Pres. Obama's Health Care Speech

I didn't hear anything different from the last 28 speeches he has given on health care. He said the same things that have been disputed as well.

He said that he will not sign a bill that will add a dime to the deficit. I don't think there is a reasonable person out there that believes that. The Congressional Budget Office said that the bill the House Democrats have offered would add $220 billion to the deficit over ten years.

Pres. Obama says preventive care will save money, when that has repeatedly debunked. Study after study has said that it actually costs more, because testing many people who never develop disease increases the costs. It may save lives, but it doesn't save money.

He denies that abortion and illegal immigrants will be covered in the bill, and yet every wording that has been submitted by Republicans that spefically requires those things not be covered , in writing, has been rejected and thrown out by the Democrats. They know that if it isn't specifically rejected in the bill, it will be covered. It will fall under some other provision. It's their dirty little secret. Why else reject the language?

He says "nothing in our plan requires you to change what you have.” Notice the nuance there. No, of course nothing "requires" it, but if your employer chooses the public option, then you have no choice but to change. The stone cold truth is that the Congressional Budget Office analyzed the health care bill written by House Democrats and reported that by 2016 some 3 million people who now have employer-based care would lose it because their employers would decide to stop offering it.

This is all not to say that Obama did not make some good points. We all agree that we need stability, cost control, and expanded coverage.

The bottom line is that many Americans simply do NOT want a public option. They do not want the government involved in controlling our health care in any manner. Everyone may like Medicare, but not only is it broke, it's a scam. A Ponzi scheme. We can't let the government do this again.

You wouldn't know it by this speech but there are many plans out there by Republicans. What they should do, and what the American people want, is for Republicans and Democrats to COMPROMISE and come up with a bill that both can live with. But Nancy Pelosi and liberals in the House have opposed Republicans every step of the way. They have literally shut them out. When Obama calls for bi-partisanship, he needs to send that memo to his own party.

Pres. Obama also said "I still believe we can replace acrimony with civility." He might also send that memo to the Democrat leaders who call ordinary Americans who oppose the public option "evil mongers," compared them to "Nazis," and call them "an angry mob."

Dr. Charles Boustany (R-LA) gave the Republican address afterwards. Here are the key points:

It’s clear the American people want health care reform, but they want their elected leaders to get it right. Most Americans wanted to hear the President tell Speaker Pelosi, Majority Leader Reid and the rest of Congress that it’s time to start over on a common-sense, bipartisan plan focused on lowering the cost of health care while improving quality. That’s what I heard over the past several months in talking to thousands of my constituents.

“Replacing your family’s current health care with government-run health care is not the answer. In fact, it’ll make health care much more expensive. That’s not just my personal diagnosis as a doctor or a Republican; it’s the conclusion of the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office – the neutral scorekeeper that determines the cost of major bills.

“I read the bill Democrats passed through committee in July. It creates 53 new government bureaucracies, adds hundreds of billions to our national debt, and raises taxes on job-creators by $600 billion. And, it cuts Medicare by $500 billion, while doing virtually nothing to make the program better for our seniors.

There has never been a more urgent need for Republicans and Democrats to come together for the American people to reform health care. Pushing through a bill that so many Americans are so angry about just because you have the votes, would be the biggest mistake the Democrats could make.

The one good thing is that Pres. Obama seems to be willing to sign a bill of compromise that would take care of those uninsured and ensure no one can lose their insurance.

So if the Democrats in Congress can manage do that, then it very well could be a win for everyone.

But I wouldn't hold my breath.