Sarah Palin: Statement on the Current Health Care Debate

facebook ^ | Aug. 7, 2009 | Sarah Palin

[Al B.]

As more Americans delve into the disturbing details of the nationalized health care plan that the current administration is rushing through Congress, our collective jaw is dropping, and we’re saying not just no, but hell no!

The Democrats promise that a government health care system will reduce the cost of health care, but as the economist Thomas Sowell has pointed out, government health care will not reduce the cost; it will simply refuse to pay the cost. And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s “death panel” so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil.

Health care by definition involves life and death decisions. Human rights and human dignity must be at the center of any health care discussion.

Rep. Michele Bachmann highlighted the Orwellian thinking of the president’s health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, the brother of the White House chief of staff, in a floor speech to the House of Representatives. I commend her for being a voice for the most precious members of our society, our children and our seniors.

We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Ronald Reagan once wrote, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late.

- Sarah Palin

[o2bfree]

I like how Sarah is using her facebook page.

No audio recording, no video trace, its a lot harder for the libs to hijack. The libs will pervert anything a regular citizen says to support their power agenda.

[Munz]

>Wow! A public servant concerned for the welfare of the public! What a strange thing.<

which is why liberals and the MSM hate and don’t understand her.
A public servant actually who wants to serve their people. Who would have thunk it.

[Munz]

thanks just joined her facebook page.
she is great

[r9etb]

You have been flailed mercilessly for your comment.

It's a merciless infliction of boredom, nothing more.

I think you should be given a chance to prove you are right. Please post what she should have written.

No time for the full effort, but let's just focus on her one call to action, such as it is: "We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate." If she wants to be a leader, she needs to actually define the terms of the debate by starting it, not merely issue a flaccid call to "engage" in it.

Her talking points:

1. American health care is the best in the world, and it is that way because it is governed by free enterprise, rather than government bureaucrats.

2. It is true that American medical care is very costly, and that some cannot afford to pay for health care. This is a problem that must be addressed. It is not, however, a reason to take over the entire health care system and place it under the control of bureaucrats. (Place detailed discussion of the origins of the high cost of American health care, including role of Medicare/Medicaid and malpractice insurance here.)

3. The CBO states that ObamaCare will cost a very large amount now, and not save money even out at 10 years. Experience shows that government programs end up costing far more than original projections, and this

4. It is extremely irresponsible for the government to shoulder this incredible financial burden at a time when current budget deficits under Obama are already projected to be in the TRILLIONS of dollars even without this additional cost.

5. What, exactly, is the rush? Why is it necessary to pass a quickly cobbled together bill, the details of which neither the president nor our senators or representatives are familiar? Responsible governance would spend serious time researching, debating, and understanding the issues before passing them into law.

And so on...

See the difference? Those sorts of points are the way that a leader would kick off a debate: with serious issues discussed responsibly.

There's no substance in what she actually said: it wasn't leadership, it was advertising.

[unspun]

There's no substance in what she actually said: it wasn't leadership, it was advertising.

Gov. Palin expressed excellent leadership.

In fact she hit upon the central moral issue, which you have skirted: government interfering in life and death decisions, based upon progressivist/fascist/Marxist “level of productivity in society."

And the call to action was clearly there.

We must step up and engage in this most crucial debate. Nationalizing our health care system is a point of no return for government interference in the lives of its citizens. If we go down this path, there will be no turning back. Ronald Reagan once wrote, “Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late.

Leadership of the highest order.

[reasonisfaith]

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Romney supporters voted for Obama”

I wouldn’t be surprised if Romney voted for him.

[Pan_Yan]

A leader needs to inspire. Nothing you wrote would inspire anyone. That’s the difference.

[r9etb]

I was not attempting to be inspiring -- I was providing (in accordance with your request) what Ms. Palin should have talked about. As I pointed out before, she made no attempt to address the issues she wants us to "engage."

Don't you think it's about time for her to stop with the bumperstickerism -- which in her case is just more of the same ol' same ol'? She has aspirations of leadership, and you have aspirations of following her. Don't you think it's about time she stepped up to showing real leadership, which includes actual command of the issues?

You apparently have very low standards. I do not, which is why I don't have much patience for Sarah Palin right now.

[Pan_Yan]

I was not attempting to be inspiring -- I was providing (in accordance with your request) what Ms. Palin should have talked about.

