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9/10/2009
Just say No to Fantasyland
Nothing new. Same old stuff, Clintonesque in how it spoke to the polls. Tell everyone everything they want to hear. No caps on spending, no limits for seniors, no change in your plan or your doctor, no cost to you of course. No suffering for any American. AND no deficit.
It was beautiful oratory and exquisite politics. But at some point, Americans must start listening to the words. And I don’t mean the heart-strings anecdotes. This is folly.
Rep. Paul Ryan (why didn’t he deliver the GOP’s response?) is spot on.
Tonight marked the President’s 28th major health care address this year. As thousands of Wisconsinites made clear to me at my health care town halls in August, we don’t need another speech; we want a fresh start on real reform – patient-centered, fiscally-responsible reform. The President delivered an articulate speech, but his plan fails to fix what’s broken, and instead breaks what’s working.
The Washington-centric health care overhaul being pushed through Congress is not the only way to tackle this issue. Wisconsinites know better; Wisconsinites deserve better. Democrats, Republicans, and Independents alike continue to offer substantive alternatives – proving that we can have universal access to health coverage in America without the government taking it over, without trillions in new taxes, spending, and debt. If President Obama is sincere in asking for better ideas – ideas that can garner bipartisan support – he must be willing to consider them. As Shoebox lamented, “Obama could have saved us all a bunch of time and just told us to reread HR 3200.”
And by the way, what bill was it that he kept talking about?
I noticed the camera find Sen. Max Baucus during the speech. His demeanor was professional, but behind the polite countenance, he seemed to say “Ok buster, if you think it’s so easy, why don’t you get down here in the trenches (instead of holing up in Cape Cod and Camp David) and do it?” Did you hear the nervous laughter (it had to be bipartisan) when the President said “While there remains significant details to be worked out…” ? Ya think? Obama didn’t crack a smile – he wasn’t joking! Geez.
Ok, just a couple of tidbits.
Illegal immigrants
Did Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina “lie” when he accused President Obama of lying about illegal immigrants? PolitiFact says yes, but no. Several good sources here – you decide. I think it’s pretty clear some (how many?) illegal immigrants are aided extensively via taxpayer dollars in our health care system today. That only changes when the government gets its act together on immigration…
Abortion
It’s pretty clear HR 3200 would not prevent federal dollars being used for abortions. One of the easier Obama lies to shine light on.
The Republicans have no plan
This really irks me. Obama is absolutely wrong about it. Republicans, conservatives, libertarian think tanks, private sector health care experts – they all have plans. I don’t know what it was that Republican congressmen were waving last night, but I’m assuming it was the Coburn-Ryan Patients Choice Act. Or maybe it was any of hundreds of white papers and research works by think tanks documenting the way of smaller government and greater personal responsibility. Obama is wrong to ever say “they have no plan.”
No deficit? What?
Whatever plan Obama advocated yesterday or is advocating today or will be advocating tomorrow, it simply does not add up. How did Obama actually keep a straight face with “I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to the deficit now or in the future” ? You have got to be kidding me. America (YOU, ME) cannot keep giving Americans everything for nothing.
Don Boudreaux sums it up for me:
Why does there exist a widespread sense that each of us, as individuals, is incapable of — or should not be obliged to — providing for our own health-care needs in the same way that we provide for our own grocery needs, our own household-furniture needs, our own automobile-insurance needs, and many other of our needs? Mr. President? Why?
Jo Egelhoff, FoxPolitics.net
COMMENTS
Welcome to Fantasyland indeed. In the Fantasyland inhabited by Jo Egelhoff and others, Rep. Joe Wilson didn't really utter the disrespectful falsehood, "You lie," on the floor of a joint session of Congress.
See: http://tinyurl.com/koh9d4
Maybe he didn't apologize for those words afterwards, either. You can never trust those media.
In Fantasyland, the truth easily becomes a "lie."
Also in Fantasyland, insurance companies don't cheat their customers, and people don't die as a result.
As a result, in Fantasyland there is no reason to hold the insurance companies accountable, because they do a "Heckuva job, Blackie."
In Fantasyland, the folks who lost last November still think they run the country and, astonishingly, think they know best how to run the country.
