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- Filed under: Congress, Obama, President Bush
- Date: Oct 25,2008
Coming down the pipeline in a potential Obama Administration.
Washington Times: From his sickbed, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy has secretly been orchestrating meetings with lobbyists and lawmakers from both parties to craft legislation that would greet the new president with a plan to provide affordable medical coverage to all Americans, a measure he has called "the cause of my life."
Mr. Kennedy's goal, his aides say, is to introduce a universal health care bill as soon as the new Congress convenes next year and to push quickly for its passage - a much-accelerated timetable compared with the last time that a health care overhaul was on the agenda, at the start of the Clinton administration.
"He sets aside several hours each day. He's calling senators. He's working tirelessly," Mr. Pollack said. "He's making things happen."
Sigh. First of all, I don't think it is accurate to say this has been the "cause of his life," but whatever. Sorry, some might find this in bad taste, but if a United States Senator is not "working tirelessly" then they should step aside so someone who can will. That includes Ted Kennedy. Mr. Pollack makes it sound like he is some hero for doing his job while he is sick. Governor Patrick in Massachusetts could appoint one of a score of liberals who would vote the same way as Kennedy. Anyways.
This seems like a great idea. Our country is drowning in debt (President Bush as much to blame as anyone for refusal to veto anything) so why not take on what will be another huge entitlement. Right? And then for good measure, just jam it through Congress as soon as humanly possible just so Ted Kennedy can have a legacy bill in his name before he dies. Again, who cares, right? As long as as a senator gets a ruinous bill named after him everyone in DC can pat themselves on the back. I wouldn't be damn surprised in the least if the GOP just rolled over and said okay. Of course, they may not be in a position to do anything about it. Then we can all wait 7 months to see a dentist or 16 weeks for an MRI while some Obama appointed bureaucrat in some basement in DC decides if Uncle Sam will pick up the tab. I can also only assume that any bill Kennedy crafts will also guarantee "free" healthcare for illegals. Oh better not say that, it makes me a terrible person to question anything for the "greatest good."
I am so sick of this. Free this, free that. I don't have a lot of money. That is of my own choosing. If I wanted more money I could get a second job, though I don't know why I would want to work harder so other people can just live off me. I don't expect federal tax cuts when I don't pay federal income tax. It is government welfare. Period. I don't expect free health care. You know what I do? I send money to a company every month for health insurance that I have never used and hopefully never will. I pay all of my bills on time every month. I don't look to others or blame them because they have more than me. I suppose I could just not have health insurance and know that someone else will pay for my care if something happens like a lot of people do. All of this isn't free. The money has to come from somewhere. Don't people realize that? Or is it they just don't care?
Starting with the bailout, every day it seems we get closer and closer to government run everything. What is even going to be the motivation for anyone to do anything productive? "Free" money, "free" health insurance, bailouts for bad decisions, etc. I spent $6 tonight on a football game where I froze and had a miserable time. Can I get a refund from the federal government as some sort of "recreational spending bailout?" What ever happened to self-responsibility? All Hail Washington I guess. Time to go to bed before I write something I will regret.
13 Responses for "Preview."
Best not to blog when you're cranky. I'm talking from experience….of course some people think I'm always cranky.
I'm not sure that Obama's plan, or Kennedy's is about "free" stuff.
Just as the financial market wasn't working because of insatiable greed and no regulation where it was needed…so too the health industry. It is a total wreck. The biggest problem is that health care, which should be a right, costs too much. Obama wants to reduce those costs.
Health care is a right just as education is a right. When you're not so cranky you can tell me whether K-12 education should be a right.
Will this be part of John Kerry's New Deal 2?
Perhaps the word 'free' is interpreted by many as 'at no cost to me',, which is of course appealing. For some of us who are thinking a little farther down the line, there is never any type of government service that is 'free'. The money has to come from somewhere, either in increased taxes, cuts in other programs, increased financial accountability,etc. You cannot keep increasing government spending and cutting taxes and expect to pay for increased services, especially in today's economy. something has to give sooner or later.
The current health care industry has much more regulation that the financial markets ever did. Thank you Alan "I am partly responsible" Greespan for that. I guess you are proposing even more regulation. I am not sure that will encourage new investments in the industry, by either stock funds, individual investors or medical conglomerates. It doesn't seem anyone has the answers, at least for the short term.
Of course Obama wants to reduce health care costs—what politiican doesn't. I am at a loss for the name of anyone that has succeeded.
I am feeling cranky, too, and scared about this country's future.
Ben,
It is about time you jumped on board with thecampaignjunkie anger train. Maybe what I have been saying this last five months has shaken some life into you. Time for us to be pissed off, and most of that anger should be directed to our own party for even thinking about thinking about putting us in this position where we are looking at the most inexperienced candidate for President EVER.
Now that we are in the position, all of the sudden righteous indignation from the GOP.
why do you guys assume Obama wants to reduce health care costs?
he doesnt give a damn about costs. he wants you under the government / his umbrella. cost isnt even a factor.
Junkie, dont even get me started. I was thinking about that driving today. It is a scandal that Obama is in position to win. No expierence, done nothing, friends with radicals, sits in a hate filled church, etc. He should lose 75-25 in a just world.
That whole "free" thing gets to me too, because I can think of very few things that are truly free. Someone has to pay for it, and anyone who believes that free health care is going to help the current economy? Really should stop and think about what would have to be cut and/or where the money would come from.
