Paul Ryan on Medicare

Paul Ryan gets the economics correct.



It boggles the mind that the Obama "progressives" think that a bankrupt, failed centrally planned system is "progress." I don't. Do you?

Medicare Reform Video from Center for Freedom and Prosperity

I offer these videos from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity, because they are uniformly well-reasoned and thought provoking. This one is no exception, especially in the wake for Newt Gingerich's stumbling on Sunday's Meet the Press in which he criticized Paul Ryan's plan. Newt proved himself to be a big government politician, just not quite as big government as Barack Obama. Whoop-de-doo. That is not saying much. I'll say again, Good-bye, Newt.

Good-Bye Newt Gingerich; Newt Responds

Here is a really good reason to forget Newt Gingerich as a candidate, from Meet the Press yesterday:

“Well, I agree that all of us have a responsibility to pay--help pay for health care,” said Gingrich. “And I think that there are ways to do it that make most libertarians relatively happy. I've said consistently we ought to have some requirement that you either have health insurance or you post a bond or in some way you indicate you're going to be held accountable.”

He thinks that is going to make libertarians happy? In what universe? Not this one.

Newt is endorsing the individual mandate. That shows he is really just another big government type. Bad medicine.

Newt Gingerich for president? A definite and resounding NO from the Voice of Reason.

Update: Newt Responds:



Really? How can anyone explain the inconsistencies with yesterday's statement and for his 1993 support for an individual mandate (reported at CNS News)? When politicians say different things at different times to different people, color me suspicious.

AARP Sells Out Seniors -- To Line its Own Pockets

For this story I refer you to Legal Insurrection, but feel free to click here to a copy of the report released by two Congressmen detailing the AARP scandal.

Moron of the Day: Debbie Wasserman-Schultz (D-FL)

On the floor of the House today, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz claimed that the term Obamacare was "disparaging reference to the President of the United States.



No. Ms. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz. Here is disparaging: You really are a dumb b***h. See the difference?

That is disparaging. Granted, Obamacare is not a compliment. That is because Obamacare is an abortion as a substitute for a real health care system.

If you want some more derogatory, just ask. We can supply. How about crapcare?

Congratulations Debbie Wasserman-Schultz on being our Moron of the Day.

Obamacare Unconstitutionality Explained

Obamacare Unconstitutional and Void

The full text of the decision, all 78 pages, is here.

I have not yet read and absorbed it. After I do, I may post more comments, after I have finished celebrating.

This is a temporary celebration, of course. The Supreme Court will eventually decide this.

Obamacare Repeal Bill More Than Symbolic

After so many years of enduring the Democrats' high sounding, false promising in the naming of bills, the Obamacare repeal really has it right: "Repealing the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act."

All congressional legislation should be so honest.

If the House passes the repeal bill, which it surely will, it is more that merely symbolic. Yes, it send a clear message the the voting public is unhappy with Obamacare. It also forces the Democrats and the President to tell the America people that they still refuse to do what the American people want.

The repeal bill is only the first step in getting rid of Obamacare. It draws the battle lines.

I believe in the strategy.

Virginia v. Sebilius Decided

The Virginia District court has decided that Congress lacked the constitutional authority to enact the Obamacare individual mandate.  Read the entire decision here.

Next stop:  Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Medicare Death Panel Presages Obamacare Death Panels

Medicare Death Panel has been investigating to decide whether to let prostate cancer patients die rather than pay for an expensive new prostate cancer drug. The Washington Post reports:

Federal officials are conducting an unusual review to determine whether the government should pay for an expensive new vaccine for treating prostate cancer, rekindling debate over whether some therapies are too costly.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, which dictate what treatments the massive federal health-insurance program for the elderly will cover, is running a "national coverage analysis" of Provenge, the first vaccine approved for treating any cancer. The treatment costs $93,000 a patient and has been shown to extend patients' lives by about four months.

Although Medicare is not supposed to take cost into consideration when making such rulings, the decision to launch a formal examination has raised concerns among cancer experts, drug companies, lawmakers, prostate cancer patients and advocacy groups.

When We Say Repeal, We Mean It.

Commandeering the People: Popular Sovereignty and the Individual Insurance Mandate

Sit back and enjoy this hour, twenty-three minutes:

Democrat Liars Refuse Pledge to Defund Health law

If someone tells you something that is technically the truth but deliberately misleading, guess what, they are lying.

That is exactly what certain Democrat incumbents are doing (videos below) when they claim that they voted against the health care bill. TEchnically true, but deliberately misleading. They want the voters to believe that they are actually against the health care bill. That is a lie. If they were really against it, they would sign on to the pledge to defund the health care law. As of today, none of them has. Because they are liars.

In fact the vote was "managed." Meaning they knew they had to vote "no" knowing the bill would pass without their vote because their districts were against it, but they were not really opposing the bill in truth.

Did I mention that they are liars?

