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Obama's Never-Ending Health Care Speech
As the president readies an even more intense media campaign to promote his health care proposals, George Will theorizes why the effort isn't working.
His incessant talking cannot combat what it has caused: An increasing number of Americans do not believe that he believes what he says.
He says America's health-care system is going to wrack and ruin and requires root-and-branch reform—but that if you like your health care (as a large majority of Americans do), nothing will change for you. His slippery new formulation is that nothing in his plan will "require" anyone to change coverage. He used to say, "If you like your health-care plan, you'll be able to keep your health-care plan, period." He had to stop saying that because various disinterested analysts agree that his plan will give many employers incentives to stop providing coverage for employees.
He deplores "scare tactics" but says that unless he gets his way, people will die. He praises temperate discourse but says many of his opponents are liars. He says Medicare is an exemplary program that validates government's prowess at running health systems. But he also says Medicare is unsustainable and going broke, and that he will pay for much of his reforms by eliminating the hundreds of billions of dollars of waste and fraud in this paragon of a program, and in Medicaid. He says Congress will cut Medicare (it will not) by $500 billion—without affecting benefits. [...]
He suggests health-insurance companies are making excessive profits. But since 1996, profits of the six such companies in the S&P 500 have been below the 500's average. He says a "public option"—a government insurance program—would not be subsidized to enable it to compete unfairly with private insurers. (The post office and the government's transportation -"public option," Amtrak, devour subsidies.)
I argued why Obama's cake-and-eat-it-tooism matters last week.
Kyle Jordan|9.15.09 @ 3:10PM|#
"He deplores "scare tactics" but says that unless he gets his
way, people will die. He praises temperate discourse but says many
of his opponents are liars. He says Medicare is an exemplary
program that validates government's prowess at running health
systems. But he also says Medicare is unsustainable and going
broke, and that he will pay for much of his reforms by eliminating
the hundreds of billions of dollars of waste and fraud in this
paragon of a program, and in Medicaid. He says Congress will cut
Medicare (it will not) by $500 billion-without affecting benefits.
[...]"
The above paragraph should be printed out at least 1 billion times
and dropped from planes over the whole of the United States.
Repeatedly until people get a fucking clue.
|9.15.09 @ 3:12PM|#
Just heard the Obama giving his pep talk to the AFL-CIO. Very
disturbing. I'm now ready to tar him with the Socialist
brush.
Worst president since LBJ.
Abdul|9.15.09 @ 3:15PM|#
"excessive profits"
What the hell are "excessive profits?" Any profit I ever earned was
always too small.
Steven Smith|9.15.09 @ 3:17PM|#
Since when did you become a George Will fan? Will Bill Plaschke be next?
Wicks Cherrycoke|9.15.09 @ 3:24PM|#
"Since when did you become a George Will fan? '
Obama promised to bring us together. See, it's working!
|9.15.09 @ 3:25PM|#
His incessant talking cannot combat what it has caused: An
increasing number of Americans do not believe that he believes what
he says.
That's why he should keep doing it.
Gilbert Martin|9.15.09 @ 3:27PM|#
I wish some hard hitting journalist (LOL - what a joke) whould
actually stand up to Obama and ask him this:
Mr Obama, you have specified that you want a health insurance
system that does not deny insurance for pre-existing conditions or
charge any higher premiums for those who have them, that provides a
laundry list of preventative services at no extra charge and that
subsidizes insurance for lower income people. You also proclaim
that a "public option" is needed to keep the private insurance
companies honest and that government non-profit plans are more
efficient and that we don't have to be worried about it being
unfairly subsidized by taxpayers money. There are many people in
the country who support and beleive in this.
Why don't you go ahead and set up a PRIVATE non-profit corporation
based on all those principles and invite all your supporters who
think this is a viable system to voluntarily join it?
Leave everyone else who does not want to join alone. No mandates on
private insurance companies, no mandates to anyone to buy insurance
,no taxpayer subsidies of any kind going to the private
non-profit.
Also elimiate the federal rule that requires anyone to be treated
at emergency rooms whether they can pay or not an let everyone take
their chances on whether providers are willing to provide charity
care. That should incentivize the (overstated) free riders to buy
insurance to cover themselves. Most of them are young and healthy
and could get a catastrophic coverage policy based on their own
indiviual risk profile far cheaper than you want to charge them for
being "irresponsible" (i.e avoiding subidizing the older folks you
want to force them to pay for).
