Posted on 09/10/2009 8:23:23 PM PDT by socialismisinsidious
Palin Responds to Obama's Health Care Speech(She Goes After Him Again!!!)
http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=131081638434&ref=mf ^ | 9-9-09 | Sarah Palin
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:50:56 AM by Sarah Barracuda
After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through President Obama’s speech tonight: that increased government involvement in health care can solve its problems.
Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from long experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will not provide us with “more stability and security,” but just the opposite. It's hard to believe the President when he says that this time he and his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do things right if only we’ll take them at their word.
Our objections to the Democrats’ health care proposals are not mere “bickering” or “games.” They are not an attempt to “score short term political points.” And it’s hard to listen to the President lecture us not to use “scare tactics” when in the next breath he says that “more will die” if his proposals do not pass.
Obama Projects $900 Billion To Fix Health Care
AP Report ^ | September 09, 2009
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:51:02 AM by Steelfish
Obama Projects $900 Billion To Fix Health Care President backs ‘public option’ but only as limited part of larger plan
Pablo Martinez Monsivais / AP Republicans wave copies of their health care bill in objection to President Barack Obama’s proposals Wednesday during a joint session of Congress. At one point, a Republican lawmaker shouted, ‘You lie!’ at Obama.
By Alex Johnson
Declaring that he is determined to be the last president confronted with reshaping health care in America, President Barack Obama proposed a 10-year, $900 billion plan Wednesday night to overhaul a system that he said had left the country at “a breaking point.”
In a prime-time address to a joint session of Congress, Obama laid out the specifics of his proposal to change the way Americans’ medical care is paid for, responding to critics who have complained that he has not set forth precisely what he thinks the new program should be.
Obama's Health Care Pitch ("No one who can add and subtract" believes Obama's claims)
Weekly Standard ^ | 09/09/09 | Fred Barnes
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 3:15:43 AM by KentTrappedInLiberalSeattle
President Obama's speech to Congress last night can be summed up rather easily. It was 40 minutes of boilerplate followed by a socko, emotional finish exploiting the death of Senator Teddy Kennedy. Which leads to this question: was Obama's finishing kick sufficient to achieve his goal of "reframing" the national debate on health care that hasn't been going his way? I don't think so.
Obama didn't come close to offering a persuasive explanation of how he'd pay for ObamaCare. And that remains his biggest problem. He promises much, much more in guaranteed health benefits and says it will cost less. Even Obama himself couldn't really believe that. No one else who can add and subtract does. Cut "waste, fraud, and abuse?" Not a chance.
ObamaCare and Me
American Thinker ^ | 8/6/09 | Zane F. Pollard, MD
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 3:29:48 AM by seedman81
I have been sitting quietly on the sidelines watching all of this national debate on healthcare. It is time for me to bring some clarity to the table by explaining many of the problems from the perspective of a doctor.
First off, the government has involved very few of us physicians in the healthcare debate. While the American Medical Association has come out in favor of the plan, it is vital to remember that the AMA only represents 17% of the American physician workforce.
Obama Health Care address transcript
WhiteHouse.gov ^ | 09/09/2009 | B.H. Obama
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:41:30 AM by iowamark
REMARKS BY THE PRESIDENT TO A JOINT SESSION OF CONGRESS ON HEALTH CARE
U.S. Capitol Washington, D.C. 8:16 P.M. EDT
Who is the 'we' who 'spend too much' on elder care?
The American Thinker ^ | September 10, 2009 | James Lewis
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:49:40 AM by Scanian
The Left is terribly concerned that "we" are spending too much money on keeping people alive as they get older. But Ted Kennedy didn't seem to mind that "we" provided state-of-the-art cancer care for him, presumably through his wonderful insurance as a US Senator; I have yet to hear of a single "Man or Woman of the Left" -- as they like to dub themselves -- who would object to healthy (and wealthy) aging for themselves. I don't see George Soros checking out the suicide clinics in Holland. I don't hear any eagerness to cut short Jimmy Carter's lifelong support for bloody-minded Islamofascists; but Mr. Carter is 85 already. Are "we" the taxpayers now paying too much for his presidential medical care? Should Obama's own medical care be discontinued at some specified age? And should Nelson Mandela be encouraged to call it quits? After all, Mr. Mandela is 91 now.
Obama speech leaves health care industry uncertain (It's simple, you're going out of business!)
google ^ | 9/10/2009 | ap
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:54:15 AM by tobyhill
President Barack Obama in a televised speech to a joint session of Congress Wednesday night made clear he is sticking to his goal of health care reform, but the final impact on the health care industry is still far from certain as legislators continue the debate.
