Health Care Hubris

The Democrats are going to push health care "reform" through regardless of the devastating consequences that everyone from conservatives to the Congressional Budget Office warns will occur because of the fiscally irresponsible package that Democrats are determined to pass without reading.

Indeed, President Obama's Chief of Staff says that the House will pass this health care mess before their August recess. What's the rush? Will this not be still on the table after the recess? Why not give this bill time to be debated and understood? Two committees already cleared the House bill, and yet no one knows the cost - let alone agree how it will be paid for.

That's the point, isn't it. If people realize what this bill will do, they wont like it one bit.

In fact, many people who are willing to give President Obama the benefit of doubt on his health care priorities can't figure out how all this will be paid for.

President Obama already signaled that this bill will raise taxes on the middle class - breaking one of his most prominent campaign pledges. Health care reform is nothing more than a massive tax and spend redistribution of wealth that will not improve the quality of care, and will only result in higher taxes and fees, and declining access to health care.

Nate Silver at 538.com seems to think that the timeout is a good idea. He's right, but not necessarily for the reasons he says. He thinks it gives the Democrats time to regroup. He's right on that account, but it also gives everyone else a chance to read what this bill will do, up to and including how it will be paid for in the form of new taxes and fees.

There is no way this bill gets done without the imposition of massive tax hikes on certain groups - that the rich are going to be soaked is taken for granted, it's the middle class that has to watch and wait with baited breath.

That Rahm is busy saying that the House will push this through before recess tells you that the Administration realizes that the more time people have to react and respond to the tax hikes, the less likely this gets done.

And if the House and or Senate fails to get the health care bill passed? Watch for Democrats to blame the GOP, despite the fact that Democrats control both chambers with filibuster proof majorities. The Democrats own this mess, and trying to pass it off on the GOP shouldn't (and isn't) going to fly.

UPDATE:
Byron York makes an excellent point. People know that President Obama oversold the stimulus package and the $787 billion that added to the deficit and did nothing to curb job losses (and may have contributed to more job loss and uncertainty in the markets). That's having a direct effect on the health care debate - and the huge costs associated with that makeover.

I'd further add that Obama's attitude towards the auto industry and the GM and Chrysler bankruptcies isn't going to be forgotten either by taxpayers who saw their money go down the rabbit hole in bailouts only to see those companies go under just weeks later.