Video: Obamacare on its way
posted at 5:55 pm on March 5, 2009 by Ed Morrissey
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Fox News interviews Clintonista John Podesta, who took part in Barack Obama’s “summit” on health care today. Watch as he answers the question of how this differs from Hillary Clinton’s notorious nationalization plan. Podesta basically concedes that the only thing that’s changed is the nation, not the plan:
Keep an eye on the Dow indicators while Podesta talks. Podesta says that the economy needs health-care reform before we can have an economic recovery, but the people with the most at stake in the economy don’t seem encouraged.
Plus, I’d challenge Podesta on his assertion that the American health-care system falls far short of other Western countries. We create more therapies than any other system, in large part because the private sector will engage in risk-taking that governments avoid. I doubt that will continue under Obamacare.
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DrRich (covert rationing bog) has some excellent strategies for maintaining some semblance of health care liberty. (He also says Obama will need Gitmo to house health care terrorists once our ever-benevolent government makes it a crime for Drs. to go outside federally allowed treatments. Heh.)
This post is also worth reading. Love his snark. A sample:
Rae on March 5, 2009 at 6:52 PM
That will be the point of government run euthanasia.
JellyToast on March 5, 2009 at 6:52 PM
Revol.is comimg to America and i don,t mean national health care.The Idiots in Washington do not have a clue whats coming.The working God fearing people of this country will only take so much until they start fighting back.For you who think i don,t know what i,m talking about.Go out talk to other people your friends, people you don,t know.You can feel it smell it in the air.People are afarid and will not let these people in Washington take everthing they have. They have worked there A** off for years. Sometimes working 2 & 3 jobs just to provide for there family and retirement.They are not going to stand by and let some Gov.take most of what they have just to give to some fool who bought more house or car that they knew they could not afford.Revol. is coming
thmcbb on March 5, 2009 at 6:57 PM
there has been a exodus of doctors from Canada exactly for these reasons. With the elimination of the two-tier system (so nobody gets better health care than anybody else) Doctors can only work as agents of the government who basically tells them where they have to work, what can they do and what they cannot, and caps their income. As a result once they reach they cap they do not take any more patients. I know several canadian doctors who a have moved here and the crazy think is that even though they left Canada because they cannot make a decent living there, they still swear by the system.
neuquenguy on March 5, 2009 at 7:00 PM
Ja bin ich ein Hund, der andere Hunde jagt.
Sigmund on March 5, 2009 at 7:01 PM
WTF, Siggy. My Dutch Shepard is trying to answer you…
HornetSting on March 5, 2009 at 7:03 PM
Sie werden ein toter Hund, mit dem vorgeschlagenen “Heath Care Plan”.
Johan Klaus on March 5, 2009 at 7:05 PM
Ayn Rand said it in ‘The Fountainhead’: ‘The poor don’t hate us (the rich) as they should. They despise us.’
The class warfare that ‘O’ is advancing clearly wishes to punish those who succeed, not elevate those that don’t wish to with their victim mentality, thus bringing the ‘wealthy’ down to the ‘poor’ level. Health care is one of those canards that the left uses to advance this – poor people don’t have any. Soon, we all will pay, but they’ll be no room at the inn.
TinMan13 on March 5, 2009 at 7:05 PM
Obamacare meet Obamasacre.
AZCON on March 5, 2009 at 7:06 PM
You’ll notice that Obama says this is a ‘national crisis’, “it causes a bankruptcy every 30 seconds!”…..this is going to be another DON’T READ IT, PASS IT, DON’T THINK ABOUT IT, DON’T DEBATE IT….DO IT NOW! bill.
And then you can check off another part of the ‘agenda’ accomplished.
I’m sure we’ll find the money for it somewhere.
GarandFan on March 5, 2009 at 7:06 PM
…..You can always tell a German, but you can’t tell him much.
HornetSting on March 5, 2009 at 7:07 PM
Socialized medicine is not a right. Universal healthcare is not a right. And it is not my responsibility to pay the consequences of someone else’s behavior.
