Our good friends over at the Daily Kos have a story up that projects an amazing level of mystification at the ability of those no-good, lying scoundrels in the GOP to prevent the “collective will of the people,” which the author believes government-centric health care overhaul known as Obamacare to be.
A few excerpts:
The GOP goal is to kill healthcare reform outright. …Not to kill single payer or a public option, but to kill the whole notion of reform.
What an awesomely broad generalization to open with — and what an asinine assertion overall. Do we oppose health care “reform” in the twisted, government-centric sense they mean it? Absolutely. However, there’s not much more that we support than actual reform, that reduces dependence on third-party payers, increases patient choice, personal control of health care dollars, and portability of coverage, while reducing costs and government interference.
Do they earnestly believe that there’s absolutely nothing that needs to be done about health care in this country? Are they so transparently in the pockets of the lobbyists that they are willing make a bold stand on “everything is fine”, when a mere look out the window says it’s not?
I challenge you to find anybody who said on the record that “everything is fine.” Anybody. Not one person has said that; as mentioned above, we all believe in reforming health care in one way or another. However, while we look at the Left’s ideas for reform and argue that, based on simple mathematics and economics (and evidenced by states and countries who have set eminently useful examples), implementing them will only make things worse, they look at our ideas and say, “Those don’t count, because they’re not what we want — therefore you’re automatically in favor of the status quo.”
Let’s journey back to 2005, when President Bush was trying to reform the $20 trillion-in-the-red Social Security program. The Democrats’ statements then – “It’s not a crisis yet, so there’s no reason to act” — are an actual example of claiming nothing needs to be done to save a flagging, debt-ridden program. Simply proposing an alternative solution, while seeking to prevent a country-altering program from being rushed into being without even being read or considered effectively, is not doing that, whatever the left wants to say.
As to the “in the pockets of lobbyists” bit, I love the absolute inability to admit that someone could honestly oppose a leftist proposal (no matter how many times it’s been tried, and proven to be a dud, in the real world) without being paid off. How pathetically self-deluded can you get?
Now, we get to the meat (such as it is) of the post:
Everybody in America seems to hate their insurance provider
And everybody Pauline Kael knew voted for George McGovern in 1972. The fact is, generalizations and assumptions like that are part of why liberals like this — and rigidly-ideological autocrats like President Obama — are genuinely mystified at the failure of their ideas and proposals to sweep through Washington with nary a speed bump, at any opposition to those proposals (which leads them to make inane assertions like the “in the pockets of lobbyists” one above), and can’t even begin to comprehend the lack of a popular uprising in support of proposals they beleive to be clearly superior to anything ever before devised by man.
Unfortunately, asininie assertions like this are so easily proved false they’re almost not worth the time. For example, a July 1 Quinnipiac poll found that 85% of Americans are “satisfied” with their health insurance plan. Almost 58% of those were “very satisfied.” A June 20 New York Times/CBS News poll found that 77% were satisfied with their health care. Further, that same NYT/CBS poll found that 77% of insured Americans found health care “affordable.”
Everybody knows how bad getting actual healthcare has become in this country; everybody has stories of being screwed roundly by their insurance, or not being able to get insurance in the first place, or knows someone else who has had worse experiences.
Then why are such overwhelming satisfaction and affordability numbers like the above coming in from the American people? Are the NYT, CBS, and Quinnipiac now “right-wing” outfits (like DailyKos declared Rasmussen, which found that a comparatively paltry 70% of Americans rate their health coverage “good” or “excellent,” on the heels of polling results showing both President Obama and his government-centric health care overhaul plan to be opposed by more than half of Americans)?
Further, not only does “everybody” not have stories “of being screwed roundly by their insurance,” but there are myriad examples of government-run health care programs and so-called “public options” denying treatment and care to those in need, and even going to court in an effort to have bureaucrats ruled as more competent arbiters of medical decisions than medical professionals themselves.
The argument that “private insurance does it too” is a non-starter, as well, given the fact that the statist argument for a government-centric health care overhaul centers on the ability of the government to somehow do health care better — more humanely, more fairly, and more universally. Sadly, empirical evidence shows that such is not the case.
And yet even in something with such widespread support, all you have to do to foul up the works is …make up a bunch of scary-sounding bullcrap, much of it provided by the insurance companies themselves, and hork it up on television via friendly hosts and anchors. (And again — transparently. The very same scary-sounding phrases or made-up statistics make it into twenty or fifty or a hundred different political and pundit mouths in a single day, with not even an attempt to disguise the obvious commonality of the source.)
