Wednesday, July 22, 2009

Tonight's Obamacare Cheerleading Session

Obamacare is sinking.

There is disarray in the House with dozens of Dems publicly saying they won't support it, and in the Senate we're now hearing that Obama's plea for a vote before the August recess just isn't going to happen. Most importantly, an increasing majority -- now 53% -- of Americans are opposed to Obamacare. The numbers indicate a 14-point swing from just last month, including 2 to 1 opposition in Independents and huge majority opposition throughout all segments of the middle class.

All this is giving the White House some nuclear caliber heartburn, as Obama is on record saying this is his primary legislative objective for the year. He is hanging his hat on Obamacare, and to lose it would not only puncture his image as an invincible President, but it would also gush blood in the water for every other issue to come.

In fact, Obama is apparently so desperate to claim success on this issue that though he doesn't even support the actual bill in either house of Congress, he will probably sign whatever bill lands on his desk.

Reverting back to campaign mode once again, the One again took to network television tonight to beg the American people to buy his load of garbage. How did it go? Well...let's just say it wasn't his best performance. RedState summarizes:

Tonight’s presser was simply more of the same from the self-styled “agent of change” and “post-partisan politician”: Pure politics, unwavering liberal ideology, appallingly transparent scare tactics, demonization of a nameless opposition, and an argument so thick with straw men that the President had better wait until he’s several hundred meters away to light his next cigarette, lest the entire building go up in flames.

Obama’s declaration tonight that the health care overhaul debate is “not about [him],” because he has “great health insurance, and so does every member of Congress” is pure canned comedy.

First of all, the claim that this is “not about” him is laughable on its face, given his accusation that those in his own party who don’t drop their objections to the fact the health overhaul bills currently in Congress will cause costs and deficits to skyrocket while utterly failing to improve coverage and care are “going to destroy [his] presidency.”

Second, everybody knows Obama and Congress have, as the President put it, “great health insurance.” The problem is that the coverage he and his Congressional allies are attempting to foist on the rest of us is far from “great.” If it were on par with what he and Congress are receiving now, then neither Obama nor his Congressional allies would object to Reps. Roy Blunt (R-MO) and John Fleming’s (R-LA) amendments that would automatically disenroll all federal elected officials from the President on down from their current “great health insurance” and replace that insurance with the Democrats’ proposed “public option” — government-run insurance plan — as their sole source of health coverage.

Like the failed “stimulus package,” President Obama is set on imposing his will on both Congress and the American people by ramming through a thousand-plus page bill that would be transformational to our economic system before any — including those expected to vote on it — have had a chance to read through it, let alone assess the proposal’s short- and long-term consequences (both intended and unintended).

The reason for this is clear. Unlike the “stimulus,” the health care overhaul isn’t a case of “not wasting a crisis,” as White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel so bluntly framed the “stimulus” debate earlier this year. Rather, Obama is seeking to shove his health care overhaul through Congress, and to impose it on the American people, as quickly as possible because every day that goes by it — like him — becomes less popular with those who will have to deal with its rules, regulations, and intended and unintended effects.

The fact that a majority of Americans don’t want any part of Obama’s government-centric health care overhaul masquerading as “reform” hasn’t stopped this elected executive or his allies among those who supposedly represent the will of their constituents. Instead, it has made the thin-skinned, hyper-partisan President Obama ratchet up his rhetoric even higher, taking on a full blown “You’re Either With Us or Against America” stance that cannot help but remind Americans of what he really (amazingly) is: the living embodiment of the left’s hated caricature of his predecessor.

Ace of Spades goes into a few of the gory details:

For those who missed it, the President went very low tonight. I'm not talking about the lies (there were too many to recount here), the contortions ("I'm not attacking Republicans" about two minutes after attacking Republicans), and the incoherence (e.g. "Senior citizens who right now have a so-called donut hole in their plan, where after spending a certain amount on prescription drugs suddenly they drop off a cliff and they've got to pocket the entire cost, suddenly half of that is filled.").

I'm talking about foot-in-mouth soundbites. Let's count them down:

4. The Sacrifices Americans Must Make

The question was: "Do you think -- do you accept the premise that other than some tax increases on the wealthiest Americans, the American people are going to have to give anything up in order for this to happen?"

The president answered: "They're going to have to give up paying for things that don't make them healthier. And I -- speaking as an American, I think that's the kind of change you want."

Like cheeseburgers and cigarettes and alcohol and cars that drive faster than 25 miles per hour?

3. Economics 101 FAIL

"Having a public plan out there that also shows that maybe if you take some of the profit motive out, maybe if you are reducing some of the administrative costs, that you can get an even better deal, that's going to incentivize the private sector to do even better."

2. I Don't Know Anything, But I Know the Police Acted Stupidly

On the professor arrested following a confrontation with a police officer after he broke into his own house: "Skip Gates is a friend, so I may be a little biased here. I don't know all the facts. ...

"Now, I don't know, not having been there and not seeing all the facts, what role race played in that. But I think it's fair to say, number one, any of us would be pretty angry; number two, that the Cambridge police acted stupidly."

1. Doctors Want to Take Your Kids' Tonsils For Profit

Again, another answer unrelated to any question asked: "Right now, doctors a lot of times are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that's out there. So if they're looking and you come in and you've got a bad sore throat or your child has a bad sore throat or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, "You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid's tonsils out."

In all, he had some very clear villains in tonight's performance: doctors, insurers, Republicans, and the Cambridge police department. A full transcript of the press conference is available here.

In short, he's getting desperate.

Now, don't go soft...if he can round up -- i.e. buy off -- enough Dems in the House, Obamacare will happen. Though he's now fighting an uphill battle, it's still one that he could win.

Unless the American people get involved. Take a moment to call your Senators and Representative, and tell them what you think of Obamacare. The middle class gets results when it decides to engage in politics, so this is your chance to be heard on one of the most critical issues of our day.

Then, there's one thing left to do: hang this issue as an anchor around Obama's neck. The responsibility for even attempting to do this to America needs to land solidly where it truly lies. If that happens, we'll see another change in 2010, and it won't be heading to the Left.

There's my two cents.

No comments: