ObamaCare & Mission Creep Redux: Sen. Harkin says health care bill "is a starter home."

Jeebus H. Christ, it didn't take long for the scope of ObamaCare to swell up like the ankles of a carnival fat lady after a day at work! ObamaCare isn't even law yet, but Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) explains it all for us plainer than Sr. Mary Ignatius ever dared.

Despite the crappy housing market, the health care reform bill currently being debated in the Senate is only a "starter home," you see. We've got to leverage the country into an unaffordable McMansion ASAP. Talking to the lefty Iowa Independent, the Daniel Ortega- and bee pollen-loving senator, gives a disturbing metaphor about the real goals of this historic (hysteric?) legislation:

"What we are buying here is a modest home, not a mansion. What we are getting here is a starter home. It's got a good foundation: 30 million Americans are covered. It's got a good roof: A lot of protections from abuses by insurance companies. It's got a lot of nice stuff in there for prevention and wellness. But, we can build additions as we go along in the future. It is a starter home. Think about it in that way."

More Harkinisms here.

Suffice it to say that this is exactly why we titled our latest Reason.tv video "ObamaCare and Mission Creep: Why health care reform will end up covering much more than you think." Watch below. Go to Reason.tv for downloadable versions. Forget snowballs—throw this at your nearest representative.

Comments

[kinnath]

As a proud Iowan, I will declare that Tom Harkin can fuck himself in the ass with a dry corn cob.

[Ska]

So that's why they switched from corn cobs to the Sears catalog back in the day.

[Tulpa]

Harkin! the senator declares,
Glory to the new health care!
The insurance lobby reviled,
Costs and benefits reconciled!

Joyful, all ye netroots rise,
Join the triumph of socialized!
With the bureaucrats proclaim,
Health is run by Washington!

Harkin, the senator declares,
Glory to the new health care!

[P Brooks]

Imagine my surprise.

This thing will be a gigantic clusterfuck from the get-go; all the "knowledgeable" people in the commentariat will feign astonishment, and promptly commence their campaign to "fix" (not euthanise) it.

[Tulpa]

Considering the stupidity of the commentariat, I doubt they will need to feign.

[P Brooks]

As a proud Iowan,

My apologies, but I read this as, "As a proud clown" first time by.

I was expecting a response to the "fat lady" imagery, I guess.

[Jersey Patriot]

Free market > Good public system > What we have > Bad public system > What we're getting > Civil War Medical Kit

[sage]

Nice.

[jj]

For the love of God, someone please tell me that all of this crap will be overturned on the basis that its unconstitutional.

[Kevin]

A prediction: Scientologists, who have a lot of money and love to sue people, will oppose this in court because they will be forced to buy something that is against their "religion". Politics does indeed make strange bedfellows.

Discuss.

[creech]

The Amish got out of paying into Social Security. I wonder if they will get out of buying health care?
Where can we join the Amish sect???

[Kevin]

Through this whole painful process, I often thought it would be entirely unfair for them to have to pay for something they would never use. I'd like to see how that turns out, too.

[The Gobbler]

Woodward, Pennsylvania. It's about 45 miles East of State College.

[P Brooks]

all of this crap will be overturned on the basis that its unconstitutional.

Now, that's funny.

[jj]

Touche my friend, what was I thinking? Half of whats been passed in the last 100 years is blatantly uncostitutional, silly me.

[Vermont Gun Owner]

At least the other half has the decency to be discrete about it.

[IceTrey]

I would like to see Reason do a piece on the McCarran-Ferguson Act. I just heard about this and find it strange in this whole debate no one ever seems to mention it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McCarran?Ferguson_Act

[Rich]

That *is* interesting.

Perhaps no one mentions it thanks to the Commerce Clause?

[Citizen Nothing]

Of course the Dems are counting on mission creep. That's the plan all along. Pass something, anything, because it will never be repealed. It will only be expanded. That's the only possible way to explain the enthusiasm for the current plan.

[The Chad]

what is this 'repeal' you speak of? Like a banana someone doesn't want after all?

[Enough About Palin]

Speaking of Bananas, whatever happend to the ALS Monkey (translated)? That was funny as hell.

[John Thacker]

It's far more likely that the Supreme Court composition will switch enough to reverse Heller (as Justice Ginsburg is hoping for) than it is that this will be overturned.

[P Brooks]

"Listen- my camel is kinda thirsty, and I don't feel like going outside to get him some water; would you mind if just sort of lifted up the side of the tent and let him slide his nose under and have a quick slurp or two out of this bowl? He won't hurt anything, I promise. Just a quick drink and then he'll be out of here."

[Punk]

Just pay your fair share and STFU. It's for your own good. You don't want children to die, do YOU??

[Enough About Palin]

Depends on the kid.

[Punk]

I was referring to any of these:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAlrSRVdKZY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_l8KK3gGxQ

[Jeffersonian]

We're becoming more like Argentina every fucking day. We're delusional if we think we can avoid Argentina's fate.

[Tom Harkin]

Ha, leave it to the Iowa Independent to quote me out of context. It should be:

"But I always say 'Cross one bridge at a time, even if it's a bridge to nowhere.'"

[sage]

it didn't take long for the scope of ObamaCare to swell up like the ankles of a carnival fat lady after a day at work!

Dude! I'm eating!