The American Spectator : Right Is Wrong to Rip Ryan

Text Size

Right Is Wrong to Rip Ryan

By Ross Kaminsky on 3.22.13 @ 6:10AM

Shrewdly, his budget assumes the repeal of Obamacare — a huge political winner.

(Page 2 of 3)

But separate from the specific health impacts, the wisdom of Ryan’s assuming the repeal of Obamacare in his budget is that it forces anyone who is paying attention to recognize immediately that Obamacare is hugely, unaffordably expensive.

Imagine Paul Ryan facing a Democrat in conference over the budget:

Democrat: “Mr. Ryan, we need to keep Obamacare fully funded.”
Ryan: “OK, but that change adds $2 trillion dollars to our national debt over the next decade. How are you going to offset that to keep a budget that balances ten years from now?”

We know, and not just because President Obama told us last week, that he thinks deficits — and by extension our national debt — don’t matter. But they matter a lot to the American people, and every chance Paul Ryan has to make the left support endless spending and endless deficits is a chance to wake a few more Americans up to the inevitable financial debacle the nation faces if we stay on the Obama path. Highlighting the cost of Obamacare is a smart part of such a strategy.

Again, it is nearly shocking how many conservative or Republicans get in front of a microphone and have no understanding of the subtle brilliance of Ryan’s move. It is not just ideology. It’s good politics.

It would be one thing to criticize Ryan’s approach to Obamacare if the law were extremely popular, if it were working as the president claimed it would, and if there were broad acceptance, particularly in conservative circles, that this is a fight we have lost forever.

None of these is the case.

Obamacare and its impacts are unpopular: According to Rasmussen Reports, nearly twice as many Americans have a very unfavorable view of Obamacare as have a very favorable view of it. Fifty-four percent of likely voters expect the U.S. health care system will worsen over the next two years. Three quarters of us think the law will cost more than originally projected and most believe it will raise rather than lower costs. And nearly half of likely voters believe that Obamacare will do more economic damage than spending cuts. (It’s disappointing that it isn’t much more than half, since government spending cuts will likely help the economy outside of anything but the shortest-term analysis.)

Obamacare is having opposite impacts from those the president promised: Barack Obama famously assured us that his signature “achievement” would cause health insurance premiums to drop by $2500 per year for a typical family of four. Instead, just the opposite is happening, and insurance costs are skyrocketing across the country.

No rational person would have expected anything other than what is happening right now: there is no way that a combination of guaranteed issue and eliminating higher premiums for preexisting conditions could cause anything other than a dramatic price increase since it encourages people to wait until they get sick to buy insurance (a concept completely at odds with what insurance is supposed to mean, namely financial protection against unknown future risk).

Obamacare also adds many more patients to the system while discouraging doctors from taking new patients, and discouraging potential future doctors from entering medicine as a career. More demand for services, less supply of services. An eighth-grader could have told you what this would do to prices, but Obama remains clueless.

Even the dupes at CBO are now belatedly recognizing what Obamacare health insurance subsidies will cost, recently raising their estimate of the average annual subsidy to $5,510 from their original 2010 forecast of $3,970. In just over two years, their estimate for the per-subsidized person cost of Obamacare is up nearly 40 percent… which, probably not coincidentally, is just less than my family’s health insurance premiums have increased over that same time.

Separate from the numbers — though the jump in cost is painful to and noticed by average Americans — Obamacare is also costing jobs and hours worked for those fortunate enough to have jobs, particularly among lower-skilled and younger workers who often get jobs in retail and restaurants.

And we’re also learning that Obama’s promises “if you like your doctor, you can keep him” and “if you like your plan, you can keep it” were both lies. How will your typical American mom feel about Obamacare when she realizes that she now must wait longer and spend more for her child to see a doctor other than the doctor her family has been happy with for the past decade?

Attacking Obamacare is good politics and, perhaps the best indicator, good business: The ObamaCare Survival Guide remains in the top 100 books on Amazon.com, and number one in categories of social policy, health law, and health policy. It is also number 3 on the New York Times bestseller list for paperback advice books. Another book, Betsy McCaughey’s Beating Obamacare, ranks first through third in three different Amazon sub-categories. Note that these books are not about “Explaining” or “Understanding” Obamacare, but rather “Beating” and “Surviving” it.

Page: < 12 3 >

About the Author

Ross Kaminsky is a self-employed trader and investor and is a senior fellow of the Heartland Institute. He is the host of The Ross Kaminsky Show on Denver’s NewsRadio 850 KOA at 11 AM on most Sundays. You can reach Ross by e-mail at rossputin(at)rossputin(dot)com.

Letter to the Editor View all comments (218) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 6:31AM

Ryan is my neighboring congressman. Johnson is my Senator. I don't think either one of them gets it. Let me add that I was a big supporter of both of them not very long ago. The budget can never get near balance until our mismanaged foreign policy is addressed. War is the enemy of liberty and fiscal reponsibilty. It has destroyed many countries. After the fiasco in Iraq, why are we still in Afganistan? 85 billion could be cut from the budget just by defunding the Afgan war and bringing the troops home. Ron Paul has estimated that if we closed down most of our foreign bases and ended our global commitments we could save at least 500 Billion dollars. We need a defend America foreign first and only foreign policy. For 100 years we have wasted untold wealth and blood fighting other peoples wars. It is time for the world to take care of itself. We are broke. Ryan's Budget was a loser in the last election. In fact I believe it was the main reason we lost the election. Finally Before one penny is cut from the benefits of increasingly poor Americans we should cut every penny from foreign aid. The vast majority of which ends up in the bank accounts of criminal elites in Pakistan, Israel, Egypt, the Gulf states, and African dictators.

Teflon93 | 3.22.13 @ 7:26AM

You could cut the entire Pentagon budget and we'd still be 700 B in the hole each year. How about waking up and cutting entitlements, Jack? Or are you on the dole yourself?

chuck| 3.22.13 @ 8:07AM

Jack likes to call himself a conservative, but he is more aligned with a McGovern-type liberalism. Gut defense and spend the money on the "less fortunate".

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 8:15AM

I voted for every Republican for President since 1964. In most cases it was because of the so-called lesser evil. In the end I got a lot of evil from both parties. As for McGovern, he was a dolt. But he was probably right on pulling out. Nixon was dealt a bad hand. He should of just closed it down in his first term.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 11:32AM

In every case of you Voting for the Lesser of Two Evils, you got exactly what you Voted For. The LESSER of two evils. And that's nothing to sneeze at.

McGovern? Mondale? Beetle Bailey in the Tank? 4 More Years of President Misery Index? All of these things were avoided.

I have two Cares here, for sale. You have to buy one of them, because you need a Car. You may not like either one of these two, and you might be thinking about that other one over there, that I'm NOT offering. You can spend your money on that one, if you like, but just you remember: It will never run. Ever. You'll have spent your Money on Nuthin.

Understand?

Romney may have been The Lesser of two Evils, but I Guarantee ya this: In this case the Lesser Evil would've been a Speck in the eye, compared to the Decapitation that we're going through now, and the Mutilation we're destined to receive over the next 4 years.

Do you "PURISTS" (I'm looking at YOU - Sixgun) understand, now?

Your "My way or the Highway" has doomed us all.

Yet, why do I think that you still disagree and that you truly believe that what you did was Noble, in the same way that the Christian Scientist can hold his head high as his Child dies right before his eyes because to take him to the Hospital would be IMPURE.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:01PM

Amen, truth! These purists are as stupid as the remainder of Americans with their "my way" BS. This country is dying and the bank runs are only a matter of time. Cyprus anyone? STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moe Blotz| 3.22.13 @ 2:16PM

You misspelled automobile.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:27PM

SHAZAM!!!!!!!!!!!

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:36PM

You spelled "Auto Erotica" wrong.

aware| 3.23.13 @ 12:53PM

TLP, your idea is simple but fails to accept that the whole game is rigged. By the time you make your "choice" of the "lesser of 2 evils", the "choice" has been engineered and approved by the powerful elite that actually runs the place through control of money.

Anyone, left, right, middle, that would really threaten the Status Quo will never get within a mile of being a "choice".

Understand the "Crisis-Reaction-Solution" paradigm, it's how the Rulers rule. They control the Crisis- Solution part, you only have reaction, which is always the only option to the crisis. And the reaction always demands the solution which was always the point of the whole exercise.

The reality of all this is they get what they wanted all along and you have been convinced you exercised some power over the outcome through "public opinion"(manipulated) and elections(even more manipulated).

Meanwhile the grip tightens. You just end up supporting a slower choking rather than quicker.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:16PM

I would agree with you, except you leave out the Fact that we had PRIMARIES.

Romney Won. Period.

He wasn't my first choice, but he was the only guy running against President Death to America.

You can Vote for Romney, or you can stay home, looking in the Mirror and telling yourself how Wonderful you are and how your Principles are still intact, and give President Economic Implosion another 4 Years.

Are your Principles really worth more than your Children's Futures, their Freedoms, and their Chances at a Better Life after 4 more years of the Last 4 Years?

I don't think so.

Apparently, you do.

Good Luck with that.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:17PM

What you've done has a Name: It's called A Fool's Errand.

aware| 3.25.13 @ 5:50AM

Do you actually believe the destruction of America started with Obama? And that electing a proven Statist like Romney would have somehow stopped it?

The game is rigged, what part of that don't you understand? We are now entering the end game of the biggest ponzi scheme in human history, fiat currency. You are putting your faith in a political system utterly controlled by the Money Masters.

It is dominated by their hirelings. They also own the "Media", which is Statist not "liberal". Ditto entertainment. Publishing, multinational corporations, education, and technology also totally under their control.

For a hundred years they have been very busy. Their enforcement mechanism is the State and you think you can take it away from them with an "election"? You really have no idea how deep the rabbit hole is.