Leave aside for a moment the indescribably ludicrous (yet entertainingly shrill) claim from a member of the Party of Obama — whose media lapdogs are still falling all over themselves to, in the words of Chris Matthews, help him “succeed” — that television “hosts and anchors” are “friendly” to those who disagree with the Obamagenda. Leave aside as well the complaint about talking points from a writer at DailyKos.
The fact is, if you count CBO analysis, basic mathematics and economics, and the aforementioned empirical evidence from Great Britain, Canada, Massachusetts, Oregon, etc., etc., etc. as a “ma[de] up …bunch of scary-sounding bullcrap,” well, there’s nothing else to be said here, because you’re clearly incapable of differentiating actual events and numbers (and testimony from those, like Pelosi-Byrd-appointee Doug Elmendorf (head of CBO) who are on your side), then you need to extricate yourself from public commentary (and from society as a whole) and seek help for your severe veracity-challenged condition.
[T]his is all it takes to possibly stop something that has, what, 80 or 85% of the public behind it. And it’s yet another example of how a single industry, spending not all that much money in the grand scheme of things, can very, very easily counter the collective will of the entire population.
Again, if assuming “makes and ass of u and me,” making such erroneous, sweeping generalizations as this makes a complete fool out of you alone. The continuously-declining level of support for this overaul proposal that supposedly simultaneously has “80 or 85% of the public behind it” and reflects “the collective will of the entire population” now has the support of only 44% of Americans (down from 50% in June, via 46% at the beginning of July). 53% of Americans are opposed to this proposal that supposedly has “such widespread support” that the “80 or 85% of the public behind it” make up “the collective will of the entire population.”
With that level of mathematics skills and situational awareness, it’s no wonder you can’t understand a CBO analysis or Fed Chair testimony that consists of such straightforward terms as “if you spend more, this will cost more — and we don’t have any money to spend right now, thanks to your brilliant borrow-and-spend plans like the $787 billion porkulus.”
And how entrenched the notion is, among the majority of politicians, and pundits, and anchors, and political hangers-on, that that’s not only fine but the way things should work.
Your Democratic Party has a filibuster-proof Supermajority in the Senate and a 70-seat advantage in the House of Representatives. If “the majority of politicians” in Washington — of which just under 2/3 are Democrats — are operating under the “notion” that “that’s not only fine, but the way things should work,” then it sounds like a personal or internal problem. Perhaps you should sort out the issues in your own house before trying to sling mud across the aisle — particularly when the party across the aisle lacks the ability to stop anything whatsoever your party collectively decides to do.
Moe Lane
Steve Maley
Dan McLaughlin
Neil Stevens
Daniel Horowitz
Unfortunately...
Big Apple Infidel (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 3:30PM EST (link)so many on the left are completely deluded and believe their own prevarications. They go beyond not understanding reality and have actually devised an alternative reality that they try to put forward as the truth with their constant drumbeat of lies in the media. Some of them are true believers, others are cynically following the Nazi admonition to simply keep repeated falsehoods until everyone believes they are the truth. Trying to reason with them is akin to arguing with a crazy person. They must simply be exposed and defeated.
Greetings from occupied territory!
I'm Against Any "Reform" So Long as Fascists Are in Power.
farstar99 (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:19PM EST (link)If the Democrats were gone, sure, I’d consider it.
But not now.
There will be no real reform so long as they exist where they are.
There will be no real reform so long as they exist where they are.
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:28PM EST (link)Well the democrats could never reform anything that you could believe in. The democrats are government. The smaller government gets the more the democrats are irrelvant. The democrats & liberals exist on the premise that what is yours is everyones. The redistribution that Obama lives for. The Conservatives say that what is yours is yours. If you want to re-distribute it then it is your business. The whole idea of “Social Justice” is a racist concept.
The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.
Izone, I don't think the Democrats Want to reform anything.
penguin2 (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:56PM EST (link)“democrats could never reform anything” jumped right out at me. And I don’t mean to malign the average, hard working Dem who are not really into the leftist wing of their party. But it seems to me that the leftist are not really Democrats anyway. They’re Socialists hiding behind the Dem label, because Socialist carries a negative connotation in this country and they would not be able to get elected if they were honest. That’s why they are after power at any cost; stealing votes, intimidation, corruption. Race and all of their victimhood issues are really just tools to get them what they want. Power.