I realize it's popular to say all these savings will come from ending the war in Iraq, but not if all we do is move troops to Afghanistan…
The absolute denial of reality and the ignorance of the health care system by leftists is astonishingly evidenced in such as short space:
"I'm not sure that Obama's plan, or Kennedy's is about "free" stuff."
"the financial market wasn't working because of insatiable greed and no regulation"
"Obama wants to reduce those costs."
"Health care is a right just as education is a right."
The financial markets worked exactly as they were designed, it was Fannie and Freddie that were exempted from the market forces that caused the problem. When you mandate that bad loans be given, the two companies with no private risk buy them because corrupt Democrat CEOs' compensation is based on it, and GSEs are exempt from mandated accounting practices, and corrupt Democrats block not only any oversight or attempts at regulation, guess what you get?
Rights are free in that a right by definition cannot incure an obligation on another. Entitlements, however, are government mandates and "free" to those that do not contribute by way of taxes, or discounted to those that do not pay at least the average amount of tax.
Education is an entitlement, not a right; and look how expensive, inefficient, and with poor results it has become under government/union control. Give me one reason to believe that a health care entitlement (not a right) wouldn't exhibit the same characteristics once taken over by the government, which is what Obama and Kennedy are planning regardless of the rhetoric.
Health care reform is a political and cultural problem, not an economic or medical one.
You should be angry, Ben. Our government has abdicated any semblance of responsibility, and now we are poised to hand power to the biggest spendthrifts of all, Obama and the Democrats. We will soon find out that free stuff is not free, if somehow we haven't figured that out already, with a $10 trillion deficit and another $55 trillion in unfunded liabilities. Our current economic crisis is only a small part of a much larger economic crisis coming a little further down the road (about 10-15 years). Obama's plans will only make things far worse. There is no such thing as free health care, and anyone who thinks Obama's health care plan will really reduce health care costs is dreaming. We already have a nursing and doctor shortage, and as soon as health care is "free", our system will be overwhelmed. Care shortages and long waiting lines are what have happened in every country that has "free" health care, and those things will happen here as well.
I only wonder why the entire country isn't rising up in anger and calling for responsible government. What will it take for that to happen ? Will our taxes have to rise to 75% of our incomes before we wake up, or what ? I have never felt more pessimistic about things than I do now. The Bush admin has been bad enough. We had a chance to reverse course with this election, but instead we are going to hand the reins of power to more really big spenders. The you-know-what is going to hit the fan. God help us.
Why should a guy or gal who goes thru 5 to 12 years of their life want to become a doctor or nurse to take care of a bunch of whining moochers? Who may in turn when they are not satisfied at how the doctor or nurse took care of them they turn around and when even the hint of a lawsuit is even heard by the caregivers insurance company the doctors policy goes up 10-20%, say from $100,000,00 TO $120,000.00, yes folks that is a year say two thousand a WEEK. When they are getting hit by sky-high taxes because they all of a sudden become part of that "Rich" crowd that Barry talks about? How about that doctors would not may but would have to take a forced pay cut just for Barry's healthcare sceam kind of work?
Kennedy only does things for (1) Himself (2) family (3) Party "Jackass cratic party" and then this nation and that constitution falls somewhere down at the bottom of his list of priorities. Ohh but that feeling of the warm fussies because you LOOK like you did something for change. PA-THET-IC!
The large problem the GOP has this election cycle is because of calcified and outdated thinking as witnessed here in the comments. Americans want rational, evidence-based leaders. Especially after 8 years of anti-acience, phony narrative GOP rule.
Greenspan, Cox and Snow all testified last week that Fanny and Freddie were NOT the primary cause of the meltdown. All three are conservative GOP'ers. Those three conservatives explained that finacial industry leaders, people who they thought they could trust…..proved that they couldn't be trusted at all. Much to Greenspan's "surprise."
To call education an "entitlement" is, of course, ridiculous. America decided a long time ago that, as far as education goes, we're all in it together and the best course is for equal education treatment for all. K-12 education for all is a guaranteed right. One of our nation's threshold rights. Republicans know that and that's why they, still today, seek to dismantle public education.
Health care is the next threshold right to blanket America, and rightfully so. Surely those higher-standard of living Western Europeans shouldn't be allowed to gain even more ground on the U.S.
Conservative commenters here must believe that an industry which serves the suffering and the dying should be allowed to inflate costs, protect against high risks, spend huge amounts of money on CEO salaries, administration costs and advertising, distribute dividends to shareholders and enrich themselves on paper shuffling Ponzi scheme stock option packages…..all of which has created unaffordable health insurance and care, 45 million uninsured, and an abysmal ranking for the U.S. compared to other world countries.
Conservatives, apparently, with their now totally blind ideology of freer than free markets blown up in their faces with the financial crisis….are still wanting more explosions….this time with health care.
How can conservatives champion the rights of a small group of health industry rich guys while disparaging the 300 million common Americans who just want to see a doctor?
At long last, is there no deceny left in the GOP?
You mean a free market that the democrats had control of the last 2 years that collapsed from there phalic attempt to run (or in this case ruin) the economy.
Like Limbaugh, other radio personalities, and other leading conservatives, I was strongly against McCain in the primary season, but now hope he wins. I have strong conservatove principles, and I am not just a party goon. However, I do know what an utter disaster an Obama presidency will be like carter, and I hope the nation I call my home does not fall for this fraud that is about to be perpetrated on us.
Ben,
We are not yet slaves to the state. We keep fighting these smily faced totalitarians, these nanny staters, regardless of the outcome next Tuesday. We fight because freedom never goes out of style.
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