Category Archives: Health care

Comedian Al Franken was the deciding vote

The Senate healthcare bill is now law.  Obamacare has passed, regardless of what happens in the reconciliation process. The debate over reconciliation is about details.

It was always a long shot that Bart Stupak would block the bill.  He always supported Obamacare except for the abortion language.  The controversy surrounding Stupak and abortion has obscured what really happened:  the outcome of the battle ultimately hinged on the controversial Senate vote recount in Minnesota and the subsequent seating of far-left comedian Al Franken.

Here’s why:

  1. The Senate voted 60-39 to approve its health care bill in December, including the vote of Al Franken.
  2. Following the election of Scott Brown in the Massachusetts special election in January, the Democrats faced the reality that they would would not be able to obtain the 60 votes needed to approve another bill in the Senate.
  3. President Obama and House Democrats eventually decided that the Senate bill was better than no bill.

The 60 votes in the Senate also included the vote of Paul Kirk, Sen. Kennedy’s temporary replacement, who voted after the Massachusetts legislature changed state law to allow him to be seated immediately, rather than waiting for a special election.  Be that as it may, had Al Franken had not been declared the winner in Minnesota, there would be no healthcare bill.  And there is little humor in that.

Stupak’s surrender

Mr. Stupak was either disingenuous from the beginning or sacrificed his principles under pressure.  If the former, he is worthy of contempt.  If the latter, he might be worthy of pity, even though he valued his office more than his principles.  His attempt to justify his surrender based on the good he thinks will come from the health care bill was pathetic.  Pro-life voters in his district should not be deceived, and pro-choice voters will hardly find him heroic.  It’s time for Mr. Stupak to be retired from the Congress.

The crazies are in charge — let’s make it temporary

The Democrats appear poised to approve their health care agenda despite opposition by a well-informed public, including, incredibly, losing the late Senator Kennedy’s seat.  This could be the most arrogant exercise of raw political power in the country’s history.

Representative Devin Nunes (D, Cal.) has aptly pointed out that “the crazies are in charge.”  The health care bill is bad, but what it shows about the Democrat leadership’s view of legitimate governance is worse.

The crazies are in charge, and the United States is in deep trouble.  Forty-three percent of U.S. “tax filers” now pay no or negative income taxes.   Core Democrat voters represent at least 40 percent of people who vote.  Neither number is likely to go down.

There is no assurance that economic growth will rescue us and our children from the fiscal mess we have created.  It’s time for people who pay income taxes and reject increasing government control of the economy to recognize the big picture, and that there is little room for error.  The American Dream is at stake.

American voters made a disastrous mistake in 2008.  They have a chance to start correcting that mistake in 2010.  The path forward is clear:  (1) elect people who believe in limited government in 2010, (2) repeal key features of the healthcare legislation and enact market-oriented reforms in 2011, and (3) defeat Mr. Obama in 2012.

People in the center and right of center who are not engaged in the political process need to wake up and recognize what’s at stake.  Those who are awake need to contribute money and time, vote, and energize friends and neighbors to do likewise.  If not, the future will not be pretty.