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:40PM

You ignore evolution. The Wright brothers first flying adventure evolved into the jet engined technological marvels of today's airliners. Reagan's conservatism was not enlarged/improved with followup elections, but instead the stupids reverted to the propaganda of the MSM etc into the replacements of Clinton and now Obama. I should be an evolving process of improvement and refinement, but Americans stupidly allow themselves to be psychologically manipulated by the MSM, academia, Hollywood, labor unions and public school political correctness!!!!!!!!!!!!

aware| 3.25.13 @ 5:57AM

You are blaming the circus animals when their "reality" is completely controlled by the "trainers". If a lion has never known anything but the life of a circus why then blame the lion when he can't survive in the wild?

Like TLC you keep playing a rigged game expecting to "win" next time.

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 8:09AM

I said before one penny is cut from Americans cut all foreign aid. Maybe you should learn how to read. I work in soup kitchens and food pantries every week. There are lot of people who don't need the pittence of Social Security or the Medicare they depend on cut, just so some foreign plutocrats and dictators can live high on the hog. There are Obamavilles in the woods right near Miller Park, where the Brewers play. People live there all winter in shacks just like the 3rd world. This country is broke in a big part because of foreign aid,foreign wars and crony capitalism. Leave the poor alone for now, in the middle of a depression. It is bad politics.

Goldwater Girl| 3.22.13 @ 9:14AM

Jack,
If only we weren't providing aid to those damn jews, we would have a surplus. Right?

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 9:56AM

loulou: The biggest welfare queen in the hstory of the world will just have to learn how to live within it's means. Let Sheldon Adelson, Steve Wynn, George Soros, the Rothchilds, and the rest of their ilk support Bibbi and company. I am taking a poor broken down old Jew who is on Social Security, food stamps and rent suppliment to lunch today. There are plenty more Jews like him, that I have known over the years. Don't cut him and his wife off. This guy and I have been going to lunch for many years. We usually take turns paying. But he always uses a coupon so we only pay for one lunch. He lives on coupons and is very proficient in their use.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:16PM

Steve etc do support Bibbi and Israel by earning huge amounts of income and by paying the majority of taxes. That is why the domestic terrorists rant/rave about taxing THOSE RICH FOLKS more. Your lunchen buddies probably contributed as well in their productive years, unlike the welfare queens that historically live off of same through the Great Societization by Democrats. Steve etc and your lunchen buddies ain't the problem and never have been so!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:07PM

Bullexcrement! This country is broke because of the accumulation of the Great Society and its War on Poverty. Foreign aid is a penny among $trillions, but yes it should be trashed along with the rest. Get rid of your Ronnie underwear diaper-blinders and see the entire picture of crack-addited welfare hoes spitting out futuristically government benefits claimers hourly, and of a Democratic Party intent on policially enriching itself by taking advantage of same by brainwashing the stupids in this country!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:28PM

Hallelujah, brother O...

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:37PM

Obviously, Oldefartes of a Feather, Stick Together.

Rhoetus| 3.22.13 @ 8:33PM

I'm old like you Mr. Oledfarte: Conservatives and Libertarians need to stop acting like our struggle is a pissing contest and realize that no one person has a perfect strategy to win back our lost liberties.

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:29PM

We are not [and should not be] enemies, but rather competitors on educating the stupids of this nation [that the Cloward & Piven crowd brainwash/propagandize for political dollars] into responsible voting !!!!!!!

TLP| 3.24.13 @ 4:29PM

Look at you.

These are some of the Best Comments you've ever made, and definately qualify for the "I wish I had said that" List.

Well done, Oldetimer.

Woodrow| 3.22.13 @ 12:45PM

Jack, please read the (entire) article before commenting. It would save you, and us, a lot of trouble if you'd read it and see that your points have already been knocked down.

Pseudo-Macarius| 3.23.13 @ 4:44AM

The problem is not the Ryan budget....It's the fact that Boehner won't stand up for the Ryan budget and he will order the House to continue the Nancy Pelosi budget for another fiscal year.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:19PM

Exactly.

Rhoetus| 3.23.13 @ 12:04PM

Jack! Ryan's budget wasn't the issue in my opinion. Those living off of the government trough were motivated and driven to the polls. Besides, Bush41 and Bush43 governed like LBJ, untill the GOP purges the Progressives it will continue to lose elections. And Romney a Mass. politician is in a weak position to sell smaller government to the voters.

gray man| 4.5.13 @ 12:52AM

defense spending is

aware| 3.22.13 @ 6:52AM

AEI=controlled "opposition".
Repeal and REPLACE=I will feed Leviathan better than them.
Ryan's plan= a spitball against a raging grizzly bear.
Kaminsky="libertarian" that thinks the State is a-ok and Statists too if they are Republican.
Current trajectory=ash bin of history.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:10PM

And those stupid Americans are the spitball throwers who are brainwashed by the liberalism of the Democrats!!!!!!

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 7:24AM

This $788B PPACA Plan as passed in 2010 is now being scored at over $2 trillion, and GAO scores it as much as $6.2 trillion over 75 years. But I suspect that this does not even accurately reflect the costs since some issues are still unresolved.
Remember that Roberts found ObamaCare Constitutional as a tax. The people with clerical jobs at CVS are finding that it will cost all but the most fit and healthy $600 per year out-of-pocket.

But the big and unconstitutional balloon is the Exchanges and Medicaid Expansion. Roberts Court found that the States were not bound to either. With about two-thirds that either opted out and left it entirely to the Federal government or agreed to a Federal/State Partnership, much of the cost ObamaCare shifted to the States is back on DC. Moreover, Obama has bribed Rick Scott, John Kasich and Chris Christie for instance with paying 90% of the cost of Medicaid expansion in perpetuity.
For FL alone, the Medicaid expansion is $2B per year and over 75 years totals $150B without even accounting for setting up and running the Exchange. At $150B for the Medicaid expansion over 75 years for FL alone, the cost of the Medicaid expansion nationwide has got to be over $6.2 trillion. And that is without administering it.

Let's face it. It should not be called ObamaCare. It should be called the Obama Slave Act of 2010.

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 9:35AM

Jr:
Good analysis. There are many cuts obvious and available, to bring this situation under control. Ultimately however, we must find a way to reduce the 17 thousand, billion dollars of debt we are floating. A good start might be the thousands of small handouts, research grants, local project funding, etc. which each grab several million to little purpose (the pork) and reconsider the criteria of our foreign aid. Every small step in the right direction begins to move us toward the goal while reducing the non-essential spending. It is the constant drip, drip, drip, of the faucet which runs up the water bill.

Jacob McCandles| 3.22.13 @ 10:17AM

17 thousand billion. Sounds like a lot. Here's what I would like to hear about: how much it costs this country to service the debt. How much in 2013 with current interest rates, how much in 2020 when the debt is 20 trillion or so. Then I would like to hear Obama talk about the debt not harming us. Every single dollar of the debt will be taxed OUT of the economy.

Jacob McCandles| 3.22.13 @ 11:45AM

Answer: at todays interest rates, we are currently spending 224 billion annually in interest. Rate changes could easily double that, and when debt gets to 20 trillion we could approach 1 trillion a year just to pay interest on debt. Not pay it down, just pay interest on it. Plus ballooning entitlements from Aging Boomers. Call me a pessimist, but I can't see this ending well. By the time we finally balance the budget, if you can let your imagination run wild for a minute, the debt interest will consume the budget.

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 12:16PM

Exactly so. Even if we never added to the debt through future deficits, the debt service, interest payments alone, demand an ever increasing portion of the budget. That demand, along with mandated spending, becomes the driving force of the budget. The fact that the country has gone four years without a budget highlights the problem of controlling the spending.

I too do not see a good ending. The size of the debt itself equal to one years GDP makes even proportionate repayment difficult. The defense spending panacea is a false hope. How many of the 6000 federal agencies do we really need?

Jacob McCandles| 3.22.13 @ 12:37PM

Yep- I think entirely eliminating federal agencies and returning the responsibility for government to the statesis the only answer to slow this monster down. Ryan's budget is not aggressive at all, and the news stories on it are using the phrase "drastic cuts in social safety nets." I do, though, tend to agree with the author about being realistic. The people will never understand until they feel the pain, which they have not yet.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:18PM

How much will it be when the Ben Bernanke Funny Money Bubble BURSTS, and Inflation runs wild like Eric Holder's People in Chicago, on a Saturday Night?

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:29PM

Don't forget Thomas Perez's people also!!!!

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:38PM

Indeed.

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 10:13AM

There is a "rule" or "maxim" that the Court should defer to the legislature, and uphold a law as constitutional if the Court can find some basis to hold it constitutional. This is the conservative view of the Court's function.

Unfortunately the only judges who follow this are conservative judges. Lefties always substitute their view of the correct policy, as in abortion, because they are impatient with the legislature. This was the view of Justice Brennan and the evolving constitution.

Roberts carried the conservative view too far by ignoring that Obama said it was not a tax. He should have judged the case based on what Obama represented in such as important issue expanding the power to tax and the power to control the economy.

The only possible positive fact is that it should be the issue for the 2014 and 2016 elections. If enough voters finally see Obamacare for what it is then the voters will decide instead of judges.

But even though every Republican in the primaries, and Romney in the general election, promised to work to repeal Obamacare, the voters elected Obama. So while Roberts should be blamed, the voters elected Obama twice knowing he promised to transform the USA, and in 2012 the voters already knew what he meant by transforming the USA, specifically and ultimately a government controlled single payor healthcare system with rationing.

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 10:37AM

True but the evidence is clear that the stupid people and Low Information Voters did not know what they were voting for since the regime and MSM lie. How else could the clerks at CVS be shocked, shocked that if they are fat, anxious or smoke that they will be charged $600 per year?

