Waking up to Reality
Posted on October 29, 2009
Filed Under Chicago tribune, GOP, House Ways and Means Committe, International, Nancy Pelosi, Obama, Obamacare, Pelosi, President Obama, Representative John Shadegg, Representative Paul Ryan, Representative Roy Blunt, Senator Jim DeMint, US, US House of Representatives, US Representative Mark Kirk, US Senate, Us Representative Tom Price, democrats, healthcare, republicans | 3 Comments
The Chicago Tribune, who less than a year ago would wax poetic – as almost every other member of the MSM did, at the time - in its endorsement of candidate Obama, wrote the following yesterday:
A GOP health plan
Democrats in the U.S. House and Senate have spent the spring, summer and fall grappling with how to fix the health care system. They’re still trying to craft a bill they can sell to Americans — or even explain in plain English.
And the Republicans? Well, as the minority party, they’re mainly on the sidelines. They’ve become the party of “no,” sniping at every Democratic health care reform idea without promoting any of their own. Right?
Not entirely.
Wooow!!! What a surprise to those whose only defense of Obama is calling the Rebups the “party of no.” One of their staunchest members is actually acknowledging the Republicans have something to say, something far different and infinitely better than merely “No.”
Over the summer and fall, Republicans in the House and Senate have introduced six — yes, six — health care reform proposals. You didn’t hear? Well, those plans didn’t produce much of a ripple because Democrats dominate the Congress.
Exactly! While doing little of value on their own the Dems couldn’t allow anyone to know that the Republicans were actually doing the job, the job of they got voted in to do, the job which the Dems too capriciously refused to do.
But now Republicans are weighing a shift in strategy. Instead of taking more potshots, some Republicans say their party should present a coherent alternative to whatever final Democratic plans emerge in the House and Senate. Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee reportedly are drafting legislation the GOP could introduce when Democrats bring their proposals to the floor.
Here’s hoping they do. Rep. Mark Kirk, R-Ill., who sponsored a health reform bill, said recently: “The job of the opposition is not just to point out all the flaws in legislation coming to the floor, but to offer ideas for how you would fix it.”
Here’s hoping they do. Is this coming out of the pages of a Democrat publication? Are they experiencing buyer’s remorse? The job of the opposition is not just to point out all the flaws in legislation coming to the floor, but to offer ideas for how you would fix it. Now, that’s really rad! Under Dubya, the Dems kept on attacking and attacking without ever proposing anything constructive instead. Nobody in the MSM seemed to care either.
He’s right. Others offering proposals: Rep. Tom Price of Georgia, Rep. Paul Ryan of Wisconsin, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona and Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina.
We don’t agree with everything in these bills. But the GOP proposals contain smart ideas to increase choice and competition in the health insurance market — a powerful Republican counterpoint to the Democrats’ expensive plans.
But the GOP proposals contain smart ideas to increase choice and competition in the health insurance market — a powerful Republican counterpoint to the Democrats’ expensive plans. “Smart ideas,” “powerful Republican counterpoint,” I guess they are finally recognizing that the Republicans in Congress are far from mere obstructionists as some Dems would like us to believe. I’m truly impressed by the candor!
The ideas include:
–Let insurers sell policies across state lines. That would loosen the strangling state-by-state regulations and unleash competition to drive premium prices down.
–Give people who buy insurance in the private market the same tax breaks as those who get it through employers. Now, employers that offer coverage get a tax break on the premiums they pay for employees. And employees don’t pay taxes on the value of the coverage they receive. People who want to buy insurance in the individual market should get the same tax breaks. That would help millions of people acquire coverage.
–Expand the ability of small businesses, trade associations and other groups to set up insurance pools to offer coverage at more attractive rates.
