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National GOP, Don’t Be the Pandering Stupid Party in Health Care Debate

I've been a member of the Stupid Party for most of my adult life. And when I say the Stupid Party, I mean the Republican Party. Has the Republican National Committee learned anything from the recent election disasters? If anything, the wrong lessons. I'm talking about today's Washington Post op-ed by RNC chairman Michael Steele that actually pits the GOP as the pandering "Party of the Entitlement Status Quo" (H/T Jon Henke). The tide has turned against Obama Care's government health care takeover, and what do we get? The Democrat-light "seniors' health care bill of rights," rather than a serious proposal that injects more freedom and portability into the debate. … [Read more...]

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Jumping to Conclusions on Colorado Democratic Party HQ Vandalism

Colorado Democratic State Party headquarters on 8th and Santa Fe in Denver was vandalized last night. Windows broken out, etc. Not good. Obviously the work of someone without respect for private property, and without respect for an honest, healthy debate. A criminal act that should be dealt with appropriately. However, initial reports quoted the Democratic state party chair trying to frame the incident as the responsibility of opponents of the Obama Care government health care takeover:"We ought to be having a serious, conscientious debate about what's best for the country," [state Democratic party chairwoman Pat] Waak said. "Clearly there's been an effort on the other side to stir up hate. I think this is the consequence of it." The … [Read more...]

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Denver Post Editorial Sunday: The Good, The Good, and The Far-Fetched

I can only imagine very few readers of Sunday's Denver Post opinion page shrugged their shoulders with a ho-hum. All stacked together on good old page 3D of the Perspective section, the collection of pieces had to evoke some wholehearted assent, some serious disagreement, or both. Let's go with the bad news first, the lead fantasy-ridden editorial "Public option is critical to reform":Opponents also say the public option is a ruse meant to facilitate a government takeover of health care. On the contrary, we think it will give the insurance industry every incentive to innovate and find efficiencies, best treatment practices and ways to make their rates more attractive to businesses and policy holders. Based on what, the wishful … [Read more...]

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MSNBC’s Phony Racial Controversy; Gun-Toting Not Most Sensible Tactic

Everything is out of whack with the story about the nameless black man toting a semi-automatic weapon around at an Arizona townhall meeting. Just everything. One of the driving Lefty narratives about the nature of the townhall protests and the general popular opposition to Obama Care's proposed government health care takeover is exemplified in this comment to the local Fox TV news affiliate:"All the claims of Nazism and socialism are really racist attacks," said David Sirota, one of many liberal columnists who define the growing conservative uprising as a "white backlash" -- that of a dwindling white non urban America, aflame with grievances and awash in self-pity as the country hurtles into the 21st century and leaves it behind. No … [Read more...]

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Health Care Debate Leaves Obama with No Good Options, “Public” or Otherwise

Competent pro-free market voices like the Cato Institute's Michael Cannon and the editors of the Wall Street Journal (via Patient Power) have raised red flags about the so-called "co-op" idea that's moving through the Senate and being floated by the administration as a fallback from the "public option". The Journal cleverly calls the co-op idea "Fannie Med". Cannon writes:The president’s approach to health care reform hasn’t changed at all. All he has done is tried to distract attention from how dangerous and unpopular his approach really is. But that doesn't mean President Obama could use the "co-op" rhetoric to smoothly shift political gears and pull government health care over the finish line in Congress any easier than … [Read more...]

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Trips to Whole Foods Now Take On a Whole New Wonderful Meaning

So I hear that some wacko Lefties are trying to boycott Whole Foods because the company's CEO wrote a widely read opinion-editorial for the Wall Street Journal explaining why Obama Care is bad medicine and offering a proven, constructive alternative. I'm proud to say that the lovely Mrs. Virtus today went shopping at Whole Foods. It wasn't the first time, and certainly not the last. We're not overboard on the natural foods thing, but with some pretty serious food allergy issues in our household, the availability of some alternatives they offer is quite convenient. Being very cost-conscious consumers, we tend to purchase different types of groceries and necessities at different stores. So it's not like we give Whole Foods a tremendous … [Read more...]

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Rolling the Obama Care “Public Option” Uphill Becoming a Harder Job

Love how the Denver Post lends a hand to Barack Obama and appointed Senator Michael Bennet in the health care debate:He acknowledged that the ire in town halls — in Colorado, and across the country — was mostly about fear of changing a system that hasn't worked for years. [emphasis added] Not "changing a system that he said hasn't worked for years," mind you. A stated opinion given cover with a straight news declaration of fact. Sigh. I'll even give them the benefit of the doubt and suspect that the phrasing was an unintentional slip that reflects the newsroom's own uninformed bias rather than some malicious attempt at partisan hackery. I know of many personal friends and acquaintances who could tell stories -- some of them rather … [Read more...]

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Transforming Anti-Obama Care Debate to Pro-Liberty Health Reform

I'm a little late in posting, but I recommend to anyone who wants to stay intelligently attuned to the ongoing health care reform debate, please take a listen to my recent iVoices podcast interview with Brian Schwartz (click the play button): Both in the podcast and in a new Patient Power posting, Brian explains how the current medical insurance system suffers from too much regulation already and how insurance companies can gain more credibility in the debate. Speaking of the debate... … [Read more...]

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Two Great Pieces Broadening Context Around Health Care Reform Debate

Getting caught up in the intense, day-to-day political and policy battles over the health care reform debate, it can be helpful from time to time to step back and take a look at the big picture. Not that I have time myself, but I can point you to two excellent pieces that do just that. First, National Review's Ivan Kenneally identifies evidence of a disturbing trend emerging in the current political showdown. Key quote to whet your appetite:Unfortunately, the contempt for public debate is one of the hallmarks of Obama’s technocratic approach to politics — in place of a healthy and democratic deference to public opinion, we get the assurance of expertise that comes with a bevy of special-issue czars. Meanwhile, the always … [Read more...]