When seventeen thousand billion at zero interest rates becomes twenty thousand billion at higher interest rates, the same dolts will be shocked, shocked that their services will be cut and the economy tanks further.

I keep explaining this because Perps's gay orgy buddies think that the return to the 6.2% versus 4.2% Social Security Payroll Tax is CVS's fault, not the government. With the 2% increase and $600 per year increase in Premiums, they are going to have to steal even more KY Jelly and Robitussin.

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 10:54AM

No question that the MSM lies and shills for the Dems.

But we have too many people in line at the Government trough, all wanting a piece, or as they view it "their fair share."

Dems want to get elected and keep promising to keep the trough filled and extend the line. Unfortunately too many Reps just want to keep the line orderly.

The stupid and low info voters are not as stupid as we think. They know we work to pay for what they receive. Romney was criticized for pointing out the 47% who do not pay federal income taxes cannot be persuaded by tax cuts.

What do we do?

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:21PM

The 2014/2016 Elections?

Why do I think that you've forgotten about the 12 Million brand spanking New Democrat Voters, waiting in the wings?

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:31PM

Or waitin to cross the Rio Grande perhaps!!!!

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:38PM

Exactly.

Teflon93 | 3.22.13 @ 7:25AM

The Left never takes baby steps. Kaminsky is a faux libertarian.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:23PM

You spelled "Fat" and "Librarian" wrong.

AllAmericanAmerican| 3.22.13 @ 7:46AM

It's simple math. I read that his "balanced budget" spends $41T over the next 10 years, or an average of $4.1T/year. Right now we're spending $3,7T a year while running $1T+ yearly deficits.

I guess I don't see how spending more will "balance" the budget? What will be our national debt at the end of that 10 years when the budget is "balanced?"

Any budget proposal that still includes growth of spending is not serious and should be rejected.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:29PM

I'm thinkin that there's a Wish List of Economic Growth, involved.

But, I agree with you.

We gotta Stop Spending.

I'd love to go out to Dinner all the time, but I can't. My Printing Press is broken.

I can't even remember when we out to a Dinner that didn't involve an All You Can Eat Chinese Buffet, and subsequently, a bout of Diahrrea.

AllAmericanAmerican| 3.22.13 @ 12:35PM

If that's the case I guess an old saying comes to mind: Wish in one hand and sh!t in the other and see which one fills up faster.

How about we try something different, like REAL spending cuts and a REAL deficit reduction and just have a "wish list" of pet projects that we might maybe get to once the deficit gets down to, say, $10T?

Try Golden Corral---it is actually a lot better than it used to be and my fam of five can get their fill for around $50.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 1:16PM

I don't think that we have one of those, up here. I've seen their Commercials, and it looks great. (Me being a Steak and Potatoes kinda guy)

But, I will keep an eye out.

Thanks.

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:31PM

Golden Corral IS excellent. So is Ryan's, by the way.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:34PM

I'd suggest borrow a print press from the Wolfman, but his is about to blow a gasket!!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 7:57AM

As usual you are completely wrong. Even though your goal is to be protective of Paul Ryan, who will never be president, I might add, you failed.
You can put Obamacare in the same boat with Social Security and Medicare.
Republicans have been attacking both for decades, with little success. It simply brands Republicans as heartless, gutless shills for the Corporate world that would prefer throwing Grandma over the cliff, and her whole family with her rather than cut into any Corporate profits.
The Healthcare industry and Big Insurance are rife with profit - ever seen the HQ of any of them? Hardly paupers.
While I believe in the Free Market, I don't for necessities, with healthcare being one of these necessities.
It should be high quality care, inexpensive and accessible to all. However that's done, I don't care. Other countries have done so, how stupid are WE, if we don't do something similar?

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 7:59AM

TROLL ALERT

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:27AM

COWARD ALERT

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 10:41AM

Attention Please: Watch how I ignore the troll. It is easy. It just takes a little self-control.

If you met Sasquatch in the woods, would you try to teach him Statistics and Quantitative Methods? I rest my case.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:30AM

COWARD ALERT... what's the matter? You can't use your infinite powers of intelligence to counter the simplest of arguments?
You runaway and hide behind "Troll" anytime it's uncomfortable for you to face the TRUTH?
Is your ideology, philosophy and conviction so weak it can 't stand up to my scrutiny? LMFAO ...

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:32PM

Well, at least you ADMIT that Yours, are the "Simplest of Arguments".

I couldn't agree more.

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 1:03PM

Talk about a simpleton, TLP, I have this child spitting venom, calling me vile names and making completely stupid statements. This is like taking candy from a baby.

This is the point I am making. Don't argue with trolls. You get it and more and more are, but if you argue with a moron, you are a moron also. But if you expose a moron, all the better. Look at the disgusting things this spoiled child wrote below. And anybody wishes to talk to him???

Unfortunately my wife is not home today to hear my belly laughs.

Moe Blotz| 3.22.13 @ 2:28PM

She (Purp) is quick to anger, isn't she?

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:40PM

You spelled "Poop" wrong.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:45PM

And, yet, you cower in the corner, behind your campaign against your Bogieman, the TROLL... LMFAO...
You are a COWARD with nothing to counter just a simple argument.... I thought you were edumacated?
Your entire site is filled with vile, venom spitting troglodytes, and yet, THAT is what you take issue with... Hit home did it...? LMFAO ...

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:42PM

And, yet the COWARDS cower behind "Troll" ... such simpletons.

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 8:28AM

Purpie/arnie the Village Idiot posted:

1. "Hurricane Sandy and Chris Christie was the Lord's way of pressing his thumb on the scale to tilt in the direction of President Obama. It was His punishment of Republicans for their lying and trying to cheat (Voter Suppression) their way to political victory, while espousing faith, freedom and constitutional credentials."

2. purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

3. In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

4. Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born.

5. purpie believes that a 20% cut in the tax rate will INCREASE his 0% rate to 8%.

6. purpie also posted one of the female bloggers here should just lay back and enjoy the rape.

He replies to women here as Honey, Dear, Skank, Bimbo. Part of the Dem attacks on conservative women

7. purpie is a racist who posted that "You can't even beat a black man....haha," implying blacks are inferior.

Purpie/arnie is a racist and misogynist.

Purp-arnie represents the Loon Left that should be mocked and ridiculed, and not engaged in debate

Stephie| 3.22.13 @ 8:47AM

"It should be high quality care, inexpensive and accessible to all. "

And then you woke up.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:35AM

Like the rest of the Industrial World... oh, wait WE are exceptional - Exceptionally stupid regarding healthcare.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:34PM

No "Exceptionally stupid" as to who/what we vote for, ie 11/4/08 and 11/6/12!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:45PM

Aren't you dead yet?

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 8:10PM

No but your brain is !!!!!!!!!

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:35PM

And, there's another one.

From now on, I'm gonna call you: Simplest Simon.

Okay?

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:46PM

Sure if I can call you Toilet Paper Tim ... it does kinda fit, dontcha think?

jothepro| 3.22.13 @ 8:59AM

While I believe in the Free Market, I don't for necessities, with healthcare being one of these necessities. WTF is a necessity you ass?

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 10:08AM

joethepro, Perp's necessities are his meds and butt plugs.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:56AM

You would know, VM, since you insert them and then lick them clean for me. I might have to ration your access though, you're enjoying the taste too much, pal (Personal A** Licker)

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 12:02PM

Purpie/arnie the Village Idiot posted:

2. purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

3. In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

4. Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born.

5. purpie believes that a 20% cut in the tax rate will INCREASE his 0% rate to 8%.

6. purpie also posted one of the female bloggers here should just lay back and enjoy the rape.

He replies to women here as Honey, Dear, Skank, Bimbo. Part of the Dem attacks on conservative women

7. purpie is a racist who posted that "You can't even beat a black man....haha," implying blacks are inferior.

Purpie/arnie is a racist and misogynist

Alan's Girl| 3.22.13 @ 1:48PM

YOU, Mr. Purplepants are disgusting.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:55AM

electricity, fuel, healthcare & medicine, milk, bread (not all food), money ... not that YOU need a thing, I know.
What's not a necessity? Everyone will have their own idea, now won't they?
But we all need the list above, period. Try living without any of them.

chuck| 3.22.13 @ 11:45AM

Lets add a home, a car, a job, an Obamaphone, all your utilities, gas for your car, maintenance for your car and home, insurance, cable TV, internet access, a computer........hell, lets just let the feds pay for everything, tax the hell out of the rich guy down the street, and in a few years we can have "utopia" just like the former USSR.

We can all hold hands and sing "Kumbaya"!

chuck| 3.22.13 @ 11:46AM

Oh yeah, purp, still claiming you got a PhD?

Dipshit.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:38PM

He does have a PhD.

He's a Doctor of Stupidology, like that other Doctor that talks nonsense on this site.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:48PM

Wow, what a zinger... i'm so hurt ... LOL

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 8:06PM

The only "Doctor" he ever encountered was a proctologist by the name of Barry!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:48PM

What's your point, lame a**?

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:47PM

Nope... I told you ... and you're too stupid to get it... so no more worries about your amazing powers of understanding.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 8:04PM

Well your welfare queens sure don't live without anything THANKS TO THE TAXPAYERS WHO PAY FOR SAME!!!!!!!!!!

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 10:46PM

the point is not "try living without them." it's "try getting them without a free market."