In Fantasyland, the economy is doing well, going gangbusters. There, the banksters never bilked the American people.
What a great place. Can you guy a ticket, or do you have to drink Kool Aid to get in?
Rich Eggleston (Thu Sep 10 08:40:08 2009)
Jo here is what everything in your article fails to address. I know you know this but if nobody talks about it there is no reality. Understand that all people recieve health care but few pay for it. The ones that recieve it and do not pay for it are receiving many times the most expensive medical care that we have to offer (emergency room care). If hospitals turned away everyone that could not afford to recieve the care that they receive, than we would not be talking. Let me ask you this question. If you end up in the emergancy room having a heart attack and that heart attack turns nearly fatal but not quite. You unexpectedly end up in intensive care for months and your bill when all is said and done is 4 million dollars and your insurance only covers 70% of that. That leaves you with a 1.2 million dollar bill. Are you prepared to write the hospital out a check for that on the way out the door or did you prepay before they admitted you to ensure that the hospital was covered under any potential cercomstances that might arise when you came in the door on a stretcher begging someone to save your life and they did. Too dramatic for you, tough that's what happens to people and hospitals every day of the week. Republicans and democrats may have other proposals but guess what the first one to hit the table gets the lions share of the attention. That's also the way it work in the private sector. The rest are just followers and recieve the crumbs. Republicans have had years to come up with health care reform and have done nothing but watch costs go through the roof over their time in office. Reagan Bush, Bush years have left us no closer to health care reform. Fear of a step forward means to me that status quo is what is really wanted. That's what we had. I am not afraid to step forward and make something better and not allow it to continue down the path of self destruction. If the new plan does not work the current one is not working either. That's our reality.
Mike (Thu Sep 10 09:01:02 2009)
This morning our own representative Kind a respected Republican indicated on WPR that the two sides are closer on the issues that the extremes of either party would suggest. Perpetuating this idea that it is fantasy land is not productive. Kind indicated that the two sides were in real agreement on about 85% of the critical issues. What about doing one of your blogs and developing a fact based critical analysis of the remaing issues to be resolved and potential solutions. I am sick no pun intended of the constant drumbeat of inananity spewing forth from the extreme wings of both parties. Put up or shut up.
billie (Thu Sep 10 09:38:14 2009)
Wow - the moonbats are out tonight!
Rep. Wilson's shouted comment was certainly disrespectful, but after listening to our Great Leader's past pronouncements I have to say it doesn't meet the requirements of a falsehood. Does anyone with a brain seriously consider that the new, improved socialist medical scheme will "not add a single dime to the deficit;" or that it won't cover citizens of other countries? Those are falsehoods. Have some more Kool Aid.
And the cheating insurance companies - those devils in Brooks Brothers suits! We've never been cheated by the federal government, like with Social Security. They wouldn't fleece our tax money out of our national socialistic retirement and disability plan and keep moving the years you can retire farther away, would they? Our good ol' Uncle Sam wouldn't cheat us - we can trust him with our health and our lives. Here, have another glass of cyanide-flavored Kool Aid.
I can't even imagine the monster stretch of imagination that brings a $4 million intensive care bill to hospitals "every day of the week." OK - you've had enough Kool Aid for today. Just set the glass down and walk away.
Unfortunately the transformational socialistic health care proposals that move our very health and well-being into political hands isn't a step forward as we "head down the path of self destruction," it's a head-long leap straight off a cliff.
Like so many other Americans, I don't trust a centralized government to do things for me that I can do for myself and my neighbors. I most certainly don't want the feds putting health care in the same category as they did the auto business. Cash for clunkers in health care? I think not!
Duke (Thu Sep 10 09:40:22 2009)
Duke, thanks for adding your nickel's worth. I appreciate it! When he wasn't repeating platitudes and anecdotes, President Obama found several places to stretch the truth. No Republican plan (just for example...)? Won't sign a bill that "doesn't contribute to the deficit."? Yeah, right.