For health insurers and their shareholders, the uncertainty over reform has made for a roller coaster throughout the year, driving shares lower, then higher depending on which way the political wind blows in Washington. Stocks dove deeper than the broader market in early March, after Obama described reform as "a necessity we have to achieve." They have since mostly climbed as opposition grew in Congress to a proposed public health insurance plan that would compete with private insurers.
An economist explains health spending
Charleston Daily Mail ^ | 9/10/2009 | Don Surber
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 8:37:29 AM by Mustang Driver
Robert Fogel won the Nobel Prize for Economics in 1993. He wrote a piece last week in which he explained the two reasons why Americans spend more money on health care than everyone else in the world.
First, Americans have had more money to spend.
"Between 1875 and 1995, the share of family income spent on food, clothing, and shelter declined from 87 percent to just 30 percent, despite the fact that we eat more food, own more clothes, and have better and larger homes today than we had in 1875," Fogel wrote.
Healthcare scheme would benefit illegal immigrants
The Hill ^ | 08/03/09 | Lamar Smith (R-Texas)
- Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:28:59 AM by george76
While much of the public debate surrounding the Democrats’ healthcare plan has focused on the massive costs to be paid by American taxpayers, another flaw has stayed under the radar — until last week. That’s when the National Council of La Raza and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus pushed to include illegal immigrants in the president’s healthcare effort.
Biden: Health care bill may be in by Thanksgiving
AP ^ | 9-10-09 | Ricardo Alonso-Zaldivar
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:51:58 AM by HogsBreath
WASHINGTON — Vice President Joe Biden asserted Thursday that a health care bill will be done by Thanksgiving because President Barack Obama has “re-centered debate” and there’s an emerging bipartisan consensus for change despite fights over details like the government-run option. “I think the most important thing he did, he also debunked a lot of the myths out there, the idea of death panels, that we were going to insure undocumented aliens,” said Biden, touring the morning network news shows a day after Obama delivered what he hopes was a game-changing appeal to a joint session of Congress.
Healthcare bill packed with pro-union stuff
Wall Street Journal ^ | 9/10/09 | Mark Mix
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:15:52 AM by frposty
... huge financial windfalls ObamaCare will dole out to unions—or to the provisions in the various bills in Congress that will help bring about the forced unionization of the health-care industry. ... Monopoly bargaining and compulsory union dues may quickly become a required standard resulting in potentially hundreds of thousands of doctors and nurses across the country being forced into unions ... forced unionization schemes ... taxing American workers' existing health-care benefits—but he would exempt union-negotiated health-care plans ... employers could allow a union to come in and negotiate less costly benefits than would otherwise be required.
Health Bill Could Benefit 6.6 Million Illegals
Center for Immigration Studies ^ | 9 Sept 09 | Center for Immigration Studies
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:56:22 AM by LSUfan
As President Obama addresses the nation on health care reform, a new analysis by the Center for Immigration Studies estimates that 6.6 million uninsured illegal immigrants could receive benefits under the House health reform bill (H.R. 3200). While the bill states that illegal immigrants are not eligible for the new taxpayer-funded affordability credits, there is nothing in the bill to enforce this provision. Congress defeated efforts to require the use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE) program. More than 70 other programs of this kind use SAVE.
Calling out all the hypocrisies (Conservative healthcare arguments don't apply to abortion)
Chicago Tribune ^ | September 6, 2009 | Arthur Caplan
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:57:03 AM by presidio9
Something mighty strange has been going on in the battles over health-care reform. Conservatives have been screaming that a key flaw in President Barack Obama's plan to extend health insurance to all Americans is that government bureaucrats should not be interfering in matters best left to doctors and patients.
Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh, Tea Partyers at town halls and many GOP members of Congress have been frothing over the idea that supposedly under Obama's public plan, government will be mandating decisions about your health care.
So why is it that when the subject is abortion and state officials stick their noses right into the practice of medicine, we don't hear a peep from the same crowd about the evil government actually playing a role in how medicine is practiced?
