Health Care Procedural Shenanigans

To pass an unpopular bill through the Legislature, the House and Senate are conspiring together to use some procedural hi-jinks in an attempt to help protect the "voting record" of Democrats who face re-election this November. Sounds boring, right? Not really.



And there you have it. In 91 seconds, we see how the Democrats in the Legislature will push through a bill that will add almost a Trillion dollars to the National Debt in the first 10 years of funding (note page 8 of the PDF).

Can we please stop spending my daughter's money now? I mean, she's only 7 and doesn't even have a job yet!

Hat Tip - Hot Air

Healthcare Summit Video

I didn't watch all of the Healthcare Summit. I have a job that requires me to actually work. However, I did catch a couple of clips from the discussion. One that I particularly like explains my feelings quite well.



I agree with Representative Ryan's points. Healthcare is hugely expensive and is overly burdensome on our State and Federal governments (remember, much of the money for Medicaid comes directly from the states). Lowering the overall cost of healthcare would help both the governments and individuals. However, as Ryan pointed out, giving government more control over the healthcare industry, which is what the current bill would do, is not the answer.




Hat Tip to Power Line for the video.

When to Cooperate... and When to Debate

Michael Ramirez has a great image that illustrates the Republican side of the Healthcare Debate.

The Democrats keeping saying they want the Conservatives to help pass healthcare reform and stop slowing the process. However, I think the Republicans are doing what their constituents want them to do, block a bad piece of legislation.

Now THIS is Real Healthcare Reform

The Republicans have an alternative Healthcare bill, which you wouldn't guess based on the news coverage it's received. This bill would be an alternative to the bill(s) Reid and Pelosi have tried to get through the House and the Senate. The Republican Healthcare bill does several necessary things to help lower the overall cost of healthcare.

• Number one: let families and businesses buy health insurance across state lines.
• Number two: allow individuals, small businesses, and trade associations to pool together and acquire health insurance at lower prices, the same way large corporations and labor unions do.
• Number three: give states the tools to create their own innovative reforms that lower health care costs.
• Number four: end junk lawsuits that contribute to higher health care costs by increasing the number of tests and procedures that physicians sometimes order not because they think it's good medicine, but because they are afraid of being sued.

According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Republican bill would cost around $61 Billion (a fraction of the $1 Trillion needed for the Democratic bill) and, here's the kicker, DECREASE the deficit by $68 Billion!!

Now that's Healthcare reform I can get behind.

Hat Tip - Hot Air

Wow!! Do We Have Another President Wishing to Reform Language?

So, the last president to get into language peccadilloes was a Democrat who carefully guided the conversation about his philanderings, and if he lied about them. This time, we have a Democrat who won't acknowledge the new healthcare bill would be a tax on people, even though the bill itself includes the word "tax" not once, but twice.

Guess what, when you try to set yourself up as the lone authority on EVERYTHING, people tend to believe you have dictatorial tendencies and stop trusting you. See the video of Obama attempting to singlehandedly redefine the English language below.

Obama's Plan to Help HR3200

So, in the wake of the vigorous debate and reaction against the Democratically sponsored legislation to reform Health Care in the US, President Obama feels it is necessary that he step forward to clarify the Federal Government's position.

Michael Ramirez's cartoon pre-sages how successful this will be.

Great Rebuttal of Flawed Logic

This video is amazing! It takes an argument started by a "Progressive" and totally destroys it. Amazing!

Straight Talk About Real Healthcare Reform... From a Business Man

John Mackey, the CEO of Whole Foods, has caught quite a bit of flack for his opposition to the Democratic Healthcare Reforms being positted in Congress. However, this successful business man has gone a step beyond opposing an obviously flawed policy. He's presented a viable alternative in his Wall Street Journal Op-Ed piece.