This social engineering has to stop.
dugan on March 5, 2009 at 7:10 PM
I have got that sign in my office.
Johan Klaus on March 5, 2009 at 7:13 PM
Keine Leben fur immer.
Sigmund on March 5, 2009 at 7:14 PM
this country is SO screwed…
good job morons who voted for OBAMA, hope your 401k is SUFFERING GREATLY!!
libs and moderates are SOOOOO stooooopid
right4life on March 5, 2009 at 7:18 PM
“Obama may be on to something. The longer he is in office and my life savings disappears, the more likely it is that I will need healthcare.
Star20 on March 5, 2009 at 6:00 PM
Bingo. Broke the code.
johnsteele on March 5, 2009 at 6:02 PM”
I know I made a joke out of it, but after watching the latest drop in my retirement savings on Monday, which took my loss south of $400k, I went to the VA center for a routine visit. After taking my blood pressure, they called an ambulance to take me to a Heart Center. After spending most of Tuesday undergoing tests, they concluded it was “just stress.”
I feel much better now.. I wonder how many people’s health is suffering that that this Marxist can transform America into his vision of what it should be.
Star20 on March 5, 2009 at 7:19 PM
I remembered from a previous conversation. My Dutch Shepard is howling…His language is being spoken.
HornetSting on March 5, 2009 at 7:19 PM
MB4 on March 5, 2009 at 7:20 PM
+1
right4life on March 5, 2009 at 7:23 PM
In large part, the fact is that everyone has access to basic health care in the US. Of course, hospitals, emergency care centers, and clinics are going broke by providing national health care by providing basic care to those who cannot pay.
I believe that the stats will show that illegal aliens have much better basic health care than do indigent US citizens, since the latter are much more reluctant than the former to seek health care on somebody else’s dime.
All wage earners pay into medicare and medicaid. As small increase in the tax rates for these two programs might solve at least the immediate problem of providing basic care to everyone. Locking out undocumented aliens will help a great deal in equalizing health care in the US, as terrible a choice that might seem. The undocumented should become documented, pay their taxes, and it might be that all is well, at least for basic health care.
OTOH, I live in fear that Prez Obama and his Congress are going to do a Hugo Chavez on the US. I hope I am wrong, and I hope that his first step is not gutting the US health care system as we know it today.
Quaoar on March 5, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Katzen ordnen an, Hunde geifern.
FeralCat on March 5, 2009 at 7:23 PM
Uh, yeah. He didn’t like that. Damn cats.
HornetSting on March 5, 2009 at 7:25 PM
The Left continues to try to ram through their radical agenda despite its failure elsewhere.
From Britain:
Life prolonging cancer drugs to be banned because they cost too much
INC on March 5, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Aber, Ich bin krank.
Johan Klaus on March 5, 2009 at 7:26 PM
This will be a disaster. God help us.
CP on March 5, 2009 at 7:27 PM
Just look at podesta…wretched, twisted, mean man
winston on March 5, 2009 at 7:31 PM
Nehmen Sie zwei aspirin und rufen Sie Doktor Obama in einem ungefahr Jahr an.
Sigmund on March 5, 2009 at 7:33 PM
i would like a new kitchen a big screen tv. a new car new clothes and oh yes uncle sam fix my broke leg or i will vote republican.
wade underhile on March 5, 2009 at 7:34 PM
I am sorry but right now as week speak
in new york 50,000 people are marching against budjet cuts
they want a tax increase on all making over 250,000 per year to fund more education. at the same time the feds want to tax increrase all over 250,000 for health care for everybody (including al illegals in the northern continent usa)..
So i have to ask a stupid question.
1. how many people are there in the entire usa making more than 250k per year
2. if you raise the tax to 39 % for them federal then all the states add on another 30 % tax for local
thats 69%
3. Number of payers * 69% of total income / 300 million people === NO WAY in hell you will have even 10% of the required funds..
4. so what are americans smoking now?
Idiots..
Why dont you just TAKE ALL the money in the entire USA (from everyone making more than 40k per year)
that might be just enough for 1 years worth of healthcare
to bad everyone will also be broke..