Then we will see whether what you claim is a better system can
really stand up and compete on it's own.
How about it Obama?
|9.15.09 @ 3:29PM|#
He deplores "scare tactics" but says that unless he gets his
way, people will die. He praises temperate discourse but says many
of his opponents are liars. He says Medicare is an exemplary
program that validates government's prowess at running health
systems. But he also says Medicare is unsustainable and going
broke
Will my Presidential-Rhetoric induced whiplash be covered?
|9.15.09 @ 3:30PM|#
The above paragraph should be printed out at least 1 billion
times and dropped from planes over the whole of the United
States.
How about we print this on the back of all those useless $1.00
bills we are printing.
!|9.15.09 @ 3:31PM|#
The above paragraph should be printed out at least 1 billion
times and dropped from planes over the whole of the United
States.
Or write it 100 times on the walls of the Roman fortress.
|9.15.09 @ 3:31PM|#
Caring about who makes the argument rather than the argument itself is the very essence of debate.
|9.15.09 @ 3:35PM|#
George Will is my favorite Republican.
Obama seems to be confusing campaigning and governing. Tactics that
work in the former are no guarantee of success in the latter.
|9.15.09 @ 3:41PM|#
"According to the 2002 Wanless report, used by Tony Blair's
government to justify a large tax hike to fund the higher spending,
the NHS is late to adopt and slow to diffuse new technology. Still,
NHS spending more than doubled to £103 billion in 2009-10 from £40
billion in 1999-2000, equivalent to an average growth rate of over
7% a year after inflation."
But socialized medicine remember is going to cut costs.
But at least it will give better care right?
The Wanless report found that of the five countries it looked at,
the U.S. was the only one to be both an early adopter and rapid
diffuser of new medical techniques. It is the world's principal
engine driving medical advance.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203917304574412680569936844.html
Mike M.|9.15.09 @ 3:41PM|#
Wow, George Will is a racist too?
Yes, and if you read Newsweek magazine, then you know that he has
been since he was six months old.
!|9.15.09 @ 3:48PM|#
Yes, and if you read Newsweek magazine, then you know that
he has been since he was six months old.
Are they keeping the lists?
|9.15.09 @ 3:49PM|#
I like George Will too. I almost always learn a new word from reading each of his articles.
Matt Welch|9.15.09 @ 4:07PM|#
Since when did you become a George Will fan? Will Bill
Plaschke be next?
I studiously avoid his writings on baseball and popular culture.
Also, he's been on a serious libertarian jag for the last couple of
years. For instance he was the most notable big-media type on the
broad right to hammer away at John McCain's ideas on the
Constitution.
|9.15.09 @ 4:08PM|#
YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST
President Obama will resign by April of next year, just because
he's pissed & didn't get what he wanted. He and Michelle
Antoinette will take their queens-in-training daughters and move to
France or to Italy, next door to George Clooney. The whole world
will love him again, and he can learn to speak a foreign language,
like all Americans should do.
creech|9.15.09 @ 4:09PM|#
Sure, we can believe health care costs will go way down under a public system. FORBES takes a look at Germany, where health care is largely "free": the average annual number of doctor visits per German is 7.5 vs. 3.8 in the U.S. And the average German general practioner earns half what his American counterpart earns. So, we'll add millions of patients to the system and see them visit a fairly static number of doctors nearly twice as often. Surely, no cost increases or rationing will come of this? I guess not - if we mandate all health care professionals to take a 50% pay cut and work six 12 hour days.
|9.15.09 @ 4:10PM|#
Matt,
Will's bloviations on baseball are just unbearable. I stopped
reading him years ago. i would be curious to hear more about his
alledged libertarian leanings. Will always stuck me as the kind of
nerdy safe conservative who never says much or rocks the boat so
liberals like to keep him around.
Janeane Garofalo|9.15.09 @ 4:12PM|#
An increasing number of Americans do not believe that he
believes what he says.
That's racism, straight up.
|9.15.09 @ 4:24PM|#
Will is probably the most honest writer around. Obama can't be happy with this piece. I agree Will's love affair with baseball is creepy. I like the game, too, but I don't see how someone so smart can go so overboard on the significance of a game.
Gilbert Martin|9.15.09 @ 4:29PM|#
"Surely, no cost increases or rationing will come of this? I
guess not - if we...."
pretend that rationing isn't a cost to the people on the receiving
end of it.