Goldwater Girl| 3.22.13 @ 9:12AM

Perp,
Having worked for a couple of the large national insurance companies, I can confirm that the HQ facilities are nice, but not near as nice as the WH or the Congress. At least the insurance companies paid for their buildings from their profits, unlike the Congress. They just steal the money from taxpayers. You are so blinded by your ideology.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:04AM

How can you steal something, when it is legal?
The Revolutionary War was fought so we could decide how and how much we tax OURSELVES... or did you miss that on Fixed News?
The fact you don't like paying taxes is immaterial. You probably won't like Death either, but you can't stop that either.
If anyone is stealing it's the rigged Insurance system that denied care when you actually got sick, wouldn't extend insurance to anyone who was considered a "pre-existing condition", and hiked premiums to pay for all their profits, including paying Lobbyists.
The Healthcare Industry pays more for Lobbying Congress than the Oil Companies do - who do you THINK pays for all of that? Wouldn't the money be better spent providing better healthcare?Buying off Congress was never what the Founders intended, did they? That harks back to the Mercantile System that Britain had when we revolted. British companies routinely paid off royalty and the nobility just as lobbyists to today - for the same commercial reasons.
And, THAT is definitely what the Founders revolted against! You can read about it in the history books, if you are so ignorant of this.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:32PM

Let your welfare queens go work for their own financial living, pay taxes, buy their own insurance and EARN THEIR WAY IN LIFE; INSTEAD OF RELYING ON STEALING VIA TAXIATION FROM CROOK/DEMOCRATS to provide same. Get your welfare queens to put a cork in it, and your government of Democrats to legislate forced birth control in order to futuristically prevent future queen from having to be supported by those who earned their wealth!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:38PM

Oh as to your "how can you steal something when it's legal" stupidity; suppose I have the political power to legislate that MURDER IS LEGAL. Does that make it morally right? What a dumbar$ you are!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:52PM

Hmmm, well killing in the name of pre-emptive WAR is still killing, made legal by the President Bush Baby and is Congressional minions...
Didn't matter whether it was morally right, which it wasn't. So put that in your sanctimonius a** and smoke it. As if Conservadums are soooo moral... puhlease.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 8:02PM

Was your favored Muslim Brotherhood BABIES so santimonous when they immorally beheaded and burned alive 3000 on 9/11/01? What about when they killed four in Benghazi on 9/11/12? What about Daniel Pearle beheading? Oh right it is all W's fault. JFC you're stupid!!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:49PM

Welfare Queens? Aren't you dead yet..? That argument died decades ago. it's so 1980's ...

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:58PM

"dead...1980's" ? Yeah, so did this country's economy. Fool until those welfare queens can be made to become productive citizens and not cradle-to-grave welfare recipients at taxpayers' expanse, this country is sinking lower and lower into the economic toilet bowl. The community organizing Democrats dispensers of welfare will destroy this nation as long as the stupids continue to vote them into office. "Pay a little bit more"? That is a finite term until all become recievers and there are no more payors!!!!!!!!!!

George S| 3.22.13 @ 1:07PM

Buying off the Congress is what happens when the Congress ignores the Constitution and writes regulations that favor some and harm others. That is one big reason why insurance premiums are what they are. Just compare the cost of premiums from non-profit and for-profit insurance companies. Not much of a difference.

Besides, if insurance companies are charging too much, then all you have to do is get a couple of friends together, sell your houses and everything you own, and then start an insurance company and charge less than everyone -- say $100 a year -- and cover everything and anybody with the best of medical care no matter what their condition and when they buy.

I guarantee you that when you open the doors someone will hand you a $100 for the first premium payment and then a day later hand you a bill for $75,000 for the first round of chemo. But since you and your friends sold your houses, that should be no problem. Right?

Funny how you want others to do what you won't. Or can't.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:53PM

What's your point? They are doing good work? Hahaha...

Goldwater Girl| 3.22.13 @ 2:23PM

I do consider the income tax theft, since I do not have a voice in determining the income tax rates. With regard to your complaints about rigged insurance companies, why can't we buy homeowner's insurance after the house is on fire? Or here's another one for you, if you can handle more than one thought at a time, history buff...... once you wreck your car, is it too late to buy coverage? Why do you think health insurance is so different? Insurance was designed to protect your assets from catastrophic risk. Insurance is not meant to cover oil changes and car washes. But now people expect health insurance to cover the equivalent, and then whine about why it costs so much.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:00PM

You're wrong... Your Founders gave you a voice... the fact your voice is drowned out by the majority that don't agree with you is your problem - but it's not theft. Never has been, never will be.
And, it's not tyranny because we all put them in office and we can kick them out.
No King was voted out.
No Dictator was voted out.
Comparing your body to a car is stupid. You are not born with a car. Or a house or any other material thing.
But to live in America today you need fuel, food, medicine, electricity. You don't need a car or video games.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:52PM

Yeah that "majority that doesn't agree with you" will reap their rewards when this country goes bankrupt from their collective voting STUPIDITY not once but twice. That Great Society, that Obamacare etc is the millstone around this country's collective necks; and the stupids [ie 'the majority"] of snotnosers who will not be ale to find decent jobs or who are straddled with a lifetime of paying off college loans while working at Mickey Ds have only themselves to blame. STUPID IS AS STUPID DOES [ie "the majority"]!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:22PM

Your and your president's desire for equalization of incomes is called socialism, communism, Marxism etc for a reason. I call it stealing! Those rich folks EARNED THEIR MONEY/INCOME through their hard work and education and your favored welfare queens and their Democrat protectors want to steal through political illegitimatacy the EARNED wealth of those "rich folks". When you dumbar$ Americans stupidly vote for these thieves/Democrats you continue the snollballing down hill of this nation's destruction!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:05PM

Nope .. never said incomes should be equal... but if you make more, you pay more - because you can more afford it.
From your point of view, no one should ever pay taxes, because it is all their own money.
But YOU are part of a collective, like it or not. It's called a town, a city, a county, a State, a Nation. Like it or not you will pay taxes.
And so are all rich and poor.
Hard work does not always lead to riches and that's why it's fair to ask those that have succeeded to pay a bit more.
Does the Church "steal" from it's patrons when it expects a tithe? Of course not.
Get your facts and history right and stop making s** up.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:45PM

No it is stealing period. Ya boy's asking RICH FOLKS TO PAY MORE instead of asking his welfare queen constituents to instead duct tape their legs together, to use the free public school educational system to its fullest advantage, to work hard and contribute tax-wise instead of requiring taxpayers to financially support them and their bastardized offsprings, to stop committing criminalities and to act like responsibile citizens, etc. That what this POTUS should be asking if he wasn't such a liar and a gold-digging community organizer with a stolen governmental creidt card!!!!!

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 10:47PM

Purp, the church can't send you to prison or take your life savings if you don't tithe.

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:16PM

Yes but a government can do so. Just ask the citizens/bank depositors of Cyprus!!!!!

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:39PM

Purp,

Re Ryan: I believe that Medicare is an immoral and impermissible (constitutionally speaking) program. Paul Ryan disagrees with me on both counts.

Think about the things that you don't consider necessities, and how well those markets generally work.

Then think about the things that so many do consider necessities, and which are therefore highly regulated by government. They include health care, health insurance, and banking. These things are inefficient, expensive, and have far lower customer satisfaction than those things which exist in freer markets.

Furthermore, the only reason the industries which provide necessities even exist is because there was originally a (mostly) free market for them to thrive in. If we had your views dominating for the past century, you would be without those things you consider necessary.

How many of the things which you consider necessary are you capable of providing for yourself? Of the things you can't provide, are you then suggesting that those who can provide them have an obligation to do so no matter what you can offer them in return? That is the essence of what opposing a free market means. We fought a civil war to end slavery but you and your ilk simply want to impose it again on those whose skills you need but can't create yourself.

Absolutely evil and disgusting.

Your statement is the PERFECT example of liberal economic idiocy and you really should be ashamed of yourself.

Go out and buy a copy of The Law by Bastiat.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:11PM

Economists call healthcare an inelastic good.
It is an economic term used to describe the situation in which the supply and demand for a good are unaffected when the price of that good or service changes.
When a price change has no effect on the supply and demand of a good or service, it is considered perfectly inelastic. An example of perfectly inelastic demand would be a life saving drug that people will pay any price to obtain. Even if the price of the drug were to increase dramatically, the quantity demanded would remain the same.
Anyone who profits off of that which we cannot live without is sick and deserving of harsh judgement.
You make broad statements as if you have the final word on the economic or philosophical argument - you don't.
What you do have is opinion and everyone's opinion is as valid as yours.
There is no imposition of slavery, nor any thought of anything like economic slavery from the Left.
If anything, it is the shills in the Republican Party that do the bidding of their Corporate Masters so they can feed at the trough of Corporate money that are trying to enslave us all.
If they complete their Corporate mission, they will OWN the government and you will have your fantasy fulfilled - by the Right, not the Left.
I suggest you read "The Creature from Jekyll Island" ...

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:12AM

Health care is nowhere near perfectly inelastic, and we're already seeing that with more people going to get "free" services, putting further pressure on an already overburdened system.

As for profiting off of that which we cannot live without, where do you think those things come from?

Who is going to invent the vaccine or figure out a way to create inhaled insulin without a profit motive?

Your thinking is backward: it is where we need things the most that you must support a free market.

You are a parasite, who can't make or do anything for yourself, so demand that government make slaves of those who can.

You are not our master.

Just try to get those things you can't live without, without a free market.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:23PM

Be careful.

If you get Banned, I'm not sure I can bail you out, this time.

AuH2O Girl| 3.23.13 @ 11:58AM

You confuse healthcare with health insurance purple boy. It's government meddling that has caused healthcare costs to rise. All the specialists lobby the state and fed govt to get their treatment covered without limit, regardless of the efficacy. Health insurance premiums rise because people expect the plans to offer low out of pocket costs, even though that is not sound underwriting. When people have no skin in the game, they don't care what something costs. We've seen the costs for non-covered services go down over the years, such as LASIK and cosmetic surgeries. You know why? Because people spend their own money, so they behave like consumers. They compare prices and quality. Imagine that? They also don't go chasing services that have minimal chances of success, if they share proportionately in the cost.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:25PM

Too bad there's no Contest this week.

