Is David Firestone an imbecile or just dishonest? I’d say dishonest for sure and perhaps too stupid to know that the heaviest use of emergency room care for non-emergent reasons is done not by the uninsured but by Medicaid beneficiaries. Fact, Period. Any one in health care administration knows this fact. Medicaid overuse of emergency departments at hospitals is the reason for the high cost of ED health care. Adding more pple to Medicaid, as Obama wants, is only going to make health care MORE expensive!

Remember Bill Clinton--a centrist sort of guy when prodded by Newt. Well Clinton's budget director, Alice Rivlin advocated for Medicaid to be revamped into a block grant program with fixed annaual fed $$ to the states so states could find the best fit for that state and get the best bang for their bucks. Looney Socialist B. Hussein Obama sneers at anyone who suggests a block grant program for Medicaid despite recent evidence that such a program works, works to the tune of saving one state $1,000,000,000. That's rigth a billion bad boys saved.

"Nearly two-thirds of Americans say the health care overhaul signed into law last week costs too much and expands the government's role in health care too far, a USA TODAY/Gallup Poll finds, underscoring an uphill selling job ahead for President Obama and congressional Democrats.

Obama's approval rating was 47%-50% — the first time his disapproval rating has hit 50%."~USA Today

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/2010-03-29-health-poll_N.htm
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It takes pure gall for the NYTimes to write that "Government should rule with the consent of the governed"....
one day after Obama ignored the will of the people and shoved his toxic version of health care reform down the throats of an unwilling public. (polls consistently showed the public solidly opposed to ObamaCare.)

I am no history expert, but a quick review tells me that nations where a firm Democracy takes hold—e.g., one is which women are enfranchised and hold office—is a nation far less likely to be malignant. I tend to take the long view. And while everyone stands with the crowd in saying what a horrible decade this has been, I am inclined to see silver linings. Especially as in the case of Iraq. We went for oil. True. Would I have done so? Probably not. But, a world where democracy takes a firm hold in a manageable fashion in Muslim Middle East--well, I see the glass half full.

Last night, SNL did a mocking comedy of the fragile U.S. economy and Obama's hapless, meatless rejoinders--"You'll get your money"--to a restive China. The sketch showed clearly that Mr. Obama spends without any realism of/for cost, other than to assure that at some unknown future point, a Daddy will come to the rescue-- perhaps the U.S. government WILL win the lotto's Sweet Billion!

That in mind, Mr. Holtz-Eakin, former director of the Congressional Budget Office, penned an Op-Ed I think we should all take into account.

Update on Health Care Retrograde Reform for women:
From the Center for Reproductive Rights:

“The Senate Finance Committee took a critical step forward today in holding the line on the current compromise on abortion coverage in the healthcare reform bill. We expect that when health legislation finally hits the floor, the full Senate will similarly refrain from playing political games with women’s health.

Various things to consider:
Obama is heavy into amateur hour at the White House. Even embattled Charles Rangel felt the need to tell Obama to keep his clumsy Chicago Boss style of politics out of New York.
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Here is a nice piece on Obama’s wild misrepresentations to the public when it comes to health care.