That's they underlying logic of the rah rah believers in socialized
medicine.
Those who had a good plan before the "reform" are forced to submit
to diminished service - but we can't acknowledge that as being a
cost - oh no we can't do that.
Kline |9.15.09 @ 4:38PM|#
Britain's socialized scheme for dying patients. London's Daily
Mail reports an audit of the pathway finds that "more than a
quarter of families are not told when life support is withdrawn
from terminally-ill loved ones":
Peter Millard, emeritus professor of geriatrics at the University
of London, said: "The risk as this is rolled out across the country
is that elderly people with chronic conditions like Parkinson's or
respiratory disorders may be dismissed as dying when they could
still live for some time. "
If patients tell their doctors that they wish to die at home, that
shouldn't be taken as an excuse not to treat them in hospital if
their condition deteriorates but they still might recover with
proper care. . . . "
Discussions about the future of patients are being bypassed; the
supportive nature of hospitals has gone. We are hearing complaints
from all round the country. "
Governments have got rid of respite care and geriatric wards, so
we're left with a crisis. The Government has said let's develop a
service to help people die at home--what they should be doing is
helping them live. Only when death is unavoidable should you start
withdrawing treatment. "
The problem is that there isn't enough discussion between doctors
and patients and their relatives. Nobody is talking to them."
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1213498/Report-warns-doctors-snub-families-terminally-ill-amid-growing-use-death-pathway.html
Attorney|9.15.09 @ 4:48PM|#
"Surely, no cost increases or rationing will come of this? I
guess not - if we...."
pretend that rationing isn't a cost to the people on the receiving
end of it.
The appeal of socialism is that it makes everyone equally
miserable. It's fairer that way.
Phantom Limb|9.15.09 @ 4:56PM|#
Caring about who makes the argument rather than the argument itself is the very essence of debate.
If you weren't such a raging cockmaster dickbag assclown fuckstick
cuntface, I'd probably say something about how perfectly in tune
with internet intellectualism that quote is.
APORN|9.15.09 @ 5:00PM|#
It's gettin' good!
The fourth installment of James O'Keefe and Hannah Giles's
undercover report on ACORN is supposed to drop within the hour at
BigGovernment.com and will be aired on Glenn Beck at 5:00 p.m. This
time the duo took their sting operation to California, where an
employee named Theresa confesses that she killed her allegedly
abusive husband, and laid some "groundwork" beforehand. Beck aired
portions of the video on his radio show today, and Leslie Sherman
of The D.C. Writeup wrote it up:
10:54am: As the audio continues, James divulges his aspirations to
run for an elected office someday. In enthusiastic response,
Theresa says she speaks with Congressman and Senators every day.
She names Senator Barbara Boxer and Senator McCleod, and 62nd
district Assemblywoman Wilmer Amina Carter. Theresa says that
"Eden's" prostitution money would be an asset to him in his quest
to become a Senator or Representative.
11:01am: Regarding the legislators that she speaks with, Theresa
says that they (most likely herself and their ACORN office) are
lobbying these law makers in behalf of health care reform.
Apparently, this "non-partisan" organization that gets government
money for housing assistance is using tax dollars for health care
lobbying.
11:15am: Theresa discloses that her ex-husband abused her and "beat
the hell out of" her. She then continues to confess, "I killed him
. . . . I shot him." She notes that she had laid some "groundwork"
beforehand. When James and Hannah question her as to whether he was
abusing her when she killed him, she says that he was not at that
moment, but she knew he was going to, she said, "I knew it was
coming."
http://www.thedcwriteup.com/2009/09/glenn-beck-airs-new-acorn-video/
Sean W. Malone|9.15.09 @ 5:06PM|#
"'In life, as in baseball, we must leave the dugout of complacency, step up to the home plate of opportunity, adjust the protective groin cup of caution and swing the bat of hope at the curve ball of fate, hoping that we can hit a line drive of success past the shortstop of misfortune, then sprint down the basepath of chance, knowing that at any moment we may pull the hamstring muscle of inadequacy and fall face-first onto the field of failure, where the chinch bugs of broken dreams will crawl into our nose."
-Guess who
|9.15.09 @ 5:12PM|#
OMG Sean, that is awful. Just awful. My God that is a steaming pile of crap writing.