Cool Hand Luke Explains Democrat "Successes"

Chidike Okeem at the American Thinker has identified the latest Democratic talking point to explain their failures in polling and likely failure at the electoral polls. The latest talking point is that the Democrats have not skillfully explained their legislative "successes."

Of course those successes are the widely unpopular destruction of everyone's health care freedom, the wasteful overspending porkulus bill that has predictably failed to solve our economic stagnation, the massive corporate welfare n the form of bailouts, and the nationalization of two of our finest automobile manufacturers, and the expansion of fraud and waste in the form of earmarks.

If these are successes, give me failure every time.

Here is where I disagree with Mr. (or Ms. as the case may be) Okeem. This talking point, this claim of a failure to explain is nothing new. President Obama has been saying the same thing about the awful health care plan for over a year.

Memo to Democrats: You can't make terrible legislation any better by explaining it again and again. When it is bad, it is bad. And these "successes" are worse than that. If you think there has merely been a failure to communicate, you remind me of the evil Captain in Cool Hand Luke, who said in the movie a coule of times, what we've got here is a failure to communicate. He also said,

Captain, Road Prison 36: You gonna get used to wearin' them chains afer a while, Luke. Don't you never stop listenin' to them clinking. 'Cause they gonna remind you of what I been saying. For your own good.

Luke: Wish you'd stop bein' so good to me, cap'n.

Shades of Obamacare and the Nanny state.

Laws of Economics Trump Obamacare

From Reson's Hit and Run Blog:

Health insurers Wellpoint, Cigna, Aetna, Humana, and CoventryOne will stop writing policies for all children. Why? Because Obamacare requires that they insure already sick children for the same price as well children.

It gets worse of course.

In recent weeks we have heard about major companies, like McDonald's, planning to drop their employer health care coverage. Why? Obamacare coverage is too expensive.

I previously reported on the squealing heard 'round the country by Obama flunky Kathleen Sebelius, who threatened dire actions against companies that bowed to the laws of economics, rather than the desires of Obama.

Memo to President Obama: Contrary to the ideology of most Marxists (with whom you have surrounded yourself), Congress cannot repeal the laws of economics.

Obamacare Breaks ALL Ten Commandments

It was a Herculean effort. It probably was not the goal, but Wendy Wright at the American Thinker explains how all ten get broken.

New Round of Health Care Lies from Sebelius

To the surprise of no one who is actually rational, health care insurers must raise rates to cover new benefits mandated by the Obamacare Congress.

Democrats are outraged of course. How dare insurers seek to recover their Congressionally mandated increased costs!

Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of HHS, who apparently hails from some alternate bizzaro universe, said, "There will be zero tolerance for this type of misinformation and unjustified rate increases."

The Democrat response, which is so typical, is a call for regulation of premiums.

Stupid. This sort of plan guarantees that premiums will be artificially INCREASED ultimately. Why? It is highly anti-competitive. Insurers will achieve government enforced price protection thanks to the regulatory folks who, surprise, surprise, will primarily come form the insurance industry.

Democrats refused to allow a real price mechanism to be included in Obamacare: insurance across state lines. That would have provided for MORE competition.

If you think price regulation brings lower prices, you are falling for another government lie. And may the Lord have mercy on your soul.

Source: Wall Street Journal

Economics Trumps Obamacare per Reason TV

One of the most telling points to me is how our current regulation inhibits health care innovation. Increasing regulation will necessarily decrease innovation.

Liberal Lunacy: More Mandates Mean More Liberty.

I was listening to a presentation to constitutional law professors by lawyers on both sides of the individual mandate health care litigation. On of the lawyers made a statement I thought astounding, but realized that it was the typical twisted thinking of liberals/progressives. She said that the individual mandate enhances liberty, because no one would have to worry about having health care.

What!!?? How do I have more liberty if the government is forwarding me to buy insurance on threat of a huge fine if I don't?

That is nuts. That is progressivism. Welcome to tomorrow's America.

Obama Lied: Health Care died

Guest posting at Hotair.com, Mary Catherine Ham and Guy Benson list and discuss President Obama's top ten lies (false promises) about Obamacare:

• Promise #1: If you are satisfied with your existing health care arrangement, you can keep it.
• Promise #2: Reform will lower America’s health care spending.
• Promise #3: Reform will lower Americans’ health care premiums.
• Promise #4: Obamacare will not lead to a doctor shortage, or escalate the primary-care physician shortfall.
• Promise #5: There will be no government rationing of medical care.
• Promise #6: “The firm pledge” – Ninety-five percent of Americans will not see any form of tax increase because of Obamacare (or anything else).
• Promise #7: Health care reform won’t add “a single dime” to the deficit—and will actually cut it.
• Promise #8: Health care reform will help businesses—employers and employees, alike.
• Promise #9: Obamacare will not allow for funding of abortions with taxpayer money.
• Promise #10: Obamacare will not only satisfy each of the promises above, but satisfy all of them at the same time with virtually no downsides.

Read it all.