MORONS
learn to use EXCELL
jcila on March 5, 2009 at 7:36 PM
I’m sure they just think they’re getting rid of useless eaters.
ah yes the benefit of the
welfarefascist state….coming soon to a country near you….
right4life on March 5, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Notice how he completely avoided answering her question on the truth of that ad. Slick bastard.
Livefreeordie on March 5, 2009 at 7:38 PM
Look for Bill Clinton to make a run on the MSM “chicken circuit” next week.
Dire Straits on March 5, 2009 at 7:44 PM
Does this mean Nit Wit Nan will no longer receive botox treatments? I can hardly wait to see Pelosi sitting in a cramped Free Clinic in DC.
I also expect all actors in hollywood to support obama’s healthcare by dropping their own health insurance and attending Free Clinics.
TN Mom on March 5, 2009 at 7:46 PM
Please! Our ruling class and their cronies will continue to get top notch care. Socialized medicine will only be for us plebs.
Rae on March 5, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Also forgot to add that Sir Ted Kennedy the Olympic swimming champ from the Chappaquiddick games of 1969 will make a full court press if able.
Dire Straits on March 5, 2009 at 7:48 PM
Oh Barack Obama, won’t you at least buy me a Mercedes Benz
The uptown folks drive Porsches, they must make amends.
Worked hard watching Oprah most of my lifetime, no help from my friends,
So Barack Obama, won’t you at least buy me a Mercedes Benz
Oh Barack Obama, won’t you buy me a health care plan?
Working to pay for it myself is too hard on me.
I want to get prescription drugs and a doctor for free,
So Barack Obama, won’t you buy me a health care plan
Oh Barack Obama, won’t you buy me a retirement on the town
Prove that you’ll take care of me and buy my next go round.
Oh Barack Obama, won’t you buy me that big house down the block that I found?
I’m counting on you, Barack Obama, please don’t let me down.
MB4 on March 5, 2009 at 7:53 PM
I heard Nadya Suleman was one of the leaders at The One’s summit meeting today.
Dire Straits on March 5, 2009 at 7:54 PM
Just watch. Health Care will be the next industry to fail/need a bailout/whatever and we will all watch it happen and it will be preventable but yet . . .
- The Cat
P.S. Ve vill socialize you and you vill like it!
MirCat on March 5, 2009 at 7:55 PM
Well, you may, or may not, have a case for civil disobedience for other reasons. But our situation isn’t analogous to the Founders’s. For one thing, the Founders can’t be fairly characterized as engaging in civil disobedience; they waged a war.
But more importantly, the Founders were subject to a monarch, and to a parliament in which they had no representatives. The American people have an elected president, and a Congress whose members they chose in free and fair elections.
You may not like the results of democracy — in truth, most of us don’t really want to be governed by anyone — but democracy doesn’t guarantee that you will approve of the people’s policy choices. It simply guarantees that the majority will usually prevail.
paul006 on March 5, 2009 at 8:06 PM
What?! The economy won’t recover until we socialize health care? I’m sure I saw smoke coming from his pants.
boomer on March 5, 2009 at 8:08 PM
Problem #1: We have a bunch of uniformed idiots voting.
Problem #2: The people in DC seem to have no problem violating the constitution.
boomer on March 5, 2009 at 8:10 PM
O
bamaver-reaching.O
bamabtuse.profitsbeard on March 5, 2009 at 8:16 PM
This is what happens when you elect a community organizer as POTUS.
carbon_footprint on March 5, 2009 at 8:17 PM
Give me Liberty or give me death!
We are sure to get at least one with the Socialized Healthcare.
Oh! my BP went up 200 points…
OneConservative on March 5, 2009 at 8:22 PM
Only 200? I had an aneurysm.
boomer on March 5, 2009 at 8:28 PM
OK, where’s the Montana (D) Senator who was like “No!” “No Way!” “Nuh-uh!” when he heard details of ObamaCare in the stimulus package before he voted for it. I mean, he promised this was not going to fly in his America!