I miss your Potty Mouth.

AuH2O Girl| 3.23.13 @ 6:48PM

Is it because I referred to skin?

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:13PM

I suggest that you educate yourself that a corporation is a legal entity composed of shareholders who own same and therefore have a right to the profits earned by same. If same produces a product, it has the legal right to charge any price that it wants to for same, and if same is exorbatently high, then the public will refuse to purchase same. The corporation OWNES the product that it produced, and the public does not have a RIGHT to same just because it exists [if you own a house and place a selling price of $1000000 on same when its market value is only $20000, then the government does not have a right to confiscate same and then sell it at $20000 or to give it away to those unable to buy it at $20000]. If the public does not have the $1000000 to buy it, then tough luck!!!!!!!!!!!

darcy| 3.22.13 @ 10:42PM

I have renewed respect for you, Ross. Whatever differences we have in the "social" realm, the views you stated here are unimpeachable.

Rhoetus| 3.23.13 @ 12:09PM

Ross! Bravo!

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:27PM

Don't encourage him.

And, you spelled "Rio Bravo" wrong.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 10:44PM

By the way, health insurance profits are not very high in terms of ROI, compared to many other industries.

AuH2O Girl| 3.24.13 @ 6:16PM

Agreed! You spelled Commiskey wrong

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:32PM

Ross: yes, thank you, and Medicare does underpay compared to BC/BS. Medicaid, of course, underpays off the chart. It is almost impossible to take Medicaid in a private practice because they are HIGH NEED and low pay.

Mike G| 3.22.13 @ 8:17AM

"Ryan lives in the real world and knows that major change must start somewhere. Show that baby steps are relatively painless; walk halfway to your goal, then pass legislation to walk half of what’s left, and keep doing that until we’re as close to the goal — whatever that specifically ends up being — as possible."

This is where Ryan is making his mistake. The Left does this, too. The difference is that the Left's proposals start at the extreme left of the spectrum, and takes baby steps back to the middle; when the negotiations are done, the final proposal is still left of moderate.
Ryan is starting with a moderate proposal. When the negotiations are done, we will end up with a proposal that is still left of moderate.
This is what the Right has been doing for years, and the reason we're in this predicament.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:32AM

There is nothing moderate about Ryan's bill. Why do we STILL need to give tax cuts to Billionaires and Millionaires? They already own 90% of the wealth in this country!
We would have no roads, bridges, schools, hospitals, parks, or anything else if they kept all that they make off the labor of everyone else.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:26PM

If you need roads etc, then GO WORK/EARN/PAY TAXES etc to obtain same. Don't steal from those who EARNED THEIR WEALTH. Your BS about them receiving tax favortism is ludicrous, since they pay the majority of all taxes that the government receives. Without those "rich folks" , this nation would resemble Cuba and your needed roads would be DIRT instead of interstate highways, fool and the vehicles on same would be carts pulled by donkeys!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:14PM

Your proceed from a false assumption that I do not.
You cannot steal that which is legally extracted. That is common sense.
Poor rich people,,, they are so abused and yet, they pay lower taxes now than during Eisenhower's time.
How do you reconcile that? They did fine then, are doing even better now... but the middle class isn't now - that is the difference.
Assuming you are middle class - why are you dumb?

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 11:59AM

I am middle class and I EARNED my financial security by working hard within my sixteen school years that allowed my successful lifetime of work at increasing salary increases and profitable investments of same. No, governmental taxiation has increased [on the "rich" ie income earners mostly] in order to fund the exponentially explosions of welfare queens and societal dumbar$e$ that historically producing children that they could not afford to personally care for [and therefore society and taxpayers were strapped with the financial obligations of same]. Instead of you liberal lying charletons [ie Democrats] demanding more and more income taxiation from taxpayers, why don't you instead demand that these welfare queens become responsible for their own life situations by doing as I and trillions of other taxpayers have done with our own lives [which would decrease the need for increased taxiation due to a lessing of the financial burden on taxpayers]??????

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:03PM

Oh and it is stealing since these lowlifes explodingly proding these children that they cannot afford to support then elect these charleton Democrats to office whose then pass legislation "legally extracting" the hard-earned incomes through taxiation to support these welfare queens and their multiple offsprings. Yeah, it's legal alright......LEGALIZED THEFT!!!!!

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:48PM

Where is your data on wealth ownership, Purp?

From 2010 data: The top 1% (by wealth), with mean household income about $1.3MM, own about 35% of the nation's wealth, slightly below the average (and well below the high) of the past 30 years.

It is true that the top 20% own about 90% of wealth, but you're then getting to households with incomes under $200K, hardly millionaires and billionaires.

It is not surprising that low income people don't have the ability to put together substantial savings.

What you miss is that it's the welfare state, including very high payroll taxes, which keeps poor people poor. Also because of the effective tax rate caused by over-generous welfare which creates disincentive to get a job.

http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/RL33433.pdf

Also, I remind you that the money earned by people belongs to the people, not to the government. The burden is on those who want higher taxes to explain why their theft is constitutionally or morally permissible. It's not about your "needing to give tax cuts" any more than it's about a mugger's "need" for your wallet.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:21PM

What you don't get is that poor people don't want to be poor. You assume they are not hard working Americans. They are hard working, but low income.

There is no theft - that is stupid talking point of the Right for maximum effect.
But it's wrong, it presumes that every bit of government is unnecessary and therefore need not be paid for collectively by all of us.
Let ME remind YOU that the government IS the people, at least in this country.
Which makes us the Exceptional Nation y'all crow about - but which I also agree with, though not for the same reasons you on the right have professed.
So, if the government IS us, and we pass laws to extract taxes from all of us, or at least those that can pay, it is not theft and never has been, since the taxes are instituted by the consent of the governed - in the collective majority.
Death is unpleasant, im sure, as you seem to think taxes are, but you cannot change either.
You really should be more concerned with helping decide how best to use the taxes for the country's welfare, not whether we are stealing from ourselves.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:15AM

What you don't get is that our government encourages poverty, or at least laziness.

What you also don't get is that there is rather high income mobility in this country, and many poor people do move out of poverty.

I never said or implied that every bit of gov't is unnecessary.

Government is NOT "us". Government is force, given limited powers by us for limited purposes.

People do not have the right to vote themselves into tyranny.

The "country's welfare" doesn't really exist beyond national security. Instead, what exists is the welfare of individuals and the people they care about.

And that is essentially none of the government's business. And definitely none of your business.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:17AM

Regarding your moronic parroting of leftist lies about the middle class:

http://online.wsj.com/article/.....61566.html

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:30PM

You realize that your trying to hold an Intelligent Conversation with a guy dressed up like Madonna in the 80's, right?

Cause, you are.

Connection Not Compromise| 3.22.13 @ 12:00PM

Once Liberals take on a new social agenda, they don't give up until that agenda becomes the new norm. Why can't we as Conservatives play that same game?

Instead of bantering about with "entitlement reform," let's start the conversation about dismantling Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society. Let's stick to our story that when you teach a man to fish you feed him for life. Let's go on the offense instead of always playing defense to ill-conceived government programs and departments that have now become as sacred as motherhood and apple pie.

Not too many years ago, even Democrats held to this position. In response to a bill that would have extended $10,000 in relief to Texas farmers devastated by a drought, Democrat President Grover Cleveland wrote, “The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow citizens in misfortune. This has been repeatedly and quite lately demonstrated. Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character, while it prevents the indulgence among our people of that kindly sentiment and conduct which strengthens the bonds of a common brotherhood.”

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:22PM

Ask the victims of Hurricane Sandy about that idea...

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:18AM

Why are Hurricane Sandy victims my problem if I don't want to donate to them?

Connection Not Compromise| 3.23.13 @ 1:57PM

Dear Purp,

It appears that you entirely missed the point of Grover Cleveland's quote, so I will take the liberty to state it again:

"The friendliness and charity of our countrymen can always be relied upon to relieve their fellow citizens in misfortune. ...Federal aid in such cases encourages the expectation of paternal care on the part of the Government and weakens the sturdiness of our national character...."

I am heartened by the concern you feel for the victims of Hurricane Sandy. As a free American, put your money where you mouth is, get out your check book, and write the most generous check you can to the Sandy Relief charity of your choice.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:36PM

During the last Blizzard, here in the Northeast, all of the rural streets in my Town were buried under almost 4 Ft. of Snow. The Plows could not get through, and all of us were Homebound.

On my street, one by one, everybody came out with their Snowblowers, Shovels, their Wives and their Kids, and we Dug Out the Street by ourselves.

We had access to the Main Roads, and the Stores and Gas Stations DAYS before the Snow Plows finally arrived.

That's the American Way.

That's what made this Country great.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:39PM

99% of those "victims of Hurricane Sandy" voted for ya boy POTUS......tell them to go ask HIM instead!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Moe Blotz| 3.24.13 @ 11:52AM

Here in New Juhsey, Sandy caused most of her damage on the barrier islands at the sea shore. The people who built on the barrier islands could not buy property damage insurance as cheaply from insurance companies underwriting for a profit as they could from the federal disaster insurance program. Guess who underwrites the latter. Building on a flood plain or barrier island gives you a house with a spectacular view, but your crib is subject to the whims of nature. The US Government should not be responsible for rebuilding houses and businesses that are built in dangerous locales. When I drive on interstate highways I do not expect the Feds to compensate me for any damage to my vehicle that may occur in foul weather or fair.

Nancy in NC| 3.22.13 @ 8:29AM

Thanks to a media that is in the obama tank, very little is said about the cuts to Medicare to help fund obamacare. The left is throwing granny over the cliff to pay for illegals and the lazy to get the best medical care while those who have worked and contributed to the system bite the bullet.