And Jeff, wonderful write-up. They are at a loss because they don’t realize we aren’t stupid and they can’t fool us all of the time.
Resistance to tyrants is obedience to God. – Benjamin Franklin
When Good stands up to Evil, Evil blinks. – Vassar Bushmills
Conservative Education: Suggested Reading List
Activists Taking Action: Unified Patriots
If it wasn't for jousting with strawmen...
CSUFBomb (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 8:06PM EST (link)…the Left would never win any arguments at all.
But I agree with penguin2, this isn’t about healthcare at all. If the real aim was to improve the condition of the uninsured, there are many ways to approach the problem by reforming the current system.
Healthcare reform for the Left is about fundamentally changing the relationship between the government and its citizens forever. Increased dependence, increased revenue from private capital to public redistributon, increased control to impose fairness over competitive opportunity. It’s insidious and potentially destructive.
–
“We want great men who, when fortune frowns, will not be discouraged.” – Colonel Henry Knox
If you say it loud enough and often enough, maybe they'll believe it.
Vegas_Rick (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 3:47PM EST (link)Nice job Jeff. I am often amazed at the alternate reality that is the cocoon of the left. Facts mean nothing. It’s all about feelings and, of course, the children.
“God is great, beer is good and people are crazy.”- Billy Currington
“Nothing in this world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful people with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.” Calvin Coolidge.
excellent column Jeff
pilgrim (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 4:17PM EST (link)What really does put them at a loss is that they are unable to sell the idea of completely dismantling our market based model of providing health care to a majority of elected Ds. We do need to challenge them when they charge that all Rs are totally against any health care reform ever. They just can’t prove that assertion of theirs.
It's called ideological narcissism
seandparnell (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 4:26PM EST (link)I call it “ideological narcissism” – the belief that no decent, honest, and caring person could possibly come to a different conclusion on public policy issues than ME, who after all is a paragon of virtue, tolerance, caring, and wisdom.
It’s the whole crux of the so-called campaign finance “reform” argument – if only it weren’t for those darned “special interest” contributions, Congress would quickly and easily pass legislation that nearly all Americans (especially the decent ones) want and demand.
To be fair, it happens on the right, too. I can’t tell you how often I read that “tort reform” is bottled up because of trial lawyer contributions to Democrats. Umm, no, not really – Democrats just tend to have a worldview that includes a strong belief in the importance of trial lawyers to help the “little guy” and hold profit-seeking individuals in check. Given that, exactly how would you expect someone with that worldview to vote on tort issues?
Sean Parnell
President
Center for Competitive Politics
http://www.campaignfreedom.org
5
Jeff Emanuel (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 4:30PM EST (link)Though trial lawyers *do* give a tremendous amount of money to Democrats.
JE
5x5 Excellent explanation and a 5x5x5 for Jeff
Dave_in_Fla (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:30PM EST (link)Both the post and the response are terrific
“If they were merely incompetent, then at least SOME of their actions would have been to the benefit of the country.” – Joe McCarthy
Sean- When you say "to be fair it happens on the right too"
Scope (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:54PM EST (link)truer words have never been spoken. After reflection on the McCain/Feingold Campaign Finance Reform legislation, which to many is unconstitutional, wasn’t McCain arguably supposed to be on the right? What special interest contributions have been stopped by the legislation? Given McCain’s level of intelligence, as evidenced in his 2008 presidential campaign, he has proven to be either complicit in the Liberal agenda, or so out of touch with reality, that he doesn’t know when he is being hood-winked by the Liberals.
I wish I could say that anyone with an ounce of intelligence can see the reality that Tort Lawyers are not for the “little guy”, but rather for lining their pockets in order to live their high life, while still having thousands to give to the Democrats, which are those that will further their earning capibilities. You are correct Sean, the problem exists with both parties.
My wife's ex-husband is a pathological liar
Dave_in_Fla (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:37PM EST (link)If he tells a lie, he then believes it to be truth, regardless of empirical evidence to the contrary. The leftists seem to be of the same ilk. They have decided that specific policy solutions (e.g. single payer) are THE answer, and any evidence to the contrary must be lies generated by an evil cabal thwarting the will of the people.
“If they were merely incompetent, then at least SOME of their actions would have been to the benefit of the country.” – Joe McCarthy
Dave_in_Fla- You wouldn't mean the "vast right wing conspiracy" would you?
Scope (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 6:01PM EST (link)n/t
Dave_in_Fla- You wouldn't mean the "vast right wing conspiracy" would you?
