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Reid's health plan puts end to Democrats' charade
The announcement by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, this week that the health care bill he plans to introduce will include a government-run insurance plan is welcome for at least one reason: it officially ends the political pretense that congressional Democrats ever really wanted a bipartisan reform plan.
Come to think of it, Reid’s announcement is welcome for another reason as well: it frees Republicans from trying to make a government-run, budget-busting, tax-increasing behemoth of a national health care plan more palatable to a majority of Americans whom polls show have a decidedly negative view of it.
In announcing his intention to reintroduce a government-run health insurance plan that was voted down in a key Senate committee only last month, Reid is quietly conceding what has long been obvious, that his party is ultimately controlled by the extreme left fringe — those who see big government as the answer to every problem from controlling global temperatures to deciding who receives a tonsillectomy.
The result is that even if Reid can ultimately coerce or cajole a magic 60 votes from his fellow Democrats (Sen. Joe Lieberman who caucuses with Democrats says he will block any vote on it), his party will fully and irrevocably own a hugely expensive and disruptive government program that the public simply doesn’t want and that the nation cannot afford.
The reason a majority of Americans don’t support a government-run health care plan isn’t due to misinformation or ideological caprice. Rather, it’s the Abbott and Costello-style arithmetic that Democrats keep using to sell their program.
Congressional Democrats continue to insist that their $1 trillion-plus health reform scheme is actually deficit-neutral. As a matter of fact, they argue, by spending more on health care, we will actually reduce the nation’s skyrocketing medical care costs.
Democrats also insist, with a straight face, that a half-trillion dollars can be squeezed from Medicare and Medicaid — all without reducing a single service or medical procedure in either program.
This, despite the fact that both programs are already chronically underfunded. Medicare, alone, carries a staggering unfunded mandate of tens of trillions of dollars.
Vaudeville math — as opposed to the real thing — is funny precisely because the audience is “in” on the joke. But with congressional Democrats’ government-run health care plan, the joke is on the American people — and they know it. The punchline is equally unfunny, since under a government-run plan, the vast majority of Americans will be forced to pay more for less health care.
President Obama and his fellow Democrats seem obsessed by the desire to fundamentally alter health care, but polls show most Americans are focused first and foremost on the economy. It does not surprise, therefore, to see President Obama’s poll numbers in free-fall as he pursues what a majority of Americans consider, at best, a distraction from the more urgent task of job creation.
President Obama entered the White House nine months ago with a 78 percent approval rating.
By April, Obama’s approval rating had declined to 62 percent. This past week, Gallup’s daily tracking poll put the president at 53 percent.
According to that respected polling group, the decline in Barack Obama’s popularity since July, alone, has been the steepest of any president at the same stage of his first term for more than 50 years.
President Obama and congressional Democrats need to stop pursuing a clearly disastrous path toward government-run health care and turn their attention instead to where it needs to be focused: on the economy and job creation.
In that, they will not only redeem the promise of bipartisanship Obama pledged to bring to his presidency, but he and his party will also have the support and gratitude of the American people.
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The Dems won't listen to any other ideas but their own. They have not listened to other options, and not invited any one other than Dems to the closed door meetings. I guess BHO's idea of bipartisanship has changed since being elected. Sometimes you need to offer an olive branch.
Last week I submitted for consideration and in response,to a letter written by a Mr. Sabri, 2 studies showing the relationship between third party payors and the increase in healthcare inflation and the fact that healthcare inflation still is skyrocketing in countries that have developed government run "comprehensive" healthcare systems, similar to the proposed Obamacare, Medicare Part E, Public Option or whatever Reid or Pelosi want to call it today. The data in one case went back to 1960, the data in the other to 1970. To date, there has been some questions asked about why this and not that, but no factual evidence to indicate the studies were wrong. In which case, why do we want to follow a path we KNOW has been unsuccessful in achieving the goal of moderating healthcare inflation and not consider other options? Afterall, the President says it will do just that. Historical record says no it won't. I've alsocited the recent problems with Commonwealth care regarding freedom of choice and retention of doctors. No reply. Why?
To Oliver the Victim:Exactly who has locked who out of the process? When Reid merged the Senate plans together, tell me how many Republicans were in that room? Can you cite just 1 factual example when such an event occurred whe the Republicans were in the majority? Also, how's my typing and spelling today?
Lana Kennedy: Using words that evoke emotion and not thought why that's almost Obamaian or Orwellian.
To Peter Stevenson: In principle, I tend to agree with your point. The problem is how to unwind the financial behemouth that Medicare has become without adversely impacting the people who become dependent on government(taxpayer) largess. They were made promises by the political class for the past 45 years so there is some type of moral obligation involved, even though they and we were lied to from day 1.
The USA can support over 290,000 Ultra Orthdox Jewish men and their familys who do not work till after age 40. They only study the Koran but Israel has Free National Health Care and they get welfare.
U.S. Aide amounts to over $50 Million Dollars a day. This going to one of the richest countrys in the world.
In the USA single moms who are rasing American Kids are watched by hawks if they get $1 Dollar extra their befints are cut by $4 Dollars.
Americans are not smart enough to even understanf the Federal Reserve Central Banking System. Most do not even know that the END GAME of the Central Banking System is a war bettwen ther Citizerns and the Banks. Well the End Game is here.
The Public Option is purely a defensive move for Citizens to protect themselves from the Banks. Even if you homeless when the Banks finish claiming their spoils you can get health care.
If you think the thing with the Banks is over your wrong. The banks are constantly threatening to crash the U.S. Economy and drive us into a deep depression if they do not get their way.
Correct me if I'm wrong (and you know you will) but doesn't it take TWO parties to have bipartisanship? The Republicans have thus far done nothing to indicate their willingness to be bipartisan, so the only thing left to do is for Democrats to flex their muscles, just as Republicans did when they were in power.
They surely didn't try for bipartisanship!
I do not know who wrote this article since no by-line is given, but I am left to assume it is by the editor. For an editor of a newspaper to write an article opposing (or supporting) something, giving facts, and making his/her case is wonderful (I strongly encourage it). For an editor of a newspaper to write an article opposing something, using the verbiage used in this article, is disgraceful. How can anyone trust the truthfulness of news articles if an editor can't write a persuasion piece without using such terms as coerce, scheme, cajole, etc. These words are used to evoke emotion, not thought.
Personally,I think we need medicare for all or medicare for none. We should be done drawing any arbitrary lines between who is worthy and unworthy in society.
What is not a solution is defending the status quo based on fear of costs.
Interesting article.
I do agree that if the Dems force a vote, and get the Healthcare bill passed- it will be solely theirs and theirs alone. There will be *NO* blame they can pin on anyone else, when that wretched plan wrecks havoc on an already-beaten economy.
Go ahead and vote for it, morons. Don't let out a single whimper when you're booted from office.
Of course, they'll only be replaced with contemptible Republicans. *sigh*
Good article.