The troll who talks about the great medical care in Europe and Canada (and elsewhere) should go to Johns Hopkins sometime and check out all those people who go there for medical care and are paying out of their own pocket. But facts are not and have never been important to the left.

The middle class in much of the rest of the world lives like the poor in this country. Their governments have run out of other people's money. obama won't be happy until he has made most of us poor, except for the elite who still serve as useful idiots.

Stephie| 3.22.13 @ 8:51AM

And THAT Nancy, is his idea of "spreading the wealth around".
I have an idea, I wanna be rich like him and Bouncey and moochelle. Can we spread THAT wealth around?

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:35AM

That is not why the middle class is hurting in this country - it's the constant Republican and Conservadum pressure since the Reagan Era to give as much to the top as possible, and screw the rest.
And that includes you and your family, idiot.

And Ryan's budget does even more for the wealthy at the expense of everyone else.

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:42PM

No fool, the "top" are not GIVEN anything since they EARN IT. The only ones given something are welfare queens like yourself who are too stupid and lazy to earn their way in life and depend upon the sleezball Democrats to politically protect you via government welfare!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:23PM

You really are a 1-Trick pony, aren't you? I thought you died.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:14PM

99% of the bloggers here WISH THAT YOU WOULD DO SO [or at least go join your friends at HuffPo.com]!!!!!!!!!!!

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:15PM

Better to be "1" than a ZERO!!!!!!!!

Moe Blotz| 3.24.13 @ 12:00PM

Look how well the US economy was running when Mistuh Jimmuh was Presdet. The Cahtuh administration took over when unemployment was around 7%, inflation was low, and prime interest was 5%. The economy was growing between 35 and 5% per annum. Mistuh Jimmuh ran a tripple double: 10% unemployment, 15% interest, and 13% inflation. Gerald Ford made a speech during the 1980 presidential campaign were he said," We handed Jimmy Carter the country on a silver platter, and he blew it." We are now watching Carter redux and your sphincters will really pucker when the inflation hits.

Moe Blotz| 3.24.13 @ 12:01PM

3% and 5% per annum, shift dinna' work there.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:51PM

Every important tax policy change of the past generation has caused the tax system to become ever more "progressive" (which is to say ever more toward what Karl Marx wanted.)

The idea that these changes, including the Bush Tax cuts, have "given as much to the top as possible" is wrong not only for that reason but also because nothing is "given" to the rich (other than through crony relationships between gov't and business which everyone should oppose.)

It's just that from time to time, we get the citizenry to steal less from the rich.

By the way, what's the source of your claim that the middle class is hurting? You best be sure to include benefits calculations when saying such things.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:29PM

Well Ross, if we don't "steal" from the wealthy, who do you suspect will pay the bills for all that the government does that you actually want? If you're honest you will answer "Middle Class" and "Working Class" ...
Otherwise you'll have to retire Carrier Battlegroups and National Parks. And eliminate Social Security and Medicare entirely. Not too mention roads, bridges, airports, rail stations, garbage pickup, sanitation, clean air and water, medicine, all technology in the toilet.
Middle Class wages have been stagnant for decades, but the top 1% have increased their wealth 200%. CEO pay is a good example - 500x their employee pay, while in the rest of the world and how it was over 30 years ago here, 20-30x employee pay was sufficient.
Wanna live in a log cabin, do ya?

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:17AM

Yes, everybody should pay some tax, and everybody should pay the same rate.

Carrier battlegroups are a constitutional function of government, indeed a form of its highest function.

National Parks are neigher.

As for all the other stuff you mention, it's either not the proper province of the federal government or not the province of any government.

Why should we need government for trains or garbage pickup, for example?

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:38PM

Flat Tax of 17%.

Everybody pays.

No Deductions.

This is really not that Complicated.

Moe Blotz| 3.24.13 @ 12:12PM

I paid for those damned roads and bridges through highway use tax ($550.00 yr), tolls ($6,000.00 yr.), Fuel tax( $4,000.00 yr.), as did every other commercial vehicle operator. Some paid less, others paid more, but 400,000 of us paid to build the highways you citizens love to use. The FHWA and DOT have tried to discourage me from performing the work that I do through harassment and over regulation, but the rewards are too great to quit.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:36PM

Yeah your "middle class" income is stagnant because they are all STUPID! They poo-poo their way through public schools, allow themselves to be brainwashed by the propaganda of the Domestic Terrorism Party into voting for their candidates, lemmingly allow labor union thugs tell them who/what to vote for and or driving up wages so high that corporations are forced to offshore jobs to foreign countries, spend their time watching Oprah or DWS while the country is going to hell in a handbasket, and moan/groan about their incomes being stagnant. Keep on following the Trumpkas off of the cliff's edge and then go get a job as a Walmart greeter or Mickey Ds burger flipper for the rest of your miserable life!!!!!!!!

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:34PM

The Middle Class is HURTING this country?

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 9:28AM

Ryan posited some good ideas in his budget, now passed by the House. Rubio has some ideas in his approach to immigration and illegal migration. Cruz is courageous and speaks plainly. Paul, while libertarian, also proposes some thoughts and concepts worth having. No one of them has every answer to every problem not should we expect any one man to have them. Together these lights of the right along with their Conservative fellows hold the key to strengthening the Movement and to gaining control over the issues facing the nation today.

We harm ourselves and our cause when we, like The Left, seek a man on the white horse to solve all our problems and bring us a golden age. That road, and The Left is following it, leads to Ceasar and Bonaparte. We should not fall for the delusion and should not follow that path.

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 10:22AM

Al Adab
Cruz is impressive and not afraid to challenge the brain dead Dems like Feinstein. It should be a good primary in 2016 with Rubio, Ryan, Cruz, Kelly Ayotte, Rick Perry, and others such as Jindal and Pat Toomey. But, as you say, we cannot count on one person, we all have to get involved. Who would have thought that the two top contenders for the Rep nomination, Cruz and Rubio, would be sons of Cuban refugees from Fidel's worker paradise.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:35AM

LMFAO ... ROFL,,, oh stop...

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 11:59AM

Purpie/arnie the Village Idiot posted:

2. purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

3. In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

4. Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born.

5. purpie believes that a 20% cut in the tax rate will INCREASE his 0% rate to 8%.

6. purpie also posted one of the female bloggers here should just lay back and enjoy the rape.

He replies to women here as Honey, Dear, Skank, Bimbo. Part of the Dem attacks on conservative women

7. purpie is a racist who posted that "You can't even beat a black man....haha," implying blacks are inferior.

Purpie/arnie is a racist and misogynist

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 12:50PM

SNAFU BOHICA FUBAR...

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 11:18AM

Did he disappear?

Please tell me that he just disappeared.

R Martin| 3.22.13 @ 12:14PM

CJW, I would scratch Perry from that list. His cheap political charge of "vulture capitalism" against Romney in the debates is disqualifying. The Democrats latched onto his idea and demonized Romney with it. Furthermore, I don't think he comes close to the others on your list in terms of substance.

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 12:56PM

...and W, we need to stop eviscerating each other in the primaries. All that does is give the opposition ammunition for the general. They still love to quote "voodoo economics" and rogue capitalism or whatever. Our candidates need to see themselves as a team and act accordingly.

Imagine if Romney had been as aggressive against Obama as he was against his GOP collegues.

Derek Leaberry| 3.22.13 @ 9:29AM

Ross, why don't the Republicans ever present a budget as low as the last Bush budget, which in itself was a big-spending budget? Perhaps it is because most Republicans secretly support the Obama-Democrat 2009 pork barrel spending.

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:36AM

Bingo!

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:53PM

They should do that, though (sadly) it's politically very difficult since the appropriators hate big cuts (even Republican appropriators) and they have a lot of clout.

BShep| 3.22.13 @ 10:50AM

A Bi-Partisan Parable!

A man walks into the doctors’ office and complains of a headache.

The conservative doctor carefully examines him, sees no major problems and recommends two aspirins, bed rest and asks that the patient calls in the morning if the headache is not better.

The liberal doctor does not examine the patient but decides from glancing at him in the waiting room that he has cancer and that the patient’s arms and legs must be amputated and his head chopped off. The two doctors disagree.

The patients in the waiting room are informed by the receptionist of the disagreement. The receptionist reports that the conservative doctor is racist, homophobic and sexist who does not care about people with cancer and wants all of the patients to die horrible deaths. The patients in the waiting room call out for compromise and bi-partisanship.

The two doctors compromise and only cut off one arm, one leg and the patient’s head.

The patient dies.

Everyone in the waiting room is happy that a compromise was reached. They are assured by the receptionist that the liberal doctor meant well, is compassionate and that next time, if only the conservative doctor would let him, he would cut off both arms and both legs and the head thus saving the patient. In the meantime all of the rich patients are charged more for their treatment.

Is this what we want?

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:40AM

Your story proceeds from a false assumption ... that the only the conservative would give an examination.
In my experience, that would cost money... it is the Conservative that wouldn't examine the patient and still makes recommendations... because it's cheaper - nevertheless, he'll charge the same anyway for that "fee for service". Next.

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 12:00PM

Purpie/arnie the Village Idiot posted:

2. purpie believes God killed over 100 persons and destroyed millions of dollars of property to help Obama win.

3. In Sept Purpie wrote that Amassador Stevens was at fault and caused his death.

4. Purpie also wrote that the unborn are biological entities not deserving of protection until God allows them to be born.

5. purpie believes that a 20% cut in the tax rate will INCREASE his 0% rate to 8%.

6. purpie also posted one of the female bloggers here should just lay back and enjoy the rape.

He replies to women here as Honey, Dear, Skank, Bimbo. Part of the Dem attacks on conservative women

7. purpie is a racist who posted that "You can't even beat a black man....haha," implying blacks are inferior.

Purpie/arnie is a racist and misogynist

BShep| 3.22.13 @ 1:13PM

Straw man argue much?