Scope (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 6:01PM EST (link)n/t
DKOS posters should:
ktsub (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:44PM EST (link)Blame their own party, for the failure to pass health care reform. All they can do over their is blather about the “Party of No” and blocking reform…blaa blaa blaa…they have majority in the House and super-majority in the Senate, and they still cant pass it. It has nothing to do with the GOP, EVERYTHING TO DO WITH THEM. I hope Republican candidates campaign against them for real health care reform, after we take back the House in 2011.
obama care is a SUICIDE PACT FOR AMERICA/TAXPAYERS/CITIZENS/VOTERS
bobojake (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 5:51PM EST (link)KILL IT before it reproduces.
Just go look at Obama's Senate Record
izoneguy (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 7:12PM EST (link)And what a record!! Go look at the n/a and not voting.
And look who he supported and look who he did not support.
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes.xpd?year=2008&person=400629
http://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes.xpd?year=2007&person=400629
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4339: To provide for a deficit-neutral reserve fund for providing an above the line Federal income tax deduction for individuals purchasing health insurance outside the workplace.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4233: To require that legislation to reauthorize SCHIP include provisions codifying the unborn child regulation.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4372: To protect small businesses, family ranches and farms from the Death Tax by providing a $5 million exemption, a low rate for smaller estates and a maximum rate no higher than 35%.
Obama voted NO:
To protect family businesses and farmers without increasing our nation’s debt by providing for an estate tax that sets the exemption at $5 million and the rate at 35 percent, with the benefits of the exemption recaptured for estates over $100 million, paid for by closing tax loopholes that allow offshore deferral of compensation and transactions entered into solely for the purpose of avoiding taxation.
Obama voted NO:
To provide certainty to taxpayers by extending expiring tax provisions such as the R&D Tax Credit that helps US companies innovate, combat pay exclusion for our soldiers in the field, the education deduction to make colleges more affordable and the alternative energy incentives to make the environment cleaner through the end of 2009.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4313: To protect the family budget from runaway Government spending by increasing the number of Senators necessary to waive the PAYGO Point of Order from 60 to 100.
Obama voted NO:
To increase funding for the Department of Justice for the vigorous enforcement of a prohibition against taking minors across State lines in circumvention of laws requiring the involvement of parents in abortion decisions consistent with the Child Custody Protection Act, which passed the Senate by a bipartisan vote of 65-34, with an offset.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4284: To provide funds for a Commission on Budgetary Accountability and Review of Federal Agencies.
Obama voted NO:
To pay down the Federal debt and eliminate government waste by reducing spending 5 percent on programs rated (as mandated under the Government Performance and Results Act (Public Law 103-62)) ineffective by the Office of Management and Budget Program Assessment Rating Tool.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4328: To provide for a deficit-neutral reserve fund for Social Security reform.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4240: To require wealthy Medicare beneficiaries to pay a greater share of their Medicare Part D premiums.
Obama voted NO:
To protect the family budget by providing for a budget point of order against legislation that increases income taxes on taxpayers, including hard-working middle-income families, entrepreneurs, and college students.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4231: To establish a deficit-neutral reserve fund for border security, immigration enforcement, and criminal alien removal programs.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4192: To repeal the tax increase on Social Security benefits imposed by the Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act of 1993.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4191: To protect small businesses, family ranches and farms from the Death Tax by providing a $5 million exemption, a low rate for smaller estates and a maximum rate no higher than 35%.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 4380: To provide for a deficit-neutral reserve fund for transferring funding for Berkeley, CA earmarks to the Marine Corps.
Obama voted NO:
Confirming Leslie Southwick, of Mississippi, to be U.S. Circuit Judge
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 2842: To ensure that every motor carrier entering the United States through the cross-border motor carrier demonstration program is inspected and meets all applicable safety standards established for United States commercial motor vehicles.
Obama voted NO:
S. 1927 [110th]: Protect America Act of 2007
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 2577: To amend the Public Health Service Act to provide for cooperative governing of individual health insurance coverage offered in interstate commerce.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 2620: To increase access to health insurance for low-income children based on actual need, as adjusted for cost-of-living.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 2535: To codify the unborn child rule.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 2627: To ensure that children and pregnant women whose family income exceeds 200 percent of the poverty line and who have access to employer-sponsored coverage receive premium assistance.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 1505: To improve domestic fuels security.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 1311: To require the enforcement of existing border security and immigration laws and Congressional approval before amnesty can be granted.
