This does not make sense

I happened to hear HHS secretary Kathleen Sabelius discussing Obama’s federal health insurance option with Bret Baier on Fox News. Her mantra was that we need to bring competition into the health insurance industry to lower prices. They are obviously trying to make it seem like a reasonable idea, since they’ve chosen to use market-place competition as their primary selling point. Here’s how the plan will work: the federal government will open up a health insurance company run by public employees. The president said that this would enable them to run a cheaper operation, presumably because federal bureaucrats are such tireless and efficient workers. This will then force the private health insurance companies to streamline in order to compete. But this would not be fair, since the government insurance company would not need to make a profit in order to stay in business. In fact, if it were to run at a loss, the loss could be made up with tax money. So Mrs. Sabelius assured Bret that "the playing field will be level." But how would this happen? By the government increasing their prices? Wouldn’t this defeat the whole purpose of creating competition? Maybe by subsidizing the private companies. But how does this result in any actual decreases in health care costs. And the fact is, today there are hundreds of companies selling health insurance, so how is one more going to suddenly make the whole system more competitive? Frankly, this whole thing has to be a cover for something else because it makes no sense at all.

"It's a Cookbook!"

The phony promises of this cap'n crunch bill remind me of two themes from American entertainment. First, Charlton Heston's immortal cry, "Soylent Green. . . it's people!" Second, the classic Twilight Zone episode in which the Kanimids, giants from another world, arrive on earth and fix all of earth's problems with their advanced technology. They then begin offering tours of their planet to the grateful earthlings. After it's too late, the American cryptologist figures out that the mysterious Kanimid book, entitled "To Serve Man," is a cookbook. Hence, the immortal line, "Mr. Chambers! That book, 'To Serve Man': it's a cookbook!" It is, unfortunately, too late for Mr. Chambers, who is off to become some giant's meal. If this nonsense passes, we, too, will learn that "it's a cookbook!"

MIdnight Basketball Anyone?

The Harrisburg Patriot-News reports today that there have been 11 shootings in the city in the past 18 days. Some of these shootings have taken place in broad daylight. Not surprisingly, community members got together and had a “vigil.” What do they want? More police, and more programs for the children. I find it very hard to believe that there are no programs for the children. It’s not a question of programs. It’s a question of do you want to go to the gym or the pool, or do you want to drive around shooting people? Neither the government nor the police can raise your children. Until fathers stay with their children, and until parents condemn drug-dealing and gang-banging by their children, this will only get worse and worse.

My brother on NPR

Yesterday, NPR launched its full-throated campaign to get Obama's nationalized health care plan adopted. A huge percentage of it's two-hour show All Things Considered focused on the issue. My older brother Herb was featured as an example of a 61 year old man who had a heart attacked and no health insurance. Herb's heart attack was about a month ago. He was interviewed a few days later while still in the hospital. The interview was aired yesterday, by chance the very same day Obama was out introducing and defending his plan in a highly visible speech to a bunch of doctors. The collusion between the tax-payer supported NPR press and the Obama administration is obvious. I have long opposed giving tax money to NPR. Newt tried to cut it off once but capitulated to the pressure groups. It is now long over due to stop the public funding of this political arm of Globalist Liberalism.

Why did they fight at Normandy?

"It was the deep knowledge -- and pray God we have not lost it -- that there is a profound moral difference between the use of force for liberation and the use of force for conquest. You were here to liberate, not to conquer, and so you and those others did not doubt your cause. And you were right not to doubt." Ronald Reagan, D-Day speech at Pointe du Hoc, June 6, 1984

Mr. Obama, I'm sorry you feel the need to apologize for such American actions.

Give me the serious-minded

The Gainesville Sun reports (June 5, 2009): The president’s high standing with the German public adds to the strain in his relationship with Mrs. Merkel, local analysts say. “Obama is so popular with the German people that you have a lot of comments like, ‘Why don’t we have a German Obama?’ ” said Dietmar Herz, director of the Erfurt School of Public Policy. “Angela Merkel is seen as the exact opposite of a charismatic leader like Obama, and that is difficult to accept.” There is a sense in Germany, that the smooth Mr. Obama and the flashy President Nicolas Sarkozy of France have a better connection with each other than either does with the serious-minded Mrs. Merkel.

As for me, I'll take the serious-minded over the smooth and the flashy any day.