Mike M.|9.15.09 @ 5:20PM|#
To be fair, that wasn't actually George Will, that was Dave Barry satirizing George Will, though it is pretty damn good satire.
|9.15.09 @ 5:22PM|#
The fact that is it believable that it was Will's writing says it all. Will waxing poetic about the philosophical significance of Cal Ripkin is truely suicide inducing.
Gilbert Martin|9.15.09 @ 5:25PM|#
"The appeal of socialism is that it makes everyone equally
miserable. It's fairer that way."
That is quite true.
Not long ago I caught some snippet of an interview on CSPAN of
somebody who had written a healthcare book and he said that people
in Canada were asked what they thought about the rationing and long
waits for service, etc. going on there and the typical answer was
that they didn't mind it so much as long as they knew that
everybody else had to go through the same ordeal rich and poor
alike.
Of course in reality the rich Canadians can take off for the good
old U.S. of A. and get their service as quick as they want it.
kilroy|9.15.09 @ 5:49PM|#
"his plan will give many employers incentives to stop
providing coverage for employees."
Employers don't provide coverage, they just provide the tax
benefits for it.
period|9.15.09 @ 6:24PM|#
"If you like your health-care plan, you'll be able to keep
your health-care plan, period."
Well, I for one believe him!
SugarFree|9.15.09 @ 6:50PM|#
If you weren't such a raging cockmaster dickbag assclown
fuckstick cuntface
I can accept that. I'm very comfortable with myself.
|9.15.09 @ 6:51PM|#
Call my name. Barry, please! Save us!
All right! I'll do it! I'll save you! I will do what I dream!
SOCIALISM!
Invisible Finger|9.15.09 @ 7:23PM|#
Look, Mr. Obama has a dream. A dream of public health
care.
How dare you crush a man's dreams?
Alice Bowie|9.15.09 @ 8:20PM|#
I finally thought up a solution that will work.
It will make libertarians happy and it will make conservatives
happy.
1. Deregulate health insurance...take away all of the
regulations.
2. Create a Socialized PUBLIC PLAN which is completely voluntary
and libertarians/conservatives can stay out of them...if they wish.
This plan will be taxed at a high rate...however, it will cover all
that pay toward the tax. The usual/customary cared covered by
private insurance would be the standard for this public policy. The
government can hire Doctors/Hospitals from the tax revenues and
employee people directly and offer clinics.
3. The People that don't want healthcare or public healthcare will
NOT BE TAXED. Tax ONLY those people that selected the PUBLIC PLAN.
The Libertarians/conservatives and all those other people on TV
that don't want health insurance and prefer wars can keep their
current insurance or choose not to have insurance at all.
4. Remove ALL restrictions from hospitals/doctors from having to
treat anyone that doesn't have insurance. That is, if you don't
have medicare, medicaid, the public plan, or private
insurance...you cannot get any treatment....including emergency
treatment.
5. Anyone who opted not to take the Socialized PUBLIC PLAN will NOT
be allowed into the plan for LIFE.
Barry Soetero|9.15.09 @ 9:34PM|#
Surely, no cost increases or rationing will come of
this?
Don't call me Shirley.
jtuf|9.15.09 @ 9:49PM|#
With all these media appearences, Obama is becoming the Paris Hilton of presidents.
Gilbert Martin|9.15.09 @ 10:15PM|#
"With all these media appearences, Obama is becoming the Paris
Hilton of presidents."
His teleprompter definitely needs a vacation.
|9.15.09 @ 10:50PM|#
Why A Strong Public Option Is Essential - By jacksmith - Working
Class
Robert Reich explains the pubic option: http://bit.ly/dDYSJ
http://robertreich.blogspot.com/
John Garamendi on the Public Option and the Grassroots:
http://bit.ly/TJMty
It's not just because more than two thirds of the American people
want a single payer health care system. And if they cant have a
single payer system 77% of all Americans want a strong
government-run public option on day one (86% of democrats, 75% of
independents, and 72% republicans). Basically everyone.
It's not just because according to a new AARP POLL: 86 percent of
seniors want universal healthcare security for All, including 93%
of Democrats, 87% of Independents, and 78% of Republicans. With 79%
of seniors supporting creating a new strong Government-run public
option plan, available immediately. Including 89% of Democrats, 80%
of Independents, and 61% of Republicans, STUNNING!!
It's not just because it will lower cost. Because a strong public
option will dramatically lower cost for everyone. And dramatically
improved the quality of care everyone receives in America and
around the World. Rich, middle class, and poor a like.
