Morning Bell: Obamacare at Any Cost
March 12th, 2010 . by TexasFredMorning Bell: Obamacare at Any Cost
Yesterday the White House circulated a memo by pollster Joel Benenson. It was designed to create momentum for Obamacare by convincing wayward House Democrats that support for the President’s plan has been building since the State of the Union. As with everything else that comes out of the White House on health care these days, the memo is nothing but pure fantasy.
This Tuesday, Gallup released its latest poll showing that by a 48%-45% margin Americans would tell their representative in Congress to vote against President Obama’s health plan. Compare that to the last time Gallup asked the question in January, Americans supported the President’s plan 49%-46%. That’s a net six point loss in support for the President’s plan since the State of the Union. That is momentum. Against Obamacare.
And Gallup isn’t alone. The Associated Press released a poll this week showing that 68% of Americans believe the President and Congressional Democrats shouldn’t pass their health care plan without Republican support. “Nothing has been more disconcerting than to watch Democratic politicians and their media supporters deceive themselves into believing that the public favors the Democrats’ current health-care plan,�? Democratic pollsters Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen add in today’s Washington Post, “A solid majority of Americans opposes the massive health-reform plan.�?
Yesterday was particularly tough for the President’s plan. First, the White House underwhelmed the Democratic Caucus in a presentation of the new (still unwritten) reconciliation bill. Then, the Senate Parliamentarian killed the Democrats favored procedural path for passage by signaling he would rule that President Obama must sign the original Senate bill into law before the Senate could act on the President’s new reconciliation package. Finally, the Associated Press reported that House leaders have abandoned all hope of finding language to satisfy Rep. Bart Stupak’s (D-MI) concerns that the Senate bill funds abortion. By the end of the day, the leftist firedoglake site had dropped its count of committed House Democrats for passage to 189 (Speaker Pelosi needs 216 for passage).
With the loss of Stupak and his 7-12 member caucus opposed to taxpayer-funded-abortions, Speaker Pelosi will have to find the remaining dozen plus votes from the ranks of cost conscious Blue Dog Democrats. For example, Rep. Suzanne Kosmas (D-FL) who voted against the House bill in the fall explained at the time: “According to the Congressional Budget Office, the House health care bill will actually increase federal health care spending over the long term, while proposals being considered by the Senate would have a net decrease.�? But according to a new CBO score of the Senate bill passed on Christmas Eve (the one with the Cornhusker Kickback), it actually increases health care spending. And the reconciliation bill only make things worse, since, among other increased spending measures, President Obama “fixed�? the Cornhusker Kickback not by eliminating the new spending, but by extending it to all 50 states.
With no votes piling up, and “yes�? votes materializing, the Democratic plans to shove Obamacare down the throats of the American people are becoming more and more desperate. This Monday, the House Budget Committee will begin markup on the new reconciliation bill even though actual legislative text does not exist for it yet. The Democrats plan to pass a shell of a bill through the appropriate committees so that the Rules Committee can then substitute the bill that is being drafted completely behind closed doors by the White House and Senate and Democrat leaders.
Politico reports that despite the Parliamentarian’s initial verbal ruling, they will press on with their Slaughter Rule plan to pass the Senate bill without voting on it. NRO’s Yuval Levin quips: “Democratic leaders should be asking themselves just how they have gotten to the point that their strategy is to amend a law that doesn’t exist yet by passing a bill without voting on it.�?
But President Obama’s progressive base is way past rational thought when it comes to health care. They want it passed at any cost. And as George Will pointed out yesterday, the very essence of progressivism sublimates the democratic process to the rule of experts in Washington. No one can say if this bill will finally pass, but if it does, it is abundantly clear that our republican form of government will be permanently damaged by it.
Full Story and Links Here:
Morning Bell: Obamacare at Any Cost
There are quite a few links to other sources in the original post. Click my link and see them there on the Morning Bell.
ObamaCare has got to be stopped. There is no other way to put it. Obama has made Socialized Health Care for Americans his top priority. Soon his other top priority will be making the 18-20 million ILLEGALS in this nation, the ones we KNOW about, making them citizens with his upcoming amnesty push. And guess who is going to be paying for them and their health care, education, food stamps and so forth…
Some members of the U.S. Senate and Congress KNOW that Obama and Company have got to be stopped, but the RINOs, Dem/Libbers, progressive, feel good bleeding hearts just can’t see it that way. They believe that we must ALL take care of everyone. And hey, it can’t bankrupt the United States of America, we can print all the money we need.
