Now is not the time to mince words.
The health care plan put forth by Obama, based on the prior Senate bill, is so destructive on so many levels that it must be opposed without regard to political fallout.
The Obama plan contains fiscal gimmicks and gamesmanship which will lead to crushing deficits and debt; sanctions government intrusion into our lives unlike anything we have seen before; will lead to the destruction of a private insurance system which, while not perfect, delivers coverage to the overwhelming majority of Americans in a satisfactory manner; will result in the demoralization of our most honored profession, reducing medical care to the lowest common denominator in the cause of a false sense of fairness; and reflects the ultimate hubris of ideological, power drunk people who have proven themselves unworthy of our trust and who express, time and again, their disdain for the people they claim to serve.
I have not forgotten Obama's moment of honesty in San Francisco. In the grandiose, patronizing health care plan, Obama is to his own self being true. Obama thinks he knows better than the rest of us what is best for us, and he is incapable of appreciating why people cannot be convinced otherwise.
And the Democrats in Congress are even worse. Harry Reid and Chuck Schumer notably have expressed disgust and hurled insults at anyone who opposes them, as they grin and smirk their way forward. The latest spin is that Mary Landrieu and Ben Nelson are "warming" to budget reconciliation to evade the Senate filibuster rule supposedly due to Republican obstruction. They really must think we are stupid.
Obama's plan is neither a starting point nor an endpoint. It is a dead end of government expansion paid for with borrowed money and developed through a process in which Democrats have refused to consider alternatives to bigger government.
Now is not the time to hand Democrats the legislative rope with which to fiscally hang this nation. The Democrats' scheme needs to be fought every step of the way until the Democrats drop their plan to usurp one-sixth of the economy.
Then and only then will there be a basis to accomplish the types of reforms on which there is widespread consensus. These consensus reforms could have been accomplished many months ago but for the overreaching of Democratic leaders who misread the meaning of the 2008 election and who are out of touch with the country in 2009-2010.
Putting window dressing on a destructive, twisted plan is a fool's game in which we should not be a willing participant.
And then let the political chips fall where they may.
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Related Posts:
Will Obamacare Kill Miracle Cures?
Obama's Plan In Two Words
Health Summit A Manufactured Political Crisis
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The response to Obama should be 4 words: Newfoundland Premier Danny Williams.
ReplyDelete"I need wider powers!" - Wesley Mouch in Atlas Shrugged
ReplyDeleteYeah, what Cyd said.
ReplyDeleteAnd here's what Danny said:
"This was my heart, my choice and my health," Williams said late Monday from his condominium in Sarasota, Fla.
"I did not sign away my right to get the best possible health care for myself when I entered politics."
you usual good analysis, Professor--continue the fight
ReplyDeleteI don't think the House has the votes. The House version barely passed by a simple majority last time 220-215. In order for this albatross to go through, the House has to gag down the Senate bill. Since the Senate bill passed, the landscape in the House has changed considerably. Jack Murta is at room temperature, Bob Wexler ihas retired, Bart Stupak and Joseph Cao have suddenly grown backbones. All this considered, it still does not include a dozen or so Blue DOgs that are fighting for their political lives. It's going to take one hell of a hail mary to pull this one out.
ReplyDeleteWhile all this is going on, why are so many establishment Republicans choosing now to attack us "GOP haters" while defending the Gangs of McCain who orchestrated this mess in the first place? In other words, why is the GOP once again assisting the Democrats? The reaction to Glenn Beck and Ron Paul at the CPAC convention last week was very disturbing.
ReplyDeleteThey can "message" all they want as the "party of no" but it their ceaseless efforts to co-opt or trip up the Tea Party movement that reveals why we need to purge the GOP. That is why we hate THIS Republican party. THEY are the problem, not US. Fix the problem already. The political pendulum is NOT swinging your way GOP.
Spence: Paul Ryan said on CNBC this morning that his informal vote count indicated Pelosi didn't have the votes--yet. He went on to say she is a very effective arm twister, pointing out that she didn't have the votes for cap and trade until shortly before the vote.
ReplyDeleteThis whole thing is so bizarre. The far left Democrat members of Congress are on the ledge threatening to jump and take the American economy and future prosperity with them. The Republicans and majority of the public are screaming trying to talk them off the ledge, while the MSM and socialist blogs are urging them to jump.
"We" elected these irresponsible assclowns.
It is not clear the senate will be able to pass ObamaCare via reconciliation and they may not even have the votes in the Senate or House for a simple majority. Even Rockefeller is "saying" he won't vote for it via reconciliation. The mood of the people may just scare them away from using tricks which could very well require Biden as President of the Senate to override the parliamentarian who may likely rule that reconciliation can not be used for ObamaCare. We may yet hear from Sen. Byrd who wrote the book on reconciliation. They would need a 2/3 vote to change the rules for either reconciliation or limit the filibusters even more or outlaw them; or have Biden "reinterpret" the rule. That is very risky and hasn't been done since 1974. Reconciliation is to be only used for "SPENDING BILLS" to prevent the government from being SD due to a small minority of senators using the filibuster. So the Dems would have to admit that ObamaCare is a spending bill and that is problematic in itself.
ReplyDeleteI don't put it past them to do one of the above since they are arrogant and tone deaf, but as things stand now, the Democratic party could self destruct as did the Whigs over slavery. There are just too many perople that know too much about what is and has happened in DC to get away with this. Anyway, although the some of the taxes start right away, it is years before the policies become implemented. When those who are not following this get a tax bill or lose their jobs because companies don't want to pay the costs, more will wake up.
The "health care summit" is the final act to the democrat assembly of the Frankenpig of a bill. The Ds have swept up a few hundred hams, several tons of bacon and thousands of pork chops and stuffed it all into a huge pig carcass of a bill. Now they plan to let the Republicans select the lipstick color. If the Rs fall for this sham they will be co-conspirators in this travesty.
ReplyDeleteNow is not the time to hand Democrats the legislative rope with which to fiscally hang this nation.
ReplyDeleteNo, the time to had Democrats the rope was when we as a nation elected Obama and the Demo-mutts in Congress.
We screwed up really, really badly and now we're going to pay for it.
Mr. Jacobson, you are right on the spot. We have to fight this thing one voter at a time.
ReplyDeleteBut here's another perspective: the entire 2000+page Health Care Bill could turn out to be a giant "Roach Motel" for Democrats. Can't you see them during their closed door meetings, all crawling into it for some big-government sugar?
If we do our work and campaign like we mean it, after 2010 and 2012 we can throw it and them into the trash, then start over and do it right.
Paul, I've come to think that Obama's election was the best thing to happen since electing Reagan. Now the frog has awakened to the fact he's being boiled.
ReplyDeleteI'm not a fortune teller. I don't know what could happen to make the bill pass or not. I do know that if it does pass, the finance bills left to pass, money for education in bills to come - all will have bleeding heart endorsement but no basis in reality. We will be seen as the party of no forever unless we truly create legislative alternatives - and effective public service educational blips to educate the populace about what is really happening. They really believe you can get something for nothing. Going forward, we need to refine our strategy and sharpen our arrows.
ReplyDeleteWell-said, Professor! Thank you.
ReplyDelete