Replies

‘Special Report’ Panel on Obama’s Handling of Harvard Professor’s Arrest
Monday, July 27, 2009
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER, SYNDICATED COLUMNIST:
And this story, when the Cambridge police came out, a multi- racial police force came out and spoke unanimously about how this was wrong, this was not about race, and the president really ought to apologize, they understood it was a serious political issue. It seems that a lot of the Obama presidency is a contest between his intelligence and his arrogance. And I think he thought when he was asked that question Wednesday night that he can say anything on race and is so smart that he will be untouchable. And one reason is that he gave the famous speech in Philadelphia, the race speech, during the campaign, which, in fact, he did not renounce Jeremiah Wright. He blamed everybody for racism, black, white and grandmother, except for himself, and was hailed by a supine press as the second coming of Lincoln at Cooper Union. So after that, you think you can say anything on race and be hailed as a genius. Well, he now understands that you can’t get away with that forever, and he got really caught on this one.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,534955,00.html August 13, 2009
Panel on the Latest in the Health Care Debate
By Special Report With Bret Baier
BAIER: Another issue is what he’s saying about doctors. Take a listen to this from the town hall this week.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA: If a family care physician works with his patient to help them lose weight, modify diet, monitors whether they’re taking their medications in a timely fashion, they might get reimbursed a pittance. But if that same diabetic ends up getting their foot amputated, that’s $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 immediately the surgeon is reimbursed. Why not make sure we’re also reimbursing the care that prevents the amputation, right? That will save us money.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

BAIER: That is not sitting well with the AMA American Medical Association, a group that the president cites as supporting his health care reform. Here surgeons are not paid $30,000 to $50,000 to amputate a diabetic’s foot. Medicare pays a surgeon on average $541 to $708 for one of two procedures involving a foot amputation.

The American College of Surgeons says that remark was ill-informed and dangerous, as well as a remark a couple of weeks ago about taking children’s tonsils out.

So Charles, what about this, and how much this has hurt him.

KRAUTHAMMER: Well, when the president is off in talking about the fee for an amputation, off by a factor of at least 30, he’s got trouble, and it makes people worry about all his other so-called facts.
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2009/08/13/panel_on_the_latest_in_the_health_care_debate_97899.html