Read the Union Health-Care Label: Get ready for Detroit-style labor relations in our hospitals
Wall Street Journal ^ | Sept. 10, 2009 | Mark Mix
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:27:54 AM by AtlasStalled
In the heated debates on health-care reform, not enough attention is being paid to the huge financial windfalls ObamaCare will dole out to unions—or to the provisions in the various bills in Congress that will help bring about the forced unionization of the health-care industry. Tucked away in thousands of pages of complex new rules, regulations and mandates are special privileges and giveaways that could have devastating consequences for the health-care sector and the American economy at large. The Senate version opens the door to implement forced unionization schemes pursued by former Govs. Rod Blagojevich of Illinois in 2005 and Gray Davis of California in 1999. Both men repaid tremendous political debts to Andy Stern and his Service Employees International Union (SEIU) by reclassifying state-reimbursed in-home health-care (and child-care) contractors as state employees—and forcing them to pay union dues.
Obama Adviser Hopes Catholic Bishops Will Find A Way to Support Health Care Reform Legislation
CNSNews.com ^ | September 10, 2009 | Fred Lucas
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:28:43 AM by Alex Murphy
Capitol Hill (CNSNews.com) – A top adviser to President Barack Obama told CNSNews.com the White House hopes the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will come to understand that the Democrats’ health care reform legislation does not cover abortion.
“I think the church has been a great progressive force on issues like this. Hopefully, bishops will see a way to support this (health care reform legislation),” David Axelrod, senior advisor to the president, told CNSNews.com Wednesday night.
Axelrod said he does not believe the Catholic Church is intentionally spreading misinformation, as the White House says other opponents of the legislation are doing.
“I think that they are earnestly trying to work their way through this issue,” Axelrod told CNSNews.com on Wednesday night, shortly after Obama addressed a joint session of Congress.
Liberal lies about national health care, Part 4
World Net Daily ^ | September 10, 2009 | Ann Coulter
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:54:24 AM by yoe
Note: Don't miss Coulter's (Part 1), (Part 2)and (Part 3).
12) Only national health care can provide "coverage that will stay with you whether you move, change your job or lose your job" – as Obama said in a New York Times op-ed.
This is obviously a matter of great importance to all Americans, because, with Obama's economic policies, none of us may have jobs by year's end.
The only reason you can't keep – or often obtain – health insurance if you move or lose your job now is because of ... government intrusion into the free market.
You will notice that if you move or lose your job, you can obtain car and home insurance, hairdressers, baby sitters, dog walkers, computer technicians, cars, houses, food and every other product and service not heavily regulated by the government. (Although it does become a bit harder to obtain free office supplies.)
Federal tax incentives have created a world in which the vast majority of people get health insurance through their employers. Then to really screw ordinary Americans, the tax code actually punishes people who don't get their health insurance through an employer by denying individuals the tax deduction for health insurance that their employers get.
Obama’s Health Care Speech in Plain English
Cato@Liberty ^ | September 10, 2009 | Michael F. Cannon
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:49:14 PM by Delacon
Hell of a speech last night, eh? Here are a few of my favorite gems.
Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a pre-existing condition.
Translation: I, Barack Obama, ignoring thousands of years of failed price-control schemes, will impose price controls on health insurance. I will force insurers to sell a $50k policies for $10k. What could go wrong?
We were losing an average of 700,000 jobs per month.
True. And your employer mandate would kill hundreds of thousands of low-wage jobs that would never come back.
How 'tech-savvy' Barack Obama lost the health care debate thanks to sinister Right-wing blogs
Telegraph Blogs (U.K.) ^ | September 10, 2009 | James Delingpole
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:50:11 PM by Schnucki
If there’s one thing President Obama’s good at, you would have thought, it would be harnessing the powers of new technology. He’s got the Blackberry addiction. He’s got the Twitter feeds. He’s the most tech-savvy POTUS in US history, who quite possibly wouldn’t even be doing the job he’s doing now if it weren’t for his supreme, almost Neo-like mastery of that thing we call the Interweb.
More Americans Lacked Health Insurance in 2008
WSJ ^ | 09/10/09
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 12:52:18 PM by freed0misntfree
WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Census Bureau said the number of uninsured Americans increased in 2008 to 46.3 million, compared to 45.7 million in 2007.
The bureau also said the U.S poverty rate of 13.2% in 2008 was an increase from 12.5% in 2007. This was the largest annual poverty rate increase since 2004, the bureau said. The statistics released Thursday cover the first full year of the current recession. The median -- or midpoint -- household income declined slightly to $50,303.
The data underscore the need to revamp the U.S. health-care system, President Barack Obama said, adding that more recent surveys show that the situation has grown worse since the recession deepened last September.
Obamacare opens door to Planned Parenthood in schools
WorldNetDaily ^ | SEPTEMBER 10, 2009 | Chelsea Schilling
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 3:31:32 PM by RobinMasters
The House's proposed health national health plan would establish "school-based health clinics" on campuses, and one group is warning it could give Planned Parenthood direct access to American schoolchildren at taxpayer expense.
