Showing posts with label health care reform. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health care reform. Show all posts

Tuesday, May 4, 2010

Katrina v. BP oil spill: a political strategy?
The Obama administration has said a crisis is a terrible thing to waste


GULF OF MEXICO—It took a few days, but BP’s oil spill and the Obama administration’s response has been compared by radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh to Bush’s Katrina. The two are hardly analogous: Katrina was natural disaster with forewarning days in advance and there was a tremendous loss of life and property damage.

But one point Mr. Limbaugh has made is something that underlines an ever-present mentality within the administration of which, Rahm Emanuel put it best when he stated, “You never want a serious crisis go to waste.” So it would seem quite plausible the Obama administration’s delayed response and laissez faire approach may be another calculated strategy to allow the federal government a path into the oil industry—allow just enough time for BP to hang itself by its own sham damage control and inability to clean up the spill then ride in as a white knight.

This isn’t so far afield when one considers how the administration approached other crises: GM, AIG, Fannie and Freddie, and currently, Goldman Sachs. Though not extraordinarily popular, the country went along as these entities were “too large too fail” and poor economic conditions made them a crisis (as opposed to health care reform, where no crisis existed).

We wait with baited breath to see how these events play out in the coming days and wouldn’t be surprised to see the administration again champion the federal government as the answer to all ills.


-- Owen E. Richason IV
Chief Editor, Killswitch Politick

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Tuesday, April 27, 2010

No abacus required: HCR will cost more says HHS
American’s did the math long before the government did


WASHINGTON, DC—A new report out by the Department of Health and Human Services concludes HCR will actually cost more than projected. What’s more, about 4 million people will have to pay the $1000 fine for not buying coverage beginning in 2016 and the CBO finds it will fall squarely on the middle class.

This of course, isn’t news to the American people who still oppose the health care legislation by over 50 percent. The HHS findings state that while covering an additional 34 million will drive costs up $311 billion over ten years. Moreover, the Medicare cuts are estimated to paint red ink all over 15 percent of the nation’s hospitals and other institutional providers.

During that same decade, health care reform will cost $35 trillion and, shock! will actually increase health coverage premiums. The slight-of-hand, shell-game numbers given to the CBO just before passing HCR are quickly unraveling, and just as other government programs, will certainly cost more than originally projected.

Couple those rising costs and a nearly certain VAT tax, the American middle class’ wallets will be hit hard, the only redress voters have is at the ballot box this November and again in 2012.


-- Owen E. Richason IV
Chief Editor, Killswitch Politick

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Tuesday, April 13, 2010

New lows for the president and health care
American’s discontent can be explained thusly: it’s the economy stupid


Rasmussen Reports has found that 58 percent of Americans are in favor of repealing Obamacare. That number is up from 54 percent just two weeks ago. This shows empirical evidence of what the anecdotal evidence purports by way of the town hall meetings and tea parties; moreover, it coincides with the latest Rasmussen numbers that show President Obama’s approval rating to have slid to 48 percent.

So what has caused such discontent?

Simple, it’s the economy stupid. Unemployment hasn’t shown any significant improvement, in fact the latest numbers and numbers soon to come won’t be an accurate representation because of thousands of temporary, non-benefit census jobs. Out of work American’s aren’t seeing anything on the horizon and those employed are apprehensive about rising health care premiums; not to mention the pain at the pump—gas prices are on the rise and could be over 3 dollars a gallon soon.

In the midst of several corporations disclosing the financial hit they’ll take now Obamacare is law, which means hiring freezes or workforce reduction, the president is holding a summit on nuclear proliferation and the next item on the Administration’s agenda is likely to be cap and trade—two agenda items that don’t have anything to improve the employment rate.

“Laser like focus on jobs”


-- Owen E. Richason IV
Chief Editor, Killswitch Politick

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Wednesday, March 10, 2010

The Dem’s Toyota Legislation

Washington DC—Health care reform is again on the congressional docket. The president is on the HCR campaign trail. But this is not how it was supposed to happen.

Recently, radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh postulated that after HCR is passed in the House and signed by Obama, the issue will be left alone as a stop-loss for the coming November election. Interesting point, but I believe Mr. Limbaugh has not taken the theory far enough.

Think back to Mr. Obama’s first act as president; he signed an order to close GITMO. That was it. Nothing more was really said about it. After which, the stimulus bill was passed, making key parts of the private sector dependent on the government. Next was the Iraq drawdown and new Afghanistan strategy. The latter played in the media as a front-page above-the-fold issue for months; meanwhile, HCR was being fashioned along with cap and trade. And now, there is news the administration is considering immigration reform and the take-over of Sallie Mae. Neither issue is getting much attention, but they are quietly being moved.

And here is where Mr. Limbaugh’s theory can be taken a step further. I submit the democrat majority and the White House embarked on a strategy since the inauguration. I would venture to call it Toyota legislation, that is, incremental legislation that is passed without much hullabaloo under the democrat majority, designed to accelerate wildly out of control of future congresses.

