Couldn't the 'Men in White Coats' Just Take Obama Away?

Posted By Bobby Eberle On October 6, 2009 at 7:08 am

Barack Obama and Congressional Democrats want to control your health care. Despite sinking polls, their efforts continue with some Republicans who desperately want to work with them for a "compromise."

Obama's latest effort was to have yet another health care event where he could get in front of the camera and pitch his snake oil. Using a background of "doctors," Obama wanted to drive the message home to the American people that he and the doctors can be trusted with your health care. What a joke. All one needs to do is look at the way Medicare currently does business to see that the last thing America needs is more government control over health care.

As noted in an AP story on GOPUSA, "Obama on Monday filled the Rose Garden with doctors supportive of his health care overhaul, saying 'nobody has more credibility with the American people on this issue than you do.'"

Message to Obama: You don't have credibility on anything any more.

Obama's White House event gave him another chance to frame the debate on his terms as his top domestic priority enters its most critical phase with legislation moving toward floor debates in the Senate and the House.

The Senate Finance Committee is expected to clear its long-debated, intensely scrutinized bill this week. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, D-Mich., said a vote originally expected by Tuesday has been pushed back, because the Congressional Budget Office is still crunching cost and coverage numbers.

The latest version of the Finance bill will cover fewer people, after senators last week softened penalties for not carrying health insurance. Stabenow said she expects it will cover 92 percent or 93 percent of Americans, down from about 95 percent in earlier versions. The penalties were reduced because there's not enough money in the $900-billion, 10-year bill to provide subsidies for all middle-class households.

Ok, here's what I don't get... In the news story, former HHS Sec. Tommy Thompson said the bill in the Finance Committee "is another important step toward achieving the goal of health care reform this year." The story also notes, "Bill Frist, a heart surgeon and former Senate Republican leader, told Time magazine he would vote for the Finance bill if he were still in Congress. Both Frist and Thompson said the bill could be improved by amendments, however."

The bill emerging from the committee STILL forces people to buy health insurance, or they will face a penalty (tax). This is unconstitutional and un-American! In addition, the so-called health care reform package still does not include medical malpractice reform. In order to have serious reform and control costs, this aspect MUST be addressed, and it's not. Yet some prominent Republicans are stepping forward to voice support? Come on!

Take a look at the latest story on Medicare running on FOXNews.com. The report notes that Medicare is the "single largest buyer of medical products" in the United States. As such, one might think that they'd get some kind of "volume discount." Wrong!

"Medicare doesn't even get the best price. According to their own auditors, Medicare knowingly overpays for almost everything it buys."

Here are some examples from the FOXNews.com story:

-- $7,215 to rent an oxygen concentrator, when the purchase price is $600.

-- $4,018 for a standard wheelchair, while the private sector pays $1,048.

-- $1,825 for a hospital bed, compared to an Internet price of $1,071.

-- $3,335 for a respiratory pump, versus an advertised price of $1,987.

-- $82 for a diabetic supply kit, instead of a $47 price on the Web.

Of course, efforts to change the system have been blocked in Congress. No one has any respect for the tax payer, and apparently, no one in Congress has any business experience either.

And Obama and the Democrats want us to give more power to Washington? They want our blessing so that we are FORCED to buy health insurance and taxed heavily to pay for it? I don't think so.

Obama can keep his theatrics to himself. How many doctors would have actually gone to a White House event in their lab coats? None. Those who did forget to bring a lab coat (as instructed by the White House) were given one at the door.

One more speech, and one more opportunity for the American people to wake up. This plan should go down in flames, and the last thing we need are some Republicans saying they'd vote for it.