When you read about the changes he wants to make, it makes a lot of sense. His focus is to have reforms that are "financially responsible" and that all individuals "the freedom to choose docotors and health-care services that best suit our own unique set of lifestyle choices." This is not something we would get under the current Democratically authored legislation being bandied about in the legislative branch.

I think some of the issue the "progressives" have with Mackey's arguement is his correct assertion that healthcare is not a right. Here is a short quote.

"Many promoters of health-care reform believe that people have an intrinsic ethical right to health care—to equal access to doctors, medicines and hospitals. While all of us empathize with those who are sick, how can we say that all people have more of an intrinsic right to health care than they have to food or shelter?

Health care is a service that we all need, but just like food and shelter it is best provided through voluntary and mutually beneficial market exchanges. A careful reading of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution will not reveal any intrinsic right to health care, food or shelter. That’s because there isn’t any. This “right” has never existed in America."

Read the rest of the article for a good dose of reality from a succesful business man. Politicians could learn a thing or two from his real world ideas.

A Congressman in the Right Frame of Mind

Well, it's nice to see that not all Legislators are snowballed into thinking we need to rush to pass the current ObamaCare bill floating in the House or the Senate. In the video, it's obvious the network reporters are avid supporters of the bill. At one point, one reporter talks about giving every American the opportunity to have the same great healthcare the Legislators have. Representative Ryan quickly points out that what they have is the ability to choose from several private healthcare plans.

My favortie quote comes around 4:45, when Representative Ryan states.

"You're using capitalist rhetoric to try and move a plan that is inherantly anti-market." Of course the supporters are using capitalist rheatoric. At heart, almost everyone is a capitalist. Watch the whole thing.

Friday Healthcare Funny

I love this play on prescription drug ads.

I think we can all agree, the side effects are worse than the cure.

A Real Health Care Reform Aternative

After busting the myths associated with the Left's debate about why we need socialized medicine, this article by Governor Jindal in the Wall Street Journal is a natural step. He lays out some great points. If real health care reform is the goal of the Left, then these items he mentioned are worth debating. Jindal's suggestions would help decrease the cost of health care, while at the same time leaving choice for care where it ultimately needs to belong, with the individual.

What do you want to bet, though, that these items are not included anywhere in what the Democrats are proposing?

Great Video Recap of Nationalized Healthcare Experience

It's interesting that, when the progressive seems to be losing the arguement, his first step is to indulge in ad hominem attacks. Nothing facutal, just throwing around terms like "fear mongerer" and such. Me? I prefer a logical discussion that talks about the real consequences.

Another Screed Against Government Run Healthcare

This wonderful article, Health Care Mythology (also posted and linked here), should help people understand all of the points about the Health Care debate currently happening in Congress. There are several Myths, things that everyone just KNOWS are true. In this article, Mr. Asness points out how each of these several views is flawed.

One notion he keeps mentioning, one which has not received a lot of attention, is how the United States is currently absorbing the cost of invention for much of the world. The explicit example he provides is related to Canada and their "cheap drugs." Now, if someone else is paying part of your costs, is the real total cost of the product cheap? No

Read the entire article to help dispell the myths foisted on us by our Left leaning Congress and their helpers, the Mass Media.

Hat Tip - Crossfit

A Healthy Reminder

The Healthcare Debate right now is not new. Reagan talked about this during his time as well. The year is 1961, when another nationalized healthcare bill was being put forth. Like today, the call went out becuase of a trumped up "Great emergency." And if you dare to doubt the need for this Federal Government oversight, supporters will challenge you on an emotional basis.

Reagan quotes one of our Founding Fathers when he talks about the introduction and success of Socialism as a "gradual and silent encroachment instead of through violent means." Reagan did not support intrusive government. He talks about how we have "the right and the ability" to make our own choices. Abdicating this responsibility to our governemtn means we are no longer free.

Hear more of the speech below:

My favorite quote:

"Governments don't tax to get the money they need. Governments will always find a need for the money they get."

Hat Tip - Hot Air