Control health costs in part by reining in the medical malpractice system that raises insurance premiums and forces doctors to order tests to protect themselves from lawsuits. Limiting certain kinds of damage awards would reduce spending on health care by about $11 billion in 2009, or about one-half of 1 percent, the Congressional Budget Office estimates. Think about that in human terms: Reform would save millions of patients the expense and trauma of unnecessary tests and procedures.
would reduce spending on health care by about $11 billion in 2009, or about one-half of 1 percent, the Congressional Budget Office estimates. I fully realize that in these age of trillion dollar deficits, $11 billion is barely a drop in the bucket. But as former Democrat Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill, once famously quipped: “A billion here, a billion there and pretty soon you are talking real money.”
These excellent ideas could expand coverage for the uninsured without cratering the federal budget or curbing the competition and innovation that drive the U.S. health care system. Republicans should keep pushing them — and ruling Democrats need to give them a full and fair hearing.
Hear, hear! Republicans should keep pushing them — and ruling Democrats need to give them a full and fair hearing. But Pelosi and company, won’t give them a fair hearing, it’s against her partisan principles. It isn’t America the Dems care about, it’s the wish to perpetuate their party grip on power that drives them and America be damned, as far they are concerned!
The Chicago Tribune wholeheartedly endorsed Obama in the last elections as did the overwhelming majority of the MSM. Now, they just join that illustrious list of White House enemies. In fact, I expect Anita Dunn might denounce them any moment now.
Meanwhile far too many knee jerk libs, far too many Obama “right or wrong” can do no wrong worshipers, will insist on blaming Obama’s predecessor, or will claim that anyone who dares question or oppose THE ONE, is spitting on America. They’ll claim that even their dogs know how dastardly the Republicans are. Some of the sweet kids are actually making these very statements on digg and on propeller, among others. Perhaps it would behoove them to remove their heads from their dogs’ rear ends, look at and smell the real world for a change. The President has to stop building straw men, he has to stop playing the blame game. It’s wearing too thin already (look at his ratings!!!) When will he take responsibility and get down to work? He was elected to fix what’s wrong, will he ever try?!? Or will he rather spend the rest of his mandate blaming anybody in sight?
Overall I’m pleased with the Chicago Tribune, even when I more often than not disagree with them. But… I feel compelled to ask… has hell frozen over? Or are some staunch Democrats, some former Obama worshippers waking up to reality and smelling the stench of the old, stale, political coffee? So much for hope and change!
Chaim
Comments
3 Responses to “Waking up to Reality”
Leave a Reply
Support our site, vote for us!
Follow Us
Give us some kudos!
Jrants
Feedburner
Track who’s online
Technorati
-
The American Conservative
Webrings
Is it not of great interest to all of us??
We watch and hear and learn of the Obama hypocrisy!
I mean, he has been deciding for eight weeks what to do about supporting the troops who are in Afghanistan right now. Mr. Obama said that he would listen to General McChrystal and so the general spoke eight weeks ago. Yet, Mr. Obama did not send the 40,000 troopps. He is still thinking about it.
Yet, when it comes to the Healthcare bill, there is not a second to lose and Mr. Obama insisted that it is so important that it doesn’t matter what the bill has in it!!!?!
Remember? He wanted it passed overnight!!
He himself did not need any time at all to think about it. He did not even know what was written in the bill, yet he wanted it done and passed.
This same man is now in need of even more time to decide about troops to send. Why was he in such a rush about healthcare while he takes his time about the support the troops need?
[...] Freedom’s Cost notes, not only that the Republicans do have a health care plan, but that some in the media are waking up to its existence. [...]
How come Obama always going to be right?!
Obama will always be right in every situuation no matter what the subject is but why? I tell you why it because he is always saying he got these problem from President Bush. If he got good from Bush, he is saying to us, it is because of me Obama. If he make a mistake he say it because of Bush, so he never going to bee wrong no matter.
He is like a bad guy who come up in the company but really he work for a different company. He going to hurt the company and make it weak on opurpose. That is what Obama he is doing to the United States of america.
He making the country weaker every month.