All of the above mentioned initiatives are part of the groundwork to put in place the transformation of America into a western European socialist democracy. And that is why HCR was supposed to pass last summer. Once the legislation is passed, like a Toyota accelerating without warning, the congress and administration could go full speed ahead and no one could stop them.


-- Owen E. Richason IV
Chief Editor, Killswitch Politick


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Monday, October 19, 2009

The democrats can’t win for losing, but the GOP can

There is no doubt the American people are not favorable to government health care reform. The issue tanks in approval polling and has the democrat party fractioning.

To spite the public disapproval, the latest end-around strategy by the democrats is to get something, anything through the Senate and House somehow, no matter what and no matter how. One wonders just what it is the democrat majority is doing on this kamikaze path.

Rasumussen Reports shows that while 50% of Americans are against government health care reform, 44% are for it. The problem for the 44%, who responded favorably, is what are they for? At present, there are several different bills between the House and Senate and the only one with news-making headlines, the plan proposed by Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) doesn’t yet have any legislative language to define exactly what it would and wouldn’t include.

What is so puzzling about this debate is the opposed to this or that plan are doing so because they know full well once anything is passed it will be the eye of the needle through which a fiscal albatross passes. On the other hand, those in favor of health care reform don’t seem to be at all concerned with the consequences, whether they are fiscal, privacy concerns or quality of care.

And that may be the greatest consolation for the unpopular majority party – they are working hard to get their base something their base wants. But that as it stands now, that will almost certainly cause them to lose big in 2010 as they head strongly ignore the economy and pay little more than lip service to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

While this may be good news for the Republican Party, it’s only as good as they make it. Should the GOP win big in 2010, they will have done so (at present) simply for not being democrats – kind of like the President winning the Nobel Peace Prize for not being George W. Bush. This will be a precarious place for the republicans – especially if they win a majority in the House. Any opposition to Mr. Obama plans will be labeled partisanship and it will be said that racism is yet to die among the voters.

The GOP will walk a fine line if they gain a significant number of seats or win outright; simply to oppose the president won’t be enough, they’ll have to put forth better alternatives and demonstrate why they’re so doing.

The democrat majority appears to be on an electoral suicide mission, but that mission will be complete if they can enacted a foothold in the door toward universal health care – once in, there will be little to no chance of slamming the door shut.

-- Killswitch Politick

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Monday, October 12, 2009

Numbers don’t lie (what the polls and audits really say)



There are inescapable facts in life: 24 hours in a day, 7 days in a week, and 52 weeks a year; plus the oldest two: death and taxes. There are also inescapable facts in politics and the economy but unlike the number of hours in a day, those facts can change quickly.

Then how could they be “facts”? Facts by their very definition do not change – unless of course, you’re talking politics or the economy and that is precisely why so many Americans do not trust politicians, talking head pundits, the media-at-large and all those polls they throw at us.

Let’s start with the presidential approval polls:

Real Clear Politics.com

Poll

Date

Sample

Approve

Disapprove

Spread

RCP Average

9/24 - 10/12

--

53.0

39.9

+13.1

Gallup

10/9 - 10/11

1547 A

56

36

+20

Rasmussen Reports

10/9 - 10/12

1500 LV

49

51

-2

CBS News

10/5 - 10/8

829 A

56

34

+22

Ipsos/McClatchy

10/1 - 10/5

1296 A

56

40

+16

Associated Press/GfK

10/1 - 10/5

1003 A

56

39

+17

Quinnipiac

9/29 - 10/5

2630 RV

50

41

+9

Pew Research

9/30 - 10/4

1500 A

52

36

+16

FOX News

9/29 - 9/30

900 RV

50

42

+8

National Journal/FD

9/24 - 9/28

1200 A

52

40

+12

As the chart denotes, Real Clear Politics averages a 13.1% positive margin for Mr. Obama. Yet there is only one poll in the nine cited that actually has any historical authenticity – Rasmussen Reports. Why? Because it is the only poll sampling people who actually vote, LVs or Likely Voters. These are individuals who vote in both in-year and off-year elections. The only other two worth noting are Quinnipiac and FOX News who sampled RVs (Registered Voters). The other six are worthless as they are a sampling of As or All/Adult voters.

This being the case, Rasmussen is the most accurate, reflecting that Mr. Obama’s approval rating has fallen below that of his election-win percentage of 53%, bad news for the President.

Now onto the latest in health care reform wherein Senator Max Baucus (D-MT) put forth a health care reform bill that was said to have been scored by the CBO (Congressional Budget Office) at costing under one trillion dollars plus, would reduce the national deficit by slightly more than $80 billion over the next decade. But it wasn’t long before reports surfaced the CBO was scoring what amounted to nothing. The official bill language wasn’t included, so the score was derived from speculative figures. What’s more, is the insurance industry has published findings made by a trade group the Baucus plan would cost the average individual $1,500 more per year and about $4,000 a per family.

