Monday, September 21, 2009

It Depends On What Your Definition Of "Tax" Is...

In the continuation of my "Was He Lying Then, Or Is He Lying Now?" series, I have yet another video of "Then" and "Now." I promise I'll let go of this at some point soon, but there are just SO many things that keep coming up, especially in the Health Care arena, that I could go on for, well, years. A big H/t to HARP for this video:



Um, aren't these EXACTLY the same things OBAMA is planning on doing? Let's see - he attacked Hillary Clinton during the Primaries by claiming she would fine people who didn't have insurance. She never said that, but now Obama is. Obama claimed in the campaign that McCain was going to cut money from Medicare and tax people on their insurance, and now Obama is planning on doing both! WTF???

Oh, wait - Obama was emphatic with George Stephanopoulos that it is NOT a tax on insurance. Heck, no, no way, could this exchange make anyone think this is a tax:
OBAMA: What -- what -- if I -- if I say that right now your premiums are going to be going up by 5 or 8 or 10 percent next year and you say well, that's not a tax increase; but, on the other hand, if I say that I don't want to have to pay for you not carrying coverage even after I give you tax credits that make it affordable, then...

STEPHANOPOULOS: I -- I don't think I'm making it up. Merriam Webster's Dictionary: Tax -- "a charge, usually of money, imposed by authority on persons or property for public purposes."


You can watch the exchange here to get a fuller picture, and new definition:



No disrespect or anything, President Obama, but you make shit up all the time! Jeezum crow! And you're going to get all testy with George? I reckon you forgot that you are trying to WOO people over to your plan, not antagonize them. Oh, wait, I forgot - this is upside down world. A world in which people who have the audacity to actually question you are rude, but one in which you can flat out lie about people who disagree with you. I got it. New definition of rude - check!

Well, that was the whole tax issue. How about cutting Medicare? Uh huh:
STEPHANOPOULOS: Let's go to Medicare then...

OBAMA: Good.

STEPHANOPOULOS: ...because you also said that no one will lose what they have. And Senator Bill Nelson, a Democrat, says that the cuts you're looking at in Medi -- the Medicare Advantage program...

OBAMA: Right.

STEPHANOPOULOS: ...are going to force people to lose coverage they now have.

OBAMA: No. Here -- here's what's going to happen. These are essentially private HMOs who are getting, on average -- and this is not my estimate, this is Democrats and Republicans, experts have said -- they're getting, on average, about 14 percent more over payments, basically subsidies from taxpayers for a program that ordinary Medicare does just as good, if not better, at keeping people healthy.

Now, they package these things in ways that, in some cases, may make it more convenient for some consumers, but they're overcharging massively for it. There's no competitive bidding under the process.

And so what we've said is instead of spending $17 billion, $18 billion a year, $177 billion over 10 years on that, why wouldn’t we use that to close the donut hole so the people are actually getting better prescription drugs…

STEPHANOPOULOS: But Senator Nelson says it’s going to…

OBAMA: …Why don't we make sure that we're using some of that money to actually make people healthier?

STEPHANOPOULOS: But he said it's going to cause beneficiaries right now to lose what they have.

OBAMA: Look, I understand that change is hard. If what you're saying is that people who are currently signed up for Medicare advantage are going to have Medicare and the same level of benefits, but they may not be having their insurer get a 14 percent premium, that's absolutely true and will the insurers squawk? You bet.

STEPHANOPOULOS: They may drop the coverage.

OBAMA: No, these folks are going to be able to get Medicare that is just as good, provides the same benefits, but we're not subsidizing them for $18 billion a year.

STEPHANOPOULOS: So Senator Nelson, he wants to pass an amendment that shields anyone currently on Medicare advantage from any cuts. Do you support that?

OBAMA: George, I'm not going to be negotiating a particular provision of the bill, sitting (ph) down with you here right now. What I am going to say is this: the basic principle that is indisputable is that we are wasting hundreds of billions of dollars in Medicare that is not making people healthier. I want to make sure that we're using that money to actually make people healthier.

STEPHANOPOULOS: But if people lose their Medicare advantage?

OBAMA: What I have said is we're not going to take a dollar out of the Medicare trust fund. We're going to make sure that benefits are just as strong if not stronger. We're not going to subsidize insurance companies in ways that end up creating a situation that Medicare is actually weaker and has a less financial foundation, because right now, we've got eight years from now potentially Medicare going into the red.

If you get a chance, go watch the video. It seems to me that Obama gets JUST a tad testy...

And here's a little bit of advice for President Obama, if it looks like a duck, and walks like a duck, it's a safe bet that it's a duck. Or in your case, a tax. Or a cut in services. Or a lie. They seem to be interchangeable...Some of us are actually able to tell the difference. But thanks for playing.

2 comments:

Mary Ellen said...

That man has no clue of what "truth" is. He does nothing but tap dance around every question, blather on and on...interrupt those questioning him, and in the end, he lies through his shiny white teeth (and no, that statement is not racist!)

Did you also notice in the video that he started to say that while out "campaigning"...then changed it. He still thinks he's on the campaign trail where he can lie and promise everyone a unicorn or a sparkly pony, and once he gets what he wants (in this case, a health care bill with his name on it so he can call himself the victor), everyone will then see what a snake oil salesman he is.

No to mention, this bill won't even go into effect until AFTER the next Presidential election. That way he campaign on it when he runs again and say that one of his "successes" during his first term was the passage of "a" health care bill.

Rabble Rouser Reverend Amy said...

Well, you have certainly hit the nail on the head, ME. And if he continues to show his face on tv constantly, it does nothing but exposed him for the snake oil salesman he is.

And that's why he gets so cranky when people like George have the AUDACITY to actually expect some kind of logical response from him.

I STILL cannot believe his minions think he is SO eloquent. Without TOTUS, he's little better than BIden - and now I see why he PICKED Biden. They both say whatever they think will get them points, or point the finger elsewhere. It doesn't have to be based in any kind of truth whatsoever.

Oh, dear goddess - even more campaigning from him?? Blech...

Btw, how is it he doesn't even know what is in that Stimulus Bill he shoved down our throats? If that had been Bush, we would have alternated between mocking him for being such an intellectual lightweight that he couldn't even read the damn bill, and castigating him for the major giveaways - with out money - to his friends.

Hope you had a good weekend, though sorry abt Fri. night's game (we had our own debacle with Rivera giving up a walk off 2 run homer - to a man who had already had 4 hits. First base was open, and they let Suzuki hit. Whaaaa?).