That my friends, is the mindset of the President, his cabinet, and the Dems and the RINOs that must be thrown out with the hard core Libbers!
It’s also the reason that WE, the Conservative, the common sense Americans, can’t let up! We have to keep on fighting them at every turn! The very survival of America as a FREE nation is at stake.
If we give up, if lose, America becomes just another third world dung heap!
And honestly, I have to wonder if that’s not the true intention of Obama and his handlers…
One day I think Obamacare will pass and the next day I think not. What a damn roller coaster ride this struggle is turning out to be with both sides firmly set in their positions. This is not so much a struggle to improve the nations health care system, but rather a monumental conflict of ideas, with one side believing the government with its great thinkers knows what’s best for the common man and the other willing to leave choices up to the individual. One side sees a once in a life time opportunity to install National Health Care, a long time dream of the progressives; while the other is fighting to maintain something akin to the status quo.
As you indicate Fred this is a defining moment in the nations history. We seldom find ourselves at such a crossroad on the path to the future. If this bill is passed we will be on the road to a full blown socialist state of the European variety. The Europeans spend little on defense and massive amounts of their GNP on social programs. With the passage of Obamacare the United States will find itself in the European position in only a few years and the once proud military of the country will be reduced to that on a UK or France. This in a world that is becoming increasingly hostile toward us. I hate to say it, but this could very well be Obama’s grand strategy.
Wonder if Obama and his marxist minions have considered how to handle the civil war that will be unleashed upon them should they shove this bullshit bill down our throats. He may have underestimated the anger and will of “We the People.”
Fred..it looks like we may actually see a “law” that has not been read and not voted on shoved down our throats! Welcome to socialism/communism.
If it does actually pass - anybody claiming to be a Republican could get voted in just by running on a ticket to repeal the health care bill. That would also mean we may end up with a boat load of Scott Brown RINO’s up there instead of true conservatives. I shudder at the thought.
As loyal, patriotic, HONORABLE Americans we must fight ObamaCare to the end — win, lose, or draw! This is one of those events in life where the character of a nation’s people is defined.
Future historians, I believe, will see America’s “Obama Yearsďż˝? as a crucible for America. We will either exit this crucible as pure and refined or — we will be thrown out as dross.
Something else worries me, as well. If Obama IS a narcissist, as I believe him to be, and Americans reject ObamaCare, America may well be in for a few years of “punishment.�? I shudder when I ponder what form that national punishment might take.
JDL
I just went to Hugh Hewitt and called the fence riders he recommended. If any of your readers can, go to http://www.hughhewitt.com/blog/ and scroll down slightly, read STOPPING OBAMAKARE, WEEKEND TARGETS. Read that post. Click on the links.
See if you can do your part. I tried with every fibre of my being. See if perhaps you can too.
BZ
And our hag in the house says “We have to pass the bill before you can see what’s in it”…WTF?
I guess I’m old fashioned, but I thought the reason our elected officials had a job was to be a voice for US. I’m sure The HAG in the house is representing her base, the problem is the rest of those numbnuts don’t hail from Ubberlibturdcentral…
WHY are the rest of them Democrats on board with this travesty? Why are they forcing this TRILLION $$ PLUS joke of a bill down our throats? The reason is simple. Liberalism left unchecked morphs into Barack Obama, he’s the poster boy for everything bad that can happen when liberals are in charge. We had Carter and MOST of us remember that debacle. Unfortunately OUR kids didn’t get that education from the Public school system so we repeated the mistake…
Thanks for the links BZ I’m on it…We in Cali are used to emailing and calling our elected leaders and we are used to them doing exactly the opposite…sigh.
The modus operandi of this administration is that of an oligarchy. Damned elitists, who really believe that they know what’s best for each individual citizen.
The very Constitution concept of their being elected PUBLIC SERVANTS is no longer!
On to November 2010. Give ‘em a taste of defeat.
You are right Fred, until this thing passes we cannot give up. We must keep fighting, calling, writing, and emailing. This is too important to stop fighting now.
If this disaster passes, we must still fight until we elect enough people to repeal this bill.
BTW, Fred, I really like the name of the Rowlett Tea Party blog: “The Daily Brew.” Nicely done.
BZ