Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Dems lose footing on health care

Let's face it--on the surface, most Americans favor universal health care. But as the National Review noted in its health care issue, that support is only an inch thick. Perhaps just a millimeter.

Once people are made aware of the cost of it and the hassles--such as long wait lists and rationing of care, that support rapidly evaporates.

Here's another item largely overlooked. Even some pro-choice Americans oppose government-funded abortions. And are you naive enough to think that Obamacare will ignore abortion?

The Hill takes a look at costs:

Congressional Democrats and the White House are scrambling to regain their footing after a series of setbacks has stalled political momentum to reform the nation’s healthcare system.

Despite having a popular president in the White House and comfortable majorities in Congress, the Democratic rollout on healthcare reform has encountered significant bumps in the road.

A cost estimate hanging a $1 trillion price tag on an incomplete bill, salvos from powerful interest groups and great uncertainty among key Democrats on what will actually be in the legislation that moves through Congress have emboldened Republican critics.

The Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee postponed the markup of its healthcare reform bill by one day, to Wednesday. On the eve of that markup, the powerful U.S. Chamber of Commerce publicly ripped the bill.

Sen. Max Baucus (D-MT), the Senate Finance Committee chairman, was supposed to have released his bill today, he's looking at tomorrow or Friday, as cost concerns are slowing him down.

Although I don't know how the heck he's supposed to make a trillion dollars, or even half of that, vanish in forty eight hours.

Related post:

Montana Dem's aides say meeting with GOP is a hostile act

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