Okay, then let's change the story to make you happy. Neither doctor examines the patient. At least there is some feedback in the conservative doctor's recommendation. The vast majority of the headaches will be "cured" by his initial recommendation and actually save the doctor, patient and system some money. The patients with serious medical problems will be treated on their second visit. everybody wins.

I must be doing something right when I get a reaction from Purp. Thanks!

BShep| 3.22.13 @ 1:15PM

BTW, Purp. You did miss the whole point of the parable.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 1:18PM

He IS a Parable.

He's the Parable of having One's Head Up Their @ss.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 1:52PM

A man walks into a doctor's office. There is no doctor.

ObamaCare 2018. Whaddya complaining about? Your visit is covered.

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 2:45PM

A man who can't obtain insurance walks into a doctor's office. There is a 'no' doctor.

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:46PM

A man walks into a Doctor's Office where the Doctor is paid Peanuts by Obamacare to see these Patients.

There is no Doctor.

They've all left their Practices.

Idiot.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:54PM

How about if you look at both cost and quality of the mostly unregulated areas of health care, such as cosmetic surgery and Lasik, as compared to the regulated parts? The free-market parts are better and cheaper and have much happier customers.

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 5:45PM

Oh here we go - wait long enough and we have the tired old elective Lasik meme. Sure enough, it's tired old Ross that does it. Ross - you badly need a very long vacation - better make it permanent.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 6:14PM

It is not tired, it is inconvenient. For it shows the folly that health care costs are driven by insurance company greed. Doesn't fit the liberal delusional narrative rooted in hatred, jealousy and fear.

Lasik: the free market in action. A service that is wanted instead of needed, is in high demand, is expensive to learn how to do. Yet teenagers can afford it. The free market showing how it's done -- taking a procedure that used to cost tens of thousands and making it affordable. No Medicare. No Insurance. Out of pocket only.

You see, when the consumers DIRECTLY PAY the prices ALWAYS COME DOWN. Economies of scale. A Wonderful Thing.

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 6:19PM

No George - Lasik is illegal until you are 18 and most surgeons won't do it until you're in your 20s. And in any case how many teenagers in the US can afford this out of their own pockets and not their parents?

The absurdity of the cosmetic argument of course is as you said - it's not a need. Try paying for a cancer drug and an oncologist out of pocket, why don't you.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 6:22PM

Who says I can't?

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 6:27PM

Let's say you've got advanced prostate cancer - can you afford a course of Dendreon at $90,000 for the drug alone? And if you can, can all your family and friends, and all the poor people downtown?

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:19AM

"Jack": So what?

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:28PM

Only 12 weeks of Herceptin was covered by PHARMAC for Breast Cancer, instead of the 52 weeks recommended, for Breast Cancer in NZ in 2007.

The UK has a worse CA rate survival than the USA does, Jack. As I said, I AM AN EXPERT on NHS systems---I worked as a Senior Medical Consultant in one for 14 months. Did you?

I will politely answer questions in my expert capacity. Ross, you may check my bonafides as to my MD on the Alabama and Minnesota Board of Medical Examiners site, as you have my real name. Without revealing my name, confirm it for these guys. As I haven't practiced in NZ for 5 years, I may not be on that site anymore.

Rhoetus| 3.23.13 @ 12:11PM

Jack London, your ideas are just as dead as the real Jack London.

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:21PM

Yeah that "fee for service" is paid for by taxpayers for their own 'service" and also that recieved by the constituents of the domestic terrorists aka Democrats [through Medicaid aka WELFARE HEALTH INSURANCE]!!!!!!!!!!!

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 2:44PM

“Our budget does promote repealing Obamacare and replacing it with a better system.”

Er no. The right had no 'system' before and would return to no system in the future if they could. That's what the 'free market's' ability to discriminate against people with health problems means.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:57PM

"No system" would be MUCH better than what we have now, at least to the extent that "system" requires government involvement.

Why should a system in which health care has ACTUAL costs to provide not "discriminate" against people with health problems?

If I am a habitual reckless driver whose fair cost to insure is $10K/year and you are a careful driver whose fair cost to insure is $2K/year, should we just make it $6K each so that they don't discriminate against me?

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 5:43PM

Ross - I know you'd throw the poor under a bus in a heartbeat, but most Americans aren't like that thankfully. You may also want to consider why our healthcare costs are around 18% of GDP.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 5:51PM

Hint: because Medicaid reimburses at 40 cents on the dollar and takes months to pay. So where do hospitals get the difference to keep the doors open? By gouging your insurance company for the difference.

Did that turn on a light?

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 5:53PM

So George - are you saying that if Medicare pays more healthcare costs will drop per % of GDP?

George S| 3.22.13 @ 6:04PM

Ugh! If the system was ideal and providers only billed what services they rendered and the government paid promptly, the private insurance claim payments will decrease. This will cause an increase in competition -- and lower premiums -- because it is tempting to pocket the money saved. And the free market abhors letting one supplier make easy money (which is why the mob kills competitors in trash hauling, and mozzarella sales to pizzerias).

Besides, it really takes a set to complain about health care costs when government consumes 40% of GDP and the debt almost 100% of it.

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 6:15PM

That's nonsense George. Medicare is already paying way over what it should in our corrupt fee per service system, and in uncontrolled drug costs.

Government spend as % of GDP is declining under Obama...

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:20AM

"Jack", I paid for private high school tuition for a poor Hispanic boy whom I never met. Liberals are famous for their lack of charity because they think it's government's job.

As for why health care is expensive, there are two main reasons: 1) New technology is expensive, and 2) our health insurance system is anti-competitive, and Obamacare is going to make it MUCH worse.

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:45PM

I disagree with your insinuation that Liberals don't give to Charity.

The Clinton's are famous for donating Bill's used underpants to the poor.

Lyneuss Fields | 3.23.13 @ 5:41PM

That's bunk wacko! All Liberal whores know Bubba doesn't wear underpants.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 4:00PM

Jack,

Do we have a or need a government system for the provision of food?

Don't supermarkets do a better job than hospitals and banks?

So what's your precious "system" actually doing for you?

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 5:40PM

Ross - the term 'food stamps' must have slipped your mind, as well as all the basic research we conduct in agriculture and animals; not to to mention safety standards.

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:21AM

I'm against all of that in terms of federal involvement.

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 5:55PM

Also - don't we subsidize farmers, Ross?

Ross Kaminsky| 3.23.13 @ 11:21AM

Yes, and it's one of the worst government policies I can think of.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 5:44PM

No, Jack. The free market does not discriminate against those with health problems. It discriminates against those who fail to plan their lives -- those who chose not to buy insurance and instead put the money elsewhere.

Government doesn't buy people a house or pays their rent. I'll leave it to you to figure out why.

Oh, can you tell me how college age girls afford breast implants when they are not covered by insurance? Or how teenagers without insurance are a big part of the lasik eye surgery business because of the social stigma of wearing glasses?

You see, where there is a will, there is a way to purchase surgery. That's the difference between the Republican and Obama plans -- Republicans want to emphasize the will. Because that's what makes medical procedures affordable.

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 5:48PM

"The free market does not discriminate against those with health problems."

And with that we have our biggest laugh to set us up for the weekend. Eat your heart out you regular comedians - there's a new star in town.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 5:58PM

Jack, do insurance companies discriminate against those who seek to purchase fire insurance after the fire? Or theft insurance after the robbery?

You bet they do.

It's called insurance; not welfare. Call ObamaCare for what it is and stop calling it "insurace" or "coverage" or "access" or "affordable".

It's socialized medicine -- welfare. Those who pay taxes get the same services as those who do not.

Welfare.

Talk about who "owns" the biggest share of the wealth... who do you think will "own" the biggest share of the health care pie?

(That's why there are death panels. Ya see? So the top one percent -- the sick and the elderly -- do not get ninety nine percent of the health care pie. The other 99 percent vote, too.)

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 6:04PM

Thank you George for confirming that you lied and that insurance companies do discriminate, such as against those who for no fault of their own develop an illness.

George S| 3.22.13 @ 6:20PM

Jack, would you be interested in selling your house and investing in my Fair & Wonderful Mutual Health Insurance company? I plan to offer full coverage for $25 dollars a month and will take all those who request a policy. But I need lots of money because for each $25 policy I sell we would have to pay tens of thousands in claims as the sick and elderly will flock to us because of the fair price of $25 a month.

Are you interested?

"We Do Not Discriminate!" Think of the business we will get. Whaddya say... you in?

Jack London| 3.22.13 @ 6:24PM

Silly George - you're just making the case for subsidized or national health insurance (eg Medicare). Well done. Either that or you want poor people to sell their kidneys or die in the street.

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:22PM

Jack: NHSes engage in HUGE Time rationing. As I have said, I will be happy to discuss the pwith you anytime you wish, based on my experiences in NZ working with British trained physicians in a Brit-style system. Ask away if you wish to know expert answers.

Connection Not Compromise| 3.22.13 @ 4:24PM

If we are obliged to take baby steps, then Paul Ryan's plan is preferable to nothing. And, what would make it even BETTER is if there were a strong Conservative narrative among GOP members of the House to go with it--

--The narrative that Lyndon B. Johnson's Great Society has failed.

--The message that welfare has destroyed individuals and families, confining them to dependency, poverty, and crime.

--The clarion call that the vicious cycle of government dependence has turned young black inner city boys who are were created in the image of God into addicts and murderers.

Even during Gingrich's welfare reform of the mid-1990's, we understood and clearly articulated this message.

When did the GOP lose this narrative? Perhaps with the advent of Compassionate Conservatism.

