Saturday, July 25, 2009

Once the basic contours of ObamaCare are in place, they will be all but impossible to change, as Europe and Canada have demonstrated

Mostly 'wonkish' stuff, albeit critically important to the future of every single current and future American citizen, Mr. Grassley's Choice in the Wall Street Journal on July 23, 2009 contained two important paragraphs I'd like to share with you:
Once the basic contours of ObamaCare are in place, they will be all but impossible to change, as Europe and Canada have demonstrated. Decisions about delivering and paying for medical care will over time shift to political and bureaucratic control. The federal government will inevitably grow to a third or more of the U.S. economy from a fifth today, with taxes sure to rise to finance it. In short, this decision could fundamentally alter the nature of the U.S. economy and society—which is precisely the goal of Ted Kennedy, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Congressman Pete Stark and other liberals who are pushing this legislation.
Pray that Republicans do not fall into the trap that's been set for them (and call them just to make sure):
Democrats like Chuck Schumer are saber-rattling that they have the votes to pass a reform without Republicans, but this is bluster to lure Senate Republicans into his “bipartisan” trap. The reality is the difficulty that Democratic leaders are having trying to pass these bills with only Democratic votes, as the public begins to understand what a government takeover would really mean. And that’s even before seniors have been told how ObamaCare will steal hundreds of billions of dollars from future Medicare spending in order to appear to be “budget neutral.” As an architect of Medicare Advantage, the program for seniors that provides private options, Mr. Grassley should find that tactic especially galling.

The only way to get a sensible health-care reform in this Congress is to show Mr. Obama that a government takeover won’t work and that he needs to rethink his political strategy. That means exposing and defeating both the House bill and the very similar Senate version that Senator Chris Dodd is moving through Mr. Kennedy’s committee.

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