After all the rhetoric is put aside, one principle ran through President Obama’s speech tonight: that increased government involvement in health care can solve its problems.
Actually, he said “You see, our predecessors understood that government could not, and should not, solve every problem. They understood that there are instances when the gains in security from government action are not worth the added constraints on our freedom. But they also understood that the danger of too much government is matched by the perils of too little; that without the leavening hand of wise policy, markets can crash, monopolies can stifle competition, the vulnerable can be exploited. And they knew that when any government measure, no matter how carefully crafted or beneficial, is subject to scorn; when any efforts to help people in need are attacked as un-American; when facts and reason are thrown overboard and only timidity passes for wisdom, and we can no longer even engage in a civil conversation with each other over the things that truly matter -- that at that point we don't merely lose our capacity to solve big challenges. We lose something essential about ourselves.” Now, Ms. Palin, if you actually listen to what he has to say, you will see that sometimes it is better to involve the government because it has a proven track record of actually working for the American people.
Many Americans fundamentally disagree with this idea. We know from long experience that the creation of a massive new bureaucracy will not provide us with “more stability and security,” but just the opposite. It's hard to believe the President when he says that this time he and his team of bureaucrats have finally figured out how to do things right if only we’ll take them at their word.
Our objections to the Democrats’ health care proposals are not mere “bickering” or “games.” They are not an attempt to “score short term political points.” And it’s hard to listen to the President lecture us not to use “scare tactics” when in the next breath he says that “more will die” if his proposals do not pass.
Perhaps you are taking this so personally because you are indeed one of the people he is referring to. Your talk of death panels is repulsive and the fact that other prominent people are repeating it is just as disgusting. What you said was an all out lie. What President Obama said is true. If we do not do something to fix health care, people will continue to die. That is not a scare tactic, it is simply the facts. I know you aren’t very familiar with those, so let me explain that facts are not disputable, while lies are.
In his speech the President directly responded to concerns I’ve raised about unelected bureaucrats being given power to make decisions affecting life or death health care matters. He called these concerns “bogus,” “irresponsible,” and “a lie” -- so much for civility. After all the name-calling, though, what he did not do is respond to the arguments we’ve made, arguments even some of his own supporters have agreed have merit.
The time for civility is over and the GOP has done everything they can to push it in that direction. You made your bed, and now you can lie in it. (Pun intended)
In fact, after promising to “make sure that no government bureaucrat .... gets between you and the health care you need,” the President repeated his call for an Independent Medicare Advisory Council -- an unelected, largely unaccountable group of bureaucrats charged with containing Medicare costs. He did not disavow his own statement that such a group, working outside of “normal political channels,” should guide decisions regarding that “huge driver of cost ... the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives....” He did not disavow the statements of his health care advisor, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel, and continuing to pay his salary with taxpayer dollars proves a commitment to his beliefs. The President can keep making unsupported assertions, but until he directly responds to the arguments I’ve made, I’m going to call him out too.
The Medicare Advisory Council is indeed going to be in charge of reigning in ridiculous medical costs. This will not come at the expense of patient care. It will come through negotiating lower costs with health care providers and drug companies. It will also eliminate waste from the program. To insinuate that this is a “death panel”, one of your favorite terms, is disgusting and I will continue to call you out as the liar that you are.
It was heartening to hear the President finally recognize that tort reform is an important part of any solution. But this concession shouldn’t lead us to take our eye off the ball: the Democrats’ proposals will not reduce costs, and they will not deliver better health care. It’s this kind of “healthy skepticism of government” that truly reflects a “concern and regard for the plight of others.” We can’t wait to hear the details on that; we look forward to working with you on tort reform.
That is a backhanded compliment if I have ever heard one. The budget office has said that this proposal will save money over time. Independent doctors have said that this proposal will save money over time. Common sense tells you that collective bargaining saves money over time. Yet, you refuse to acknowledge any of them.
Finally, President Obama delivered an offhand applause line tonight about the cost of the War on Terror. As we approach the anniversary of the September 11th attacks and honor those who died that day and those who have died since in the War on Terror, in order to secure our freedoms, we need to remember their sacrifices and not demonize them as having had too high a price tag.
President Obama was in no way demonizing our troops or the sacrifice that they have made. He was in no way demonizing the people that died on that day. He was simply stating the fact that the reason that we have the deficit that we do, which was under control during the Clinton administration, is that the Bush administration wrote checks they couldn’t cash. We dug ourselves into a huge hole with a war that we went into under the premise of a lie and by giving tax cuts to wealthy people, instead of the people who really need it. I find your insinuation of this offensive and a desperate bid for media attention.
Remember, Mr. President, elected officials work for the people. Forcing a conclusion in order to claim a “victory” is not healthy for our country. We hear you say government isn’t always the answer; now hear us -- that’s what we’ve been saying all along.
Perhaps that is why you are no longer a member of any governing body?
- Sarah Palin
- Elizabeth Wright - an informed citizen
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