Which to believe? Simple, ask yourself has the government every enacted a program that reduces spending and cuts the deficit? Perhaps that's why 56% of Americans say the country is on the wrong track.


Friday, October 9, 2009

Too smart by half

Too smart by half

The President ran on a platform of hope and change, problem is, now he has to deliver. His camp set the bar high on reform and post partisanship but nine months into his presidency, the American people are loudly rejecting his centerpiece reform of health care and by all indications of his policy leanings, he is decidedly to the far left in a center-right country.

Mr. Obama’s present troubles largely come from what he promised during his campaign. The now infamous Fred Armisen/Saturday Night Live spoof hits the nail directly on the head – Candidate Obama over-promised for 20+ months but President Obama has not delivered though he has a democrat majority in both the House and Senate:

  • Candidate Obama promised to close Gitmo; President Obama did so yet it remains open
  • Candidate Obama promised to withdraw from Iraq; President Obama has not order a withdrawal
  • Candidate Obama promised to focus on the war in Afghanistan; President Obama is waffling on his commitment
  • Candidate Obama promised transparency; President Obama has largely been stealthy
  • Candidate Obama promised to reduce the deficit and reign in spending; President Obama signed a budget busting “stimulus”
  • Candidate Obama promised to bring back jobs; President Obama presides over 9.8% unemployment figure that continues to rise
  • Candidate Obama promised to go through the federal budget line-by-line and make cuts; President Obama doesn’t have line-item veto power

In my last post I outlined what the President should be doing. Instead of pushing health care reform, he ought to be engaged on three fronts: the economy and jobs, the war in Afghanistan and Iran. Should he take decisive action on these issues, the poll numbers would swing his way.

The problem for the President is he can’t do any of those things without alienating his base: giving corporations tax breaks and other incentives to up productivity and begin hiring won’t go over well with democrats and most independents. Taking a tough stance on Iran will make the left apoplectic and sending more troops to Afghanistan will cause the anti-war crowd to go insane. By contrast, republicans and center-right independents would support such policies, but at the cost of his base.

Candidate Obama ran on a slogan of change we can believe in and his supporters believed him. With such lofty promises, Candidate Obama has made President Obama’s job near impossible.


Tuesday, September 29, 2009

4 reasons Mr. Obama can’t sell health care


1) “It’s the economy stupid.”

Bill Clinton’s camp bludgeoned Bush 41's reelection chances to death with this little observation. Apparently, the same myopia that tunnel-visioned the elder Bush right out of office is blinding President Obama. Americans respond and are concerned for their pocketbooks (oh, and two wars still being waged). So when the Commander in Chief becomes Dr. No, there’s a two-fold problem: one, he isn’t fixing the economy that Bush broke and two, he’s talking about reforms that everyone (everyone but he and his administration) believes will cost consumers more. Which brings us to the next reason Americans continue to reject health care reform.

2) “What are you talkin’ about Willis?”

A quick anecdote: my brother is a mechanical engineer. I once asked him how a thermostat works and this was his answer verbatim, “It’s a bi-metallic strip of two dissimilar metals affected by the coefficient of thermal expansion.” Wow thanks; that clears it right up, how could I have missed that?

There’s not much difference in my example than what Mr. Obama is telling seniors (the biggest demographic actually listening). They don’t have a clue as to what he’s saying because it’s always something different without being new. Get it? First it was about reform, then about competition, then about stabilizing the economy and now it’s been hijacked by talk of racism. While the reasons purporting for it have changed, the devil in the details have not.

3) “Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain!”

When big pharmaceutical airs ads backing the President’s health reforms, people are naturally skeptical. Why in the world would big pharm be backing this plan? The inescapable logic is they want to make more money. While average Americans are all for the American way, they tend not to be so keen on gigantic corporate entities that manufacture costly prescription drugs. Although big pharm’s profits are under 5%, seniors don’t care as they pony-up the dough for their prescriptions or have to wade through Medicare red-tape to get prescriptions.

4) Trust me, I’m with the government

As President Obama’s agenda tanks in the polls, out onto the public stage comes former President Carter to throw in his two cents. Jimmy Carter really? Arguably the worst president in the history of the republic; a man that was tossed out of office on a 34% approval rating, who left the economy in shambles, botched foreign affairs and relations, unchecked high interest rates and unemployment and this is your surrogate?

I’m sure it doesn’t help Mr. Obama’s cause when the former President says the opposition are a bunch of racists and because of that, they don’t have the mental capacity to see how great Mr. Obama’s plans are. (For those of you “George Bush was the worst president in history” types, I beg you to ask yourself one simple question…why was he reelected? While his second term economic policies surely paved the way for the crisis we’re in today, he kept the country safe. He kept his eye on the ball and the one issue that mattered to Americans most, national security.)

Today, the issue is the economy and Mr. Obama is not only not doing anything about it, it doesn't seem to be important to him).


-- KillswitchPolitick