Marcus on March 5, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Are you sure about that? I firmly believe that the last election was as rigged and illegal as anything from the old Soviet union. The fix was in, and we are in the middle of a leftist coup. It has the verneer of legality, and the press has chosen sides. But legal? I don’t think so.
This government is illegitimate, and deserves to be removed from power, it’s policies and laws rolled back, and those in charge brought to a speedy trial.
Barack Obama is no more a legitimate president than Jefferson Davis. The former, and his supporters, deserve no less reaction from the Republicans than the latter.
AW1 Tim on March 5, 2009 at 8:36 PM
Denninger basically says today that it doesn’t matter what they want. It’s over.
Rae on March 5, 2009 at 8:38 PM
Hey Boomer, I am writing this from heaven. Even God is perplexed.
What to do my friend?
OneConservative on March 5, 2009 at 9:00 PM
Finally.
getalife on March 5, 2009 at 9:03 PM
Yes that is true. It is how you live and what you do to defeat Obama & the democraps is all that matters right now.
izoneguy on March 5, 2009 at 9:09 PM
It was people!! Obamacare killed the people.
izoneguy on March 5, 2009 at 9:10 PM
50% of the doctors will quit. All you will have is poorly trained techs that don’t give a crap because they will be making just over minimum wage. Yes the brave new world. I have to get blood tests every quarter and the quality of people is going down & down. I feel like I am going to the post office. And Obama thinks his ideas are better?
I may just start shooting up heroin.
izoneguy on March 5, 2009 at 9:14 PM
Well, they didn’t keep you on life support long. It must have been too expensive.
boomer on March 5, 2009 at 9:28 PM
Brakes please,..BRAKES!
Lets forget about carbon credits and nationalized health care and concentrate on this friggin economy, ok, we are in the middle of a freakin mindblowing recession we can’t afford these other distractions.
Alden Pyle on March 5, 2009 at 9:43 PM
+1
LOL!
muggedbyreality on March 5, 2009 at 10:50 PM
We need a new Proctology Czar to take care of all these arseholes.
Their motto is: So that no one shall suffer, everyone WILL suffer.
Dhuka on March 5, 2009 at 10:51 PM
Dems will just increase the speed that Somalia and Mexican Doctors can be licensed. They will have to teach them to use a clean needle once in a while, but other than that…
GunRunner on March 6, 2009 at 12:20 AM
I really don’t want Nationalized Health Care esp if Michelle is involved. This is from American Thinker and maybe Gupta found out about it and combined with the “outsourcing” comment made about Jindal he had second thoughts about helping this administration and Democrats in general.
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/03/michelle_obamas_patientdumping_1.html.
journeyintothewhirlwind on March 6, 2009 at 12:57 AM
Health care is not providing anything to the poor for free. Healthcare is charging the rest of us through the nose to pay for healthcare they provide the poor. Ask yourself this. Why does the healthcare industry charge one price if you don’t have healthcare then triple the charge if you do? The healthcare industry is ripping us off. We are stupid for even thinking about national healthcare. If we get that we might as well put a huge funnel from the national treasury to the healthcare industry. What a rip off it will be. The losses from the collapse of the economy will pale by comparison.
kanda on March 6, 2009 at 6:57 AM
When I was a kid a doctor visit was 3 bucks and the doctor would come to the house. Now with health insurance a doctor vist costs $200 and you go to the doctors office to a room called the waiting room. At least that room is named correctly. Health insurance makes big profits and screws everyone from the doctor to the patient. Every year they raise insurance premiums to increase profits. Greed is what it has become. Now the insurance companies don’t want to pay if you are too fat, you smoke, your occupation is hazardous. AND…ta da if you have health problems. Is’nt that what health insurance is for?.
kanda on March 6, 2009 at 7:05 AM
Do you really think the Obama-Care will solve the issues you mention? You think the “wait” is long now… Wait until you have to call some DC tool, ask for an appointment, wait WEEKS to see a “Doctor” that you do not know and did not choose, then drive to God knows where to “wait” for him to call up the DC tool, ask if he can give you an Asprin, wait for the same DC tool to allow a test or proceedure, then go back in line to get that done…
Please look at Canada, or Britian or ANYWHERE universal health care is offered… It is WORSE than a failure, heck it’s WORSE then the Messiah’s first five weeks in office!