The American Family Association, or AFA, is warning that Section 399Z-1 of H.R. 3200, or the House plan, titled "School-Based Health Clinics," allows a "non-profit health agency" to serve as a "sponsoring facility" for health clinics that operate during school hours. AFA has provided a document with actual language from H.R. 3200 that outlines requirements for the program.
The Myth of World Health Organization health care rankings
WHO press release via Photius ^ | June 21st, 2000 | WHO
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:57:21 PM by Halfmanhalfamazing
The World Health Organization has carried out the first ever analysis of the world’s health systems. Using five performance indicators to measure health systems in 191 member states, it finds that France provides the best overall health care followed among major countries by Italy, Spain, Oman, Austria and Japan.
Republicans to Obama: Here Are Our Health Plans (Obama lies, again)
fox news ^ | 9/10/2009 | fox news Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 5:59:16 PM by tobyhill
Republicans have an offer -- or 35 -- for President Obama if he is serious about wanting to listen to alternative proposals.
"You've got the House working group -- solutions working group on health care; you've got a proposal there. You've got H.R. 3400. Or you could go to healthcare.gop.gov and you can see all of the proposals -- all of them. They're right there," House Minority Leader John Boehner, R-Ohio, told reporters on Thursday.
Dems Say Health Care Bill to Pass This Year
AP ^
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 6:23:54 PM by TroutGuy
WASHINGTON — Democratic congressional leaders predicted passage of health care legislation within a few months despite undimmed Republican opposition, claiming momentum Thursday from President Barack Obama's speech and renewed commitment from lawmakers fresh from a month of meetings with constituents. Increasingly, events in the Senate Finance Committee appeared pivotal, precursor to likely votes in both the House and the Senate by early October. "I'm confident the president will sign a bill this year," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California. While effusively praising Obama's speech from the night before, Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada signaled separately the president may not prevail in his call for legislation that allows the federal government to sell insurance in competition with private industry. Reid said that while he favors a strong "public option," he could be satisfied with establishment of nonprofit cooperatives, along the lines expected to be included in the bill taking shape in the Finance Committee. Pelosi, who has long favored a measure that allows the government to sell insurance, passed up a chance to say it was a nonnegotiable demand. As long as legislation makes quality health care more accessible and affordable, "we will go forward with that bill," she said.
Network And Cable Ratings For Dear Leaders's Speech On Health Care
hotairpundit ^ | 9/10/09 | talkradio03
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:17:47 PM by Talkradio03
Cable ratings + Network ratings for Obama's partisan speech on Health Care last night...
Rep. Wilson Outburst Leads Senate Dems to Close Loophole in Health Reform Bill
FOX ^
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:44:20 PM by Sub-Driver
Rep. Wilson Outburst Leads Senate Dems to Close Loophole in Health Reform Bill In the Senate, Democrats in the so called "Gang of Six," began moving quickly to close the loophole Rep. Joe Wilson helped bring to light with his outburst during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress on Wednesday night.
FOXNews.com
Thursday, September 10, 2009
The apologies are out of the way and the offense forgiven. But the underlying policy argument remains, after a Congressman drew fire from both sides of the aisle for his outburst during President Obama's speech Wednesday.
Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., was criticized for interrupting Obama's address to a joint session of Congress to accuse the president of lying about his health care reform plan prohibiting coverage for illegal immigrants. Wilson quickly apologized, and the White House accepted the apology.
Wilson apologized again Thursday morning, though he also says a massive loophole could wind up in the health care bill: no requirement to prove citizenship for health care coverage.
Joe Wilson Is Rude But Right (Here's the evidence that we’ll pay more for illegals’ health care)
National Review ^ | 9/10/2009 | Kevin Williamson
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 7:54:05 PM by SeekAndFind
Set aside Joe Wilson’s bad manners — what about the substance of his accusation?
Mr. Wilson claims that various Democratic proposals wending their way through Congress will use U.S. taxpayer dollars to further subsidize health care for illegal immigrants. Democrats say this is not true, and the back-and-forth continues like this: Democrats say that there is nothing in pending legislation that explicitly covers illegal aliens. Republicans say, “Aha! But we offered amendments that would have specifically required more robust measures to keep illegals out of the system and you voted them down, leaving the back door open!” And Democrats respond, “No, we didn’t. We don’t need that, because Medicare and Medicaid and such already require documentation of legal status.” And then the Democrats will point to this report from that solomonic arbiter of fact, the CNN Truth Squad, which concludes: “A new report finds the bill could require illegal immigrants to buy coverage, but it clearly restricts subsidies to U.S. citizens and legal residents.”
