What was the President’s bold plan for warding off the fiscal tidal wave? Spend more:

That’s right: the solution to runaway costs is a $635 billion subsidy of the health care industry, paid in part by a “modest” $300 billion increase in income taxes! Apparently bored of his old job as car-dealer-in-chief, the President has decided to try his hand as a huckstering insurance salesman.

 

Here are the facts. In his stimulus plan, Obama authorized an $89 billion increase in “temporary” Medicaid spending, $24.7 billion in health subsidies via COBRA, and $19 billion for dubious health information technology expenditures. He also signed into law an expansion of SCHIP, for a CBO-estimated 10 year cost of $65.4 billion. If health care costs are spiraling out of control, the President is part of the problem, not part of the solution.

 

If you want more of something, subsidize it. If you want less of something, tax it. Obama’s plan to provide an “affordable” (read: subsidized) public insurance option is guaranteed to increase health care spending. His plan to tax the wealthy is just as sure to discourage entrepreneurship and prolong the recession.

 

For a realistic plan that would control exploding costs without damaging the economy, see this proposal by Ryan Ellis, Tax Policy Director for ATR.

Its quite an amazing tactic of Mr. Axelrod. Goes like this. If Obama is on the record providing support for BOTH (or multiple) sides of the issue, the right will have "SOMETHING" to attack, the Left will have something to defend. And while both battle it out tirelessly, well can give SPEECHES reciting platitudes to packed houses with the message of the day. Eventually, everyone gets tired of arguing, the media stops paying attention, and we can go along with our radical statist agenda as planned. Sound about right?
>> Media Splatters Tuesday, June 16, 2009 6:18 PM

"Car-Dealer-in-Chief" I like it. Quick, which are the four most hated professions in America? Lawyers, Politicians, Used Car Salesmen, and Insurance Salesmen, probably top that list. Politicians have mostly been lawyers for a long time, but now they get to be used car salesmen and soon will be health insurance salesmen as well. Who said the government isn't efficient? Now it is one stop shopping for despicable human beings (and I use the term "human beings" loosely). Btw, if you want more of something you don't subsidize it, you liberate it. If you want to control it you subsidize it and if you want to kill it you tax it.
>> TCH Wednesday, June 17, 2009 12:48 PM

PS. No offense to any good lawyers, used car salesmen, or insurance salesmen out there, I know you aren't all bad, but come on, you know you didn't get into that field to make friends and you know the reputation your profession has. To any politicians, however, complete offense, those other professions at least contribute something of value to society.
>> TCH Wednesday, June 17, 2009 12:57 PM