This will KILL many, many Americans, mainly the old… THEY WILL BE RATIONED CARE, it’s happening in Europe NOW! Rationing IS a fact, Candaians FLOCK to the US for health care… Wonder why???
If this takes effect, America is doomed to be a third world country in under a decade… Take that to the “Nationalized” bank…
Mark Garnett on March 6, 2009 at 8:13 AM
Democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
The idea that a slim majority can vote to take away the liberty, property, and even life, of the minority is this century’s greatest evil.
MarkTheGreat on March 6, 2009 at 8:33 AM
What’s the matter? Not covered under your mom’s plan anymore?
MarkTheGreat on March 6, 2009 at 8:35 AM
Where did you get this stupid notion?
MarkTheGreat on March 6, 2009 at 8:37 AM
No, that’s what personal responsibility is for.
Insurance exists to spread the risk around. I see no problem with charging more (not denying) healthcare for those who engage in a risky lifestyle. For those of us who do try to take care of ourselves, we shouldn’t have to subsidize your laziness to change.
dominigan on March 6, 2009 at 8:57 AM
Is it my imagination or does everyone in the Nobama administration looked constipated? The Idiot in Chief has pummelled every industry now. This clueless mouthbreather doesn’t pay attention to the fluctuations in the market because if he did, then he wouldn’t be able to afford his Stalinist takeover of retirement accounts…get the DOW below 5000 then move in.
‘Those who hammer their guns into plows
will plow for those who do not.’
~ Thomas Jefferson
Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.
PatriotPete on March 6, 2009 at 10:30 AM
I’m not sure what part of this you dont understand
What I can tell you is the present system is broken. We can fix if or lose it. It will not remain as is. I pointed out some of the reasons others want obamacare. They are real and they are valid. If we ignore the problems we will lose a good thing. I am a devils advocate not an advocate. Can the present system be fixed? I don’t know but I’m willing to attempt it. Please think before you fire your scattergun. We are on the same side on this issue but coming from different approaches. I find that many here are quick to assume but never comprehend the real issues. This is why we republicans are out of power.
You may feel that way now but real life says different. I hope you or a loved one never gets a serious illness. You will find that your healthcare company will not renew you. Your employer will charge you an arm and a leg to stay in their plan if you have one. I’d hate to see you become one of the lazy irresponsible people you talk about who actually use the coverage rather than just pay the premium. You make assumptions and lump people together in a bad light for what reason? Do you feel powerful? I just do not understand how people like you can be so naive about what really happens and then call someone else the problem. Wham one day it happens to them and its too late.
I hope you sleep good at night. Don’t expect any sympathy from most here if, god forbid, a serious health issue happens to you. As an invester all I care about is my investment pays off. Getting rid of you increases my chance of my investment paying off. I’m happy with that. Are you?
kanda on March 6, 2009 at 1:48 PM
Each household should pay a fee per month for their local health care system whether they’re sick or not.
The numbers I come up with = about $150 a month (my area) taking into account industry standards for different M.D. specialties/longevity, paying nurses and other workers, etc. Can’t pay that 6-7 figure salary to a director? Too bad. Get somebody to do it for less. I’m sure there are those hungry enough to ‘accept’ a mere 80 K a year or so.
Police departments, schools, fire departments, city dog catchers, etc. aren’t expected to earn a profit so why should the health care industry? Health care should be part of our infrastructure, not private industry, though like private schools that option should be available.
Dr. ZhivBlago on March 6, 2009 at 7:13 PM
One thing is very certain – with the healthcare bill we will get we will all be forced to stop eating so as not to gain weight, stop drinking so as not to get into an accident and then get hospitalized, and stop smoking because the price of a pack will be about $15 by 2010 and people will finally realize it is a also injurious to your pocket.
So, in one way we will all be HEALTHY!!
Who will need healthcare then?
OneConservative on March 6, 2009 at 7:43 PM
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