costs, not Medicare cuts and tax increases. Setting these proposals aside would be a sign that the administration and Democrats in Congress are listening to the country and are truly interested in a bipartisan approach.” Stay tuned.