Billie, Rep. Ron Kind is a Democrat. Conservatives will continue to believe that we consumers must be a major element of the solution, making decisions for ourselves instead of 53 bureaucracies being created to make decisions for us. I've offered suggestion after suggestion. Controlling costs is absolutely basic - and current congressional bills do very little of that, relying instead on government control of the markets. Remove all or most tax exemptions for employer-paid health insurance, facilitate easy-to-compare policies and transparency, facilitate cost and quality transparency so consumers have the information to make informed choices and subsidize costs of insurance for low income families. Allow portability between jobs and between states. Cover pre-existing conditions. I've been out front with solutions; you're welcome to offer yours here if you'd like.
Once again Mike, it's obvious you've not done anything to inform yourself about costs in the system. How many times have you reviewed a bill, how many times have you called with questions about the amount? If you were charged for two packages of T-Bones instead of one, would you ask for a refund?
The bills currently active in committees do not make our health care system "better." They increase reliance of Americans on their government - because citizens like you don't think they have any responsibility to scrutinize health care costs and health care utilization. The drama of saving lives in emergencies doesn't have a place in the discussion here. When overall health care costs are controlled, when individual consumers have a say in prices that are charged - before or after procedures - then and only then will the system be "better."
Jo (Thu Sep 10 09:55:15 2009)
Of course democrats NEVER shout out presidents or do they? "Congressman Stark’s Disgusting Rant Against President Bush Ignored By Nets" A United States Congressman stood on the floor of the House of Representatives on Thursday and said that kids are being sent "to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the president`s amusement."
Patricia McNaughton (Thu Sep 10 13:54:40 2009)
Jo, thanks for setting Billie straight. I almost swallowed my gum when I read that Ron Kind is a Republican. LOL
Wow! We have 4 million dollar hospital bills all the time? I'm tempted to yell out just like Joe Wilson on that one.
Doesn't it occur to the first 3 posters that government is the problem? Almost every problem with insurance can be laid at the door of big government. We must buy our insurance within Wisconsin state boundaries. Why? We bought our car insurance from an out of state insurer because it was cheaper. I'd like to be able to do the same with health insurance.
How about capping medical malpractice suits which result in doctors having to buy liability insurance for absolutely astronomical costs?
Republican representative Paul Ryan wants Americans to be able to select their insurance plans to suit their particular needs, the way Congress does.
Did you know that Congress is not included in this plan? They get to keep their own present insurance.
Jo is correct about the plan covering abortion. Several lawmakers have tried to make sure this is spelled out in the plan and they can't even get it out of committee, much less into the bill where it can be voted on.
Joe Wilson was correct when he said the president lied about illegal aliens being eligible to be covered in this bill. Lawmakers tried to have an inserttion in the bill to make sure illegals were not covered and it was voted down in committee. What does that tell you?
Do you really want a bill passed by congress that doesn't have specific language in it and after the bill is passed they'll "work out the details." Did you hear people (bipartisan) laugh when he said there were "details to be worked out"? Practically everything has to be worked out.
President Obama is trying to sell us a pig in a poke and he can try to smear 10 pounds of lipstick on it but it's still the same old pig.
C.R. Stevenson (Thu Sep 10 16:09:49 2009)
I did my entire internet radio show that nite on his speech (www,revolutionbroadcasting.com, "The Voice of Liberty" 8PM M-F)
No time to give all the arguments, but the president had a hard time convincing me that he was somehow between the left and the right, that the bill would increase the number of people covered, add greatly to the bureacracy, skim off a few billion$ for his friends at ACORN and STILL cost less!!
"No death panels..." Technically true, but you put the pronouncements of his adviser, Ezekial Emmanuel(we must look not just at the good of the patient, but how the "greater good" can be served by money that would be spent on....old, mentally or otherwise handicapped..) with the fact that health care panels ARE in HR3200, it is not such a far stretch.
"no coverage for illegals..." but his justice dept sent out a letter telling locals to NOT be so rigorous in ascertaining citizenship in order to qualify for funds.
"no funding for abortions" remember, this is proposed by the same left that thinks that not only health care, but government paid abortions are fundamental rights.
There were more, lots more lies and half truths that I have not time for now. However, I will take a clue from Mr. Obama, and hold lieing politicians accountable. I am starting at the top.
To be sure Jo, you are correct in seeing parallels to Clinton's appeal to the polls. However, Felonious Bill was such a convincing liar that he convinced himself. BHO does not have that talent.
Ken Van Doren (Fri Sep 11 04:44:03 2009)
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