Obama voted NO:
To save American taxpayers up to $24 billion in the 10 years after passage of this Act, by preventing the earned income tax credit, which is, according to the Congressional Research Service, the largest anti-poverty entitlement program of the Federal Government, from being claimed by Y temporary workers or illegal aliens given status by this Act until they adjust to legal permanent resident status.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 1250: To address documentation of employment and to make an amendment with respect to mandatory disclosure of information.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 1197: To require health care coverage for holders of Z nonimmigrant visas.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 1184: To establish a permanent bar for gang members, terrorists, and other criminals.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 2536: To standardize the determination of income for purposes of eligibility for SCHIP.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 460: To require appropriate qualifications for interim United States attorneys.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 459: To ensure that United States attorneys are promptly nominated by the President, and are appointed by and with the advice and consent of the Senate.
Obama voted NO:
S.Amdt. 116: To afford States the rights and flexibility to determine minimum wage.
The point cannot be made often enough: Modern liberalism, as embodied in the Obama presidency, is the defender of the status quo. And the status quo is a road to economic ruin. Political forces cannot redistribute the wealth that the economic system does not produce.
Whaaaaaaat!
mecat212 Sunday, July 26th at 8:39PM EST (link)Good thing I wasn’t eating anything after I read this grotesque record, it would have caused severe regurgitation. If this was the best the Dems could bring to the table then the menu was surely lacking. He wouldn’t have even been an appetizer much less the main course. I have copied this and I hope you don’t mind, izoneguy, but I wanted to send it to all of my sour lib associates who were too lazy to investigate this sorry sob’s background before rushing to the ballot box to make “history”. Yah, some history!
Thanks for the through research.
Obamacare to cost 40,000 medical sales jobs
medsearch Sunday, July 26th at 7:23PM EST (link)Obamacare will cause over 40,000 medical sales and pharmaceutical sales representatives to lose their jobs! Follow our discussion on this topic at http://www.gorillamedicalsales.com/blog
Great takedown.
Bill S (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 7:39PM EST (link)That DKos post was so out there that I almost thought it was a parody. It’s tough to imagine that a leftist could be so enthralled with their own talking points as to actually believe them.
“It’s such a fine line between stupid, and clever.” – David St. Hubbins
The Politics of Healthcare Are Awful
Spartan4Life (Diary) Sunday, July 26th at 7:48PM EST (link)According to Bret Baier on Fox this AM, 91% of Americans have health insurance and 85% of those with insurance either rate their plan “Good” or “Excellent”. So the Democrats are proposing to turn something completely upside down that 77% of Americans are satisfied with? Good luck with that.
FWIW, I love my health coverage
cmack Sunday, July 26th at 8:15PM EST (link)My husband and I were recently commenting to each other how much we both appreciate our different health insurance programs.
I recently used my dental coverage for the first time, and when I finish getting some work done this week I’ll have had a checkup, full x-rays, a deep-cleaning (root planing), 9 cavities filled, and an wisdom tooth extraction for the out-of-pocket expense of just over $400. My appointments were convenient and I didn’t have to wait even a week to get in. The offices were comfortable and uncrowded, and the dentists thankfully use numbing products liberally so it’s pretty pain-free financially and physically.
My husband and I are middle class. Happy, satisfied, middle class who neither need nor want the government’s “help” with our healthcare.
Thanks for shedding light on
marshmom (Diary) Monday, July 27th at 8:27AM EST (link)what the liberals do best–LIE. It never ceases to amaze me how delusional these people are and how willing they are to spread their garbage around without using actual facts, or, to the contrary, distorting and falsifying the truth to further their agenda.
I agree with others on here that successful reform in the best interest of the American people will NEVER happen under this congress and this president. They’re not even willing to touch the wrongful malpractice lawsuits, which are a HUGE contributing factor to the rising cost of health care. That alone should tell people that they’re not serious about reducing costs or quality of care. It’s a power grab, plain and simple. Why else would they want to create an entirely new system for everyone, when it’s only (approx.) 46 million who don’t have coverage? Especially when around 10 million of those are not US citizens and another 10 million can afford insurance, but choose not to buy it.
This is an enormous scam and I sincerely hope that nobody relies solely on the Daily Kos for their information.
Excellent diary, Jeff
itrytobenice (Diary) Monday, July 27th at 12:02PM EST (link)Good job.
Proper grammar saves lives.
Let’s eat Grandma.
Let’s eat, Grandma.