It's not just because it will save trillions of dollars and prevent
the needless deaths of millions more of YOU, caused by a rush to
profit by the DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL
INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX!
It's not just because every expert in every field, including
economist, and Nobel laureates all agree that free market based
healthcare systems don't work. Never have and never will. The US
has the only truly free market based healthcare system in the
World. And as you all know now, IT IS A DISASTER!
It's not just because providing or denying medically necessary care
for profit motivations is wrong. Because it is WRONG! It's
professionally, ethically, and morally REPUGNANT!, Animalistic,
VILE and EVIL.
THE REASON THE PUBLIC OPTION IS ESSENTIAL:
The public option is ESSENTIAL because over 200 million of you are
trapped in the forest of the wolves. Which is the forest of the
DISGRACEFUL, GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL
COMPLEX! With no way out except through needless inhumane
suffering, and DEATH. While the wolves tear at your flesh, and rip
you limb from lib. Then feast on your lifeless bodies like a dead
carcase for transplant parts.
At the most vulnerable times of your lives (when you were sick and
hurting), millions of you have had to fight and loose cruel, but
heroic battles. Fighting against the big guns of the DISGRACEFUL,
GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT MEDICAL INDUSTRIAL COMPLEX! in the
forest of the wolves. All because you have no place else to go. You
have no other CHOICE!
But the PUBLIC OPTION will give you someplace safe to go. And it
will give us someplace safe to take you. The public option will be
your refugium (your refuge). Where the wolves cannot get at you
when your down, hurting, and vulnerable. Where everyone who needs
it can find rest, security, comfort and the care they need.
Protected by the BIG GUNS of We The People Of The United States.
THE MOST POWERFUL PEOPLE AND COUNTRY ON EARTH.
This is why it is so critical that we do not lead another 50
million vulnerable, uninsured Americans into the forest of the
wolves, without the protections of a Strong Government-run public
option. We The People Of The United States MUST NOT LET THAT HAPPEN
to any more of our fellow Americans. If healthcare reform does not
contain a strong public option on day one. YOU MUST! KILL IT. Or
you will do far more harm than good. And millions more will die
needlessly. Rich, middle class, and poor a like.
To those who would continue to obstruct good and true healthcare
reform for the American people, and who seek to trap millions more
vulnerable Americans in the forest of the wolves. We will continue
to fight you. We are prepared to wage all out war against you, and
will eagerly DESTROY! you. Time...is...UP! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED! No
Co-op's! No Triggers! NO INDIVIDUAL MANDATES! without a Strong
public option on day one.
Healthcare reform can be the GREATEST! Accomplishment of our time
and century. A time when future generations may say of us, that we
were all, AMERICAS GREATEST GENERATIONS.
BUT WE MUST ACT!
I therefore call on all my fellow Americans and the peoples of the
World. To join us in this fight so that we may finish becoming the
better America that we aspire to be for everyone.
SPREAD THE WORD!
I have been privileged to be witness as many of you fought, and
struggled to take your first breath, and your last breath on this
earth. Rich, middle class, and poor a like. Life is precious.
Whatever the cost. WE! MUST SUCCEED.
God Bless You My Fellow Human Beings
jacksmith - Working Class
No Triggers!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/jason-rosenbaum/a-trigger-for-the-public_b_277910.html
Triggers
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/weve-seen-these-triggers_b_283583.html
Krugman on heathcare
(http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/25/why-markets-cant-cure-healthcare/)
Senator Bernie Sanders on healthcare
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RSM8t_cLZgk&feature=player_embedded)
Mike Laursen|9.15.09 @ 11:39PM|#
It's not just because every expert in every field, including
economist, and Nobel laureates all agree that free market based
healthcare systems don't work.
Wow, every expert in every field? Like metallurgists and petroleum
engineers and cartographers?
Gilbert Martin|9.15.09 @ 11:44PM|#
Any post that links to Krugman and Bernie Sanders one right after the other is a real winner.
A wittier SugarFree|9.16.09 @ 1:32AM|#
If you weren't such a raging cockmaster dickbag assclown
fuckstick cuntface
I resent that! I don't rage at all!
|9.16.09 @ 2:07PM|#
Wow, so 80% of Amercans want someone else to pay their medical
bills.
Too bad for them that there isn't someone else to do it.
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