The more Obama talks about his health care reform program, the more inconsistencies are being found by fact-checkers. The basic facts about coverage, cost and who foots the bill that he touts are being challenged by independent organizations who have begun to expose the fabrications. The inconsistencies by Obama between his rhetoric and reality are becoming more obvious every time he opens his mouth trying to fend off criticism of his health care proposals.
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Obama's promise that people who are happy with their current health insurance can keep it is contradicted by Factcheck.org, a nonpartisian consumer advocate group at the University of Pennsylvania's Annenberg Public Policy Center.
According to Factcheck.org while the government would not require people to change their health insurance, proposals by Senate Democrats would result in people losing health care benefits from employers.
One of Obama's campaign promises was that of universal health coverage. However the House bill leaves about 17 million off the insurance rolls and one Senate bill leaves out 34 million.
Another inconsistency is the change from not punishing Americans who did not buy health insurance to the present idea that there would be a fine, a penalty imposed on them.
Obama's claim that the health care program would be "deficit neutral" and funded by saving from what he called "bending the curve" of skyrocketing health care costs. The truth is that it would cost $1 trillion dollars according to the Congressional Budget Office, that said not only would it not lower costs but rather would drive up government spending at an unsustainable rate.
Congressional Budget Director Douglas Elmendort
According to Rep. Tom Price (R-GA), Obama's summoning of CBO Director Douglas Elmendorft to a closed-door meeting on Monday at the White House
...reeks of the type of Chicago-style politics that American's were warned about. The CBO was created to be independent and nonpartisan. To spoil that with political dealings in the West Wing only adds to American cynicism about the President's misguided health care plan.
Another assertions by Obama challenged by Factcheck.org is the claim that the cost of treating uninsured people raises the cost of health care for the rest of Americans by $1,000 per family. The Kaiser Family Foundation showed that the $1,000 figure is "clearly an exaggeration." Factcheck.org calculated that it came to about $200 per family.
Obama claims that nearly 46 million people in the U.S. are uninsured but does not say that it includes 6 million illegal immigrants and 14 million people making over $75,000 a year who can afford insurance but do not have it for a variety of reasons.
Nothing Obama said in his rambling, sometimes incoherent press conference on Monday, July 22, 2009 can cause the American public, which is fast losing trust in him and the Democrats in Congress, and all the hastily passed bills, pushed through without being read, such as the stimulus and the Cap and Trade (now dubbed the Tax and Trade) to have anymore confidence in what is now being called Obamacare.
In Chicago, Obama could depend on the Daley political machine to clear the path for him, no matter what he did, but now there are dozens of fact-checking organizations listening to every word he says and finding that under the eloquence of language lies flights of fancy or outright fabrications.
For references and further information, go to:
http://www.factcheck.org/politics/obamas_health_care_claims.html
http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/276351
http://digitaljournal.com/article/276058
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Comments
"Nothing Obama said in his rambling, sometimes incoherent press conference on Monday, July 22, 2009 ..."
Fact checkers note that you can't get a simple day/date correct - so why should anyone believe anything else you write?
Correction: Obama television press conference took place on Wednesday, July 22, 2009 as noted in the references.
Two questions not explored here:
1. Where in the US Constitution is the Federal government empowered to have ANYTHING to do with medical care or funding for insurance?
2. When did health care or insurance come to be some sort of "right?" A need is not a right.
Nobody has a "right" to rob others in order to support their health care, or any other "need."
All actual human rights - to life, liberty and property - can be exercised without theft or aggression.
The government doesn't produce anything, and doesn't have anything to "give" until it first steals it - at the point of a gun - from the people who DO produce it.
Theft is theft, and there is no way that any government program can be implemented without theft and coercion.
Wow, talk about selective reading! Nice job of cherry picking only bits and pieces from factcheck.org to spin your case, Martha.
I would recommend everyone actually read that link, rather than blindly accepting this interpretation - it's much more complex.
I don't know what the answer is to exploding health care costs and don't have a lot of hope the Congress-critters will solve it.
But these disinformation campaigns from both sides certainly don't help.
IT TICKS me off to no end that this man could stand up there to promote a plan which he said will save us all money and get better care yet
HE WILL NOT FORCE IT ON HIS OWN FAMILY!!!
What started the French Revolution?
It SHOULD happen here soon!
My purpose in including references at the end of articles is so that the reader can access the sources being used for information.
After reading several articles from WSJ, Washington Post, NY Times, and others, it seems to me to boil down to this: currently in this Bill there are no mandates or plan about cutting the skyrocketing insurance costs that are crippling us. Isn't this the number 1 thing that should be addressed? I voted for Mr. Obama, but this Bill worries me. Since more health insurance and health care industry lobbyists are for this legislation, makes me think that it cannot be good for us, the American people. I need to see how these drug, hospital, and insurance companies are going to suck it up and cut costs, not just that our government is gonna pay so that they can keep their business as usual. Their business as usual is killing us. Blah.
Unless and until the Congress and President are forced to obey and live under the same laws as every day Americans, they can shove it up their collective hoohahs.
This article is a pretty good criticism of Obama's plan. Although, any time an author includes a quote from Rep. Tom Price, it harms the credibility of the piece.
Exactly what does Tom Price mean by "Chicago style" politics? Does he mean that the pres will rub-out any disenters? What does Price know about Chicago politics. I agree with the criticism that Obama has not been half as transparent in his deliberations as he promised he would be. Price can't just make an honest rebuke.
Here's a little info. from the FactCheck.org page that may be helpful.
"On other points we found the president's facts checked out. For example, many countries that spend much less on health care nevertheless have higher life expectancy than the U.S. And while we find it doubtful that the uninsured cost other families $1,000 in higher premiums alone, once higher taxes and higher medical costs are factored in, the price tag for the uninsured could well be that high."
I think it's important to understand that this healthcare reform issue is not a pure Barack Obama construction. After what happened to Clintoncare - our new president has (wisely I think) let the process develop in Congress. That's a good intention, but now the Dems and Republicans are doing their thing - squabbling like a yard full of chickens instead of trying to do a bipartisan good job for America. Want to see it at its best - just watch what happens when the Congress recesses. They'll be followed home by deep-pocket lobbyists and special interests pressing the flesh and carressing the wallets. Someone above made a cogent remark in their comment. We aren't going to accomplish a thing - no matter what reform we get or don't get. The costs of healthcare will keep skyrocketing and will eventually crush our economy - unless we institute reforms in the way health care is delivered. We need to reshape healthcare into efficiency groups and quit the waste, duplication and greed, etc.
What?? He lied? Noooo. Say it ain't so. Of course he did to serve his own purpose. The purpose is this. . . health care is only a piece of the socialist / dem agenda. The other key piece is amnesty. When we have a health care policy that inculdes entitlements for the "disenfranchied" (nice lib term for illegals and welfare recipients), the Obamunistas will then toss in amnesty. Viola! Free health care for all your welfare kids and ninos. Wow! How could they possibly NOT vote democratic? Wake up voters! Your wallets and purses are being robbed while "rights" are being bestowed on the unwilling and the illegal while you pay for it. Vote the "right" way in 2010 and boot the thieves and Marxists out.
Obama promised to not raise taxes of any kind on individuals who make less than $200k, but he raised cigarette taxes by 62 cents a pack. There are 43 million smokers in the US and the vast majority of them make less than $200k. Whether Obama signs healthcare legislation or not, I'm certain he will raise taxes again, and it won’t be just the smokers he’ll target. Prepare yourselves for higher taxes on just about everything. FACT: Obama is a liar and a fraud.
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