We have plenty of professional pundits who can give us an analysis of the facts of the health care bills. We need leadership. The history of democracies has shown over (Wilson) and over (Carter) and over (Obama) that academics and writers are not what America needs to be successful. It needs leaders of action.

As I pointed out before, she made no attempt to address the issues she wants us to "engage."

Then why is her simple, uninspiring comment driving the news cycle? Her 'Death Panel' remark is making rationing the story of this debate. It could well cost the Democarats the senior vote.

Don't you think it's about time for her to stop with the bumperstickerism -- which in her case is just more of the same ol' same ol'?

Now you sound like the democrats complaining for eight years that Reagan was simple and senile while he cleaned their clocks. How many bumper stickerisms did Reagen give us?

Don't you think it's about time she stepped up to showing real leadership, which includes actual command of the issues?

She seems to have a very firm grasp of cut spending, limit government and protect national soveregnty. Picking apart line items and nuance is what congress should do. National leaders should be able to articulate ideas to the masses, such as 'this entire package is unconstitutional.'

You apparently have very low standards. I do not, which is why I don't have much patience for Sarah Palin right now.

Snobbery does not win elections. You don't have to like for the woman. She's not even running for anything. But you taking cheap shots at her doesn't mean I have low standards, it means you have an axe to grind.

[r9etb]

We have plenty of professional pundits who can give us an analysis of the facts of the health care bills.

What we've got is a bunch of pundits who write like Sarah Palin speaks -- short on details and long on soundbites. We have precious few (e.g., Steyn, Hanson, Krauthammer...) who are able to speak solidly on a broad range of issues. Would that we could find a few politicians like that, who have the depth to grasp a wide range of issues and make something useful from them.

We need leadership. The history of democracies has shown over (Wilson) and over (Carter) and over (Obama) that academics and writers are not what America needs to be successful. It needs leaders of action.

We need leaders who can deal with the facts of the health care bills -- just to name one thing -- themselves, and can lead on that basis. Unspecific calls to "engage" are not leadership. A leader clearly articulates a specific plan of action, and then actually leads people to make it happen.

Then why is her simple, uninspiring comment driving the news cycle?

Doubtful... But even so: a good soundbite is not leadership. It's the current state of politics, which is wretched.

Now you sound like the democrats complaining for eight years that Reagan was simple and senile while he cleaned their clocks. How many bumper stickerisms did Reagen give us?

To compare Sarah Palin to Ronald Reagan is like comparing a T-ball team to the Yankees. Simply to investigate the comparison is to realize how short Sarah Palin falls of the mark.

Snobbery does not win elections.

Experience-wise, Sarah Palin is only marginally ... very marginally ... more qualified than Obama is. We're already seeing the effects of amateur hour in the White House -- do we really need to propagate it?

You don't have to like for the woman. She's not even running for anything.

Oh, the heck she's not.

But you taking cheap shots at her doesn't mean I have low standards, it means you have an axe to grind.

It's not a "cheap shot" to point out that she's not offering leadership. If I have an ax to grind, it's toward those FReepers who are so caught up in Sarah Palin's celebrity that they can't see what she isn't: and that's "qualified for national leadership."

[Pan_Yan]

I didn't compare Palin to Reagan. I compared you to democrats. Facts do no good if you don't drive the news cycle. We have the facts behind us. If Palin can drive the news cycle she will get people to the facts.

I have not proposed that Palin be a presidential candidate. You are fighting an argument with yourself there. I am not a Palin cool aid drinker. She is not infallible. But to say that she is only marginally more qualified than Obama shows a blind bias on your part that facts can't argue with.

You seem to want to fight a war on grounds that do not exist with an imaginary leader that is not leading. We are in a sound bite world and Governor Palin is one of the few proven conservatives who is able to drive the news with a consistently conservative message.

From what I've pieced together from your comments you seem to want a lawyerly political veteran who can discuss subsection 3(a) on page 1437 of the bill. There are plenty of those on ‘Meet the Press’ on Sunday mornings. And no one listens to them. Please tell me what leader you think is articulating conservative principles on a national level right now.

[Bitsy]

Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we’ll ever see on this earth.” Let’s stop and think and make our voices heard before it’s too late.

Is she now considered by our wonderful government leaders a Nazi? A thug?/s Go Sarah, Go Sarah!