7-08| 3.22.13 @ 4:46PM

My mother is 93 she has a semi- annual checkup and blood work. There is an “office visit” charge with each bill we receive. Four years ago it was sixty five dollars, last year it was one hundred and fifty eight dollars, this time it was two hundred and fifty four dollars. Everything other than walking in the door was “extra” and her supplemental insurance is three hundred and seven dollars a month. That supplemental used to pay it all and now there are charges creeping in that are “not covered.”

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:33PM

Then you aren't taking care of Mom very well. Annual checkups are covered now for Seniors by Medicare.
Nothing to do with Supplemental Insurance. You are being rooked by your private insurer. Look elsewhere for coverage.
What are you doing?

darcy| 3.22.13 @ 11:01PM

All this nonsense would stop tomorrow if people were made to pay for their health care out-of-pocket. Set up a payment plan for extra-ordinary services; get charities involved in helping with dire situations, leukemia, ALS, and such. Health Insurance ONLY for catastrophic cases. NO Health insurance via employers -- a WWII-era initiative to bypass wage controls that has resulted in the expansion of the third-party payer system and its administrative costs and its state-by-state mandates that is driving costs up beyond reason. I ask you, a .5 cent aspirin costing you 5.00 if administered in the hospital? Patients won't complain since the costs are LAUNDERED through the insurance company. We're being ROBBED.

Get the damn government -- which in health care serves as a middle man to enrich its cronies -- out of it altogether. And watch the costs fall dramatically. Tort reform, of course. But following my suggestion would mean the end of the fleecing.

Oh, boo hoo.

Connection Not Compromise| 3.23.13 @ 1:20PM

I think you are onto something, Darcy. My elderly uncle was a physician in the era before Medicare/ Medicaid. During that time most people did not have health insurance. Being a physician was a humanitarian, not a lucrative profession. Patients paid physicians what they were able, sometimes in produce, eggs, or other bartered items.

With the advent of Medicare and its associated fee schedules, the game changed for everyone. Physician and hospital fees were no longer controlled by a free market system; instead prices were set by bureaucrats in Washington. This was the beginning of the fleecing.

darcy| 3.23.13 @ 4:16PM

What you describe about Medicare is true; I would argue, however, that it accelerated the fleecing that was initiated during WWII, the pervasive insurance industry that conditioned buyers of health care to accept a third-party in the transaction. Remember, too, that like Obamacare it was misrepresented to the people in order to slide it in under the radar, so to speak, a dead give-away that politicians were being bought by lobbyists and acting not in the best interests of their constituents.

America 3.0 will prohibit insurance except "major medical."

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 7:26PM

Speakin of being "rocked by an insurer", how about the taxpayers who get the financial prostate exam by having to pay for their own health insurance in addition to that of the indigents of the Domestic Terrorism Party by being forced to fund Medicaid]. Yeah, your word "covered" is a asinine term in that context, right???????????????

Code Talker| 3.23.13 @ 12:04AM

Ryan is a phony, lying, Christianist Ayn Randian. He keeps the taxes of "Obamacare" and takes away the benefits. Keep sniffing the glue, comrades.

Rhoetus| 3.23.13 @ 12:12PM

Rules for Conservatives @
http://www.saveamericanow.us.com

Lyneuss Fields | 3.23.13 @ 5:35PM

What someone needs to tell Mr. Paul “the curmudgeon ” Ryan is that his budget is acceptable to only a small majority of his district in Wisconsin and an equally small portion of you extremist boneheads. Now, Mr. Kaminsky needs to smell the coffee (and political reality). The Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare for all you other boneheads) is here to stay. Get used to it and move on before you destroy Republicanism even further with your useless, sniveling, nonsense drivel.
http://lyneussfields.blogspot......gious.html

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:20PM

Purp, I have actually BEEN a Senior Medical Consultant in an NHS. It stinks compared to the American system. (My experience was New Zealand, a first world country). My experience was October 2006-December 2007.

I am ready to entertain questions on the deficiencies. Feel free to ask them over a period of time. I will be polite in my answers if you do not insult me with the questions. Consider this a learning experience.
Few, indeed, are those who get to ask an actual expert on an issue questions on that issue. You surmise certain things about NHS systems. I, on the other hand, surmise and guess NOTHING.

Hint: TLP is correct. (As he usually is, G-d Bless Him.)
Jack grows tiring. $3 billion in military aid, most of which is spent stateside, is chickenfeed in our budget. And the Israelis more than return it in base access and human and computer intelligence.

Thanks for taking the old poor Jew out to lunch. I, too, work with poor folks 60 hours plus a week. I have been doing that since age 24 (third year medical school), and expect to do that until I retire at age 70. Keep up the self adoration, Jack.

Latest Headlines

Not Ready for Primetime Players

Daniel J. Flynn|110 comments

Assessing a Week of Scandal

Matt Purple|121 comments

Oops, Maybe Government is Tyrannical

Marta H. Mossburg|61 comments

Soros Funds Anti-‘Torture’ Report

Mark Tooley|105 comments

Treasure State Treasury

Bill Croke|3 comments

My Generation’s Disease

Benjamin Brophy|66 comments

The View From the Other Side

George H. Wittman|16 comments

USPS: Radical Surgery Needed

Peter Hannaford|19 comments

The Spectacle Blog

Elijah Harper, R.I.P.

Aaron Goldstein | 5.18.13

If Only the Tsar Knew!

F.H. Buckley | 5.18.13

Low-Level IRS Staffer: No, We Didn’t Mastermind This Entire Thing

Matt Purple | 5.17.13

UPDATED: IRS Acting Chief Apologizes, But Defends His Actions

Kaylin Bugos | 5.17.13

Voter Fraud Affected Election Results in Missouri

Kaylin Bugos | 5.17.13

Purple Privacy Push Persists in House Drone Hearing

Luca Gattoni-Celli | 5.17.13

IRS Director: ‘Some People Call Me Maurice’

Kyle Peterson | 5.17.13

Laughing to Keep From Crying

Ross Kaminsky | 5.17.13

FLASHBACK TO: 1995

Pope Culture

By George Sim Johnston

A man of faith in a godless age is hitting Americans where it hurts.
Why the GOP Does Not, Like, Totally Suck

By P.J. O'Rourke

Mr. and Mrs. American Spectator Reader, let P.J. O’Rourke talk sense to your kids.
Dames at Sea

By John Corry
In the Absence of Guns

By Mark Steyn

In Britain, defending your property can get you life.
The Metaphysical Martini

By Werner J. Dannhauser
Counting the Costs of Clintonism

By Robert H. Bork

The debacle of this president’s administration is both a cause and a symptom of the decline of American values. Unless Congress impeaches him, that decline will go on unchecked. An eminent jurist surveys the damage and assesses the chances for the recovery of our culture.
Chuck McHagel

By George Neumayr

It won’t take long for conservatives to scratch this presidential wannabe off their 2008 scorecard.
The Legacy of Old John and Mother Fresh-Roasted

By Douglas Bartholomew
It’s the Best Time of the Year

By Mark Steyn

The American Christmas, like the songs that celebrate it, makes room for everybody under the rainbow. Is that why so many people seem to be hostile to it?
The Bush Crack-Up

By Brit Hume

Was the President done in by the economy, or by the politics of the economy?

The American Spectator

Special Report

Right Is Wrong to Rip Ryan

About the Author

Letter to the Editor View all comments (218) | Leave a comment Leave a comment

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 6:31AM

Teflon93 | 3.22.13 @ 7:26AM

chuck| 3.22.13 @ 8:07AM

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 8:15AM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 11:32AM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:01PM

Moe Blotz| 3.22.13 @ 2:16PM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:27PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:36PM

aware| 3.23.13 @ 12:53PM

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:16PM

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:17PM

aware| 3.25.13 @ 5:50AM

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:40PM

aware| 3.25.13 @ 5:57AM

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 8:09AM

Goldwater Girl| 3.22.13 @ 9:14AM

Jack in Wi| 3.22.13 @ 9:56AM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:16PM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:07PM

Ross Kaminsky| 3.22.13 @ 3:28PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:37PM

Rhoetus| 3.22.13 @ 8:33PM

Oldefarte| 3.24.13 @ 12:29PM

TLP| 3.24.13 @ 4:29PM

Woodrow| 3.22.13 @ 12:45PM

Pseudo-Macarius| 3.23.13 @ 4:44AM

TLP| 3.23.13 @ 4:19PM

Rhoetus| 3.23.13 @ 12:04PM

gray man| 4.5.13 @ 12:52AM

aware| 3.22.13 @ 6:52AM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:10PM

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 7:24AM

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 9:35AM

Jacob McCandles| 3.22.13 @ 10:17AM

Jacob McCandles| 3.22.13 @ 11:45AM

Al Adab| 3.22.13 @ 12:16PM

Jacob McCandles| 3.22.13 @ 12:37PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:18PM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:29PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:38PM

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 10:13AM

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 10:37AM

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 10:54AM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:21PM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:31PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:38PM

Teflon93 | 3.22.13 @ 7:25AM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:23PM

AllAmericanAmerican| 3.22.13 @ 7:46AM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:29PM

AllAmericanAmerican| 3.22.13 @ 12:35PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 1:16PM

Occam's Tool| 3.24.13 @ 9:31PM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 2:34PM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 7:57AM

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 7:59AM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:27AM

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 10:41AM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 11:30AM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:32PM

Von Mises Jr| 3.22.13 @ 1:03PM

Moe Blotz| 3.22.13 @ 2:28PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 3:40PM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:45PM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:42PM

CJW| 3.22.13 @ 8:28AM

Stephie| 3.22.13 @ 8:47AM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 10:35AM

Oldefarte| 3.22.13 @ 12:34PM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:45PM

Oldefarte| 3.23.13 @ 8:10PM

TLP| 3.22.13 @ 12:35PM

Purp| 3.22.13 @ 9:46PM

jothepro| 3.22.13 @ 8:59AM