CBO Says Senate Obamacare Plan Will Add $1 Trillion To US Debt
CBO Director/The Lid ^ | 9/10/09 | The Lid
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 8:13:50 PM by Shellybenoit
The CBO conducted some additional analysis of the Senate version of the Obamacare Plan and found that the it will add over One Trillion Dollars to the national debt. The expensive part of the program was expanding Medicaid to include anyone earning below 150 percent of the poverty level. In a letter responding to questions from Sen. Mike Enzi, R-Wyo., CBO director Douglas Elmendorf said the bill would end up hurting worker wages and employment."
CBO projects that firms subject to the penalty but choose not to offer health insurance would pass that cost on to their workers, primarily in the form of lower wages, just as firms that offer insurance today and contribute toward the premiums pay lower wages than they otherwise would, keeping their total compensation costs about the same," Elmendorf wrote. Elmendorf said that for workers who earn close to minimum wage, the result could be job loss.
Illegal Immigrants Difficult To Remove From ObamaCare
IBD Editorials ^ | September 10, 2009 | SEAN HIGGINS
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:34:16 PM by Kaslin
It was the heckle heard round the world. During President Obama's Wednesday speech, Rep. Joe Wilson, R-S.C., shouted "You lie!" when Obama said his health plan wouldn't cover illegal aliens.
Democrats — and many Republicans — cried foul at the breach of decorum. Wilson apologized for his "inappropriate and regrettable" outburst. Obama said Thursday he accepted the apology.
But was Wilson inaccurate? Some independent analysis indicates — contrary to Obama's claim — that the House health bill could result in coverage being extended to illegal immigrants.
The Congressional Research Service, a nonpartisan agency that analyzes legislation for lawmakers, notes that most of the language in the main House bill does not include illegals — but has few mechanisms for enforcing this.
The bill's individual mandate to get coverage does include illegals.
Obama Treats Dems' Internal Wounds, But Sewing Up Health Deal A Challenge
IBD Editorials ^ | September 10, 2009 | DAVID HOGBERG
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 9:49:24 PM by Kaslin
President Obama declared Wednesday night that it's time for "action" on health care. On Thursday, he and other top Democrats sought common ground.
But it's an open question whether the spirit of party unity will last — and translate into tangible legislation on the president's desk.
Obama met Thursday with Nebraska Sen. Ben Nelson and other key moderate Democrats. Wednesday night, Nelson said the speech was "a bit of a game-changer."
On Thursday spokesman Jake Thompson clarified the remarks. "It was a game changer not so much for Congress but for the public."
Meanwhile, Jason Altmire, D-Pa., said, "The president did everything he needed to do. The problem now is it gets kicked back to Congress. I think some of the things Obama said are inconsistent with the current House bill."
He said he thought Obama took an income tax surcharge — which is in the House bill — off the table.
NYC Seniors Not Buying Obama Health Reform Speech (Rookie Hussein loses uber-lib base?)
WCBSTV ^ | 9/10/09 | Marcia Kramer
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:35:45 PM by Libloather
NEW YORK (CBS) - During his speech Wednesday night President Barack Obama tried to re-assure senior citizens that their Medicare coverage would be preserved.
But some seniors here in New York are still skeptical.
The people at the Northeast Bronx Senior Center heard what Obama had to say about health care reform and trying to preserve their Medicare coverage.
"The only thing this plan would eliminate is the hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and fraud as well as unwarranted subsidies in Medicare that go to insurance companies," Obama said.
But many weren't happy.
"Don't mess with me Obama. Don't mess with me. I really, really, really don't go for it," said Rose Marie Moshier of Throggs Neck.
Listening to a Liar: Part II (Thomas Sowell)
Townhall.com ^ | September 10, 2009 | Thomas Sowell
Posted on Thursday, September 10, 2009 10:21:43 PM by jazusamo
"Hubris-laden charlatans" was the way a recent e-mail from a reader characterized the Obama administration. That phrase seems especially appropriate for the Charlatan-in-Chief, Barack Obama, whose speech to a joint session of Congress was both a masterpiece of rhetoric and a shameless fraud.
To tell us, with a straight face, that he can insure millions more people without adding to the already skyrocketing deficit, is world-class chutzpa and an insult to anyone's intelligence. To do so after an analysis by the Congressional Budget Office has already showed this to be impossible reveals the depths of moral bankruptcy behind the glittering words.
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