Line in the Sand

"It's 106 miles to Chicago, we got a full tank of gas, half a pack of cigarettes, it's dark, and we're wearing sunglasses."

Just like Jake and Ellwood, except there is nothing funny about this.

Obamaman has drawn a line in the sand and challenged the Senate to come up with something, anything, by this weekend.

The topic?

The health care crisis of course.

The virtual deadline underscored Obama's determination to push legislation through both houses of Congress before lawmakers go home for their August summer break.

"Don't bet against us. We are going to make this thing happen," the president told reporters earlier Monday, fresh from an overseas trip during which the momentum behind his health care agenda slipped.

Congress has already spent $1 trillion more than they will take in via taxes, but why should that stop them? Put anything together just to get it out the door before the artificial deadline.

Mr. Fixit is at it again.

Scott Mulhauser, a spokesman for Baucus, said the senior Democrat has stressed that his committee will be ready when it has completed a proposal "that can ensure quality, affordable care for every American, lower costs _ and pass the Senate."

For his next trick, Obamaman will walk on water and feed 45,000,000 hungry souls from a picnic basket.

Majority House Democrats expect to introduce legislation Tuesday that would prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage or charging higher premiums on the basis of pre-existing medical conditions.

As we have discussed before, this is not a problem. Double the premiums to cover the additional risk and it is a done deal.

Of course that moves the goal posts on affordability . . .

The measure would spend billions of dollars subsidizing lower-income individuals and families who cannot afford coverage in an attempt to cut dramatically into the ranks of the uninsured.

Expand Medicaid eligibility to 200% of the FPL and you clear two thirds off the roles of the uninsured.

Its total price tag remains unknown,

Only in Washington does thinking like this come in to play.

Did I say thinking?

but to comply with another presidential priority, it would rely on cuts in Medicare and Medicaid to begin slowing the rate of growth in health care spending overall.

So their solution is . . . to cut spending on M/M.

The result is predictable, unless you work inside the beltway.

Fewer medical providers willing to participate, less accessibility, more out of pocket for M/M beneficiaries.

That is a tax increase on the middle and lower class no matter how you choose to spin it.

The measure is expected to impose a fee on large companies that fail to offer insurance, and individuals also would have to pay a penalty if they refused to purchase affordable insurance.

Ah yes. Pay or play.

Companies who are assessed the fee will pass it on in the form of higher prices for their goods and services. These higher prices will ultimately be paid for by consumers, the bulk of whom are middle class and lower.

And the penalty to consumers is . . . another tax on those earning less than $250,000. So much for campaign pledges.

Define "affordable".

Especially after ratcheting up the price to cover pre-existing conditions.

This is like taking a company that earned a profit on large, gas-guzzling cars, trucks and SUV's. Putting them through bankruptcy, and then telling them to earn a profit by selling small cars that are not profitable.

GM will be in trouble inside of 3 years under this new game plan.

A new income tax on the wealthy, estimated to raise more than $500 billion over the next decade, would help pay for the bill.

But the wealthy always have ways to legally avoid paying taxes. Don't those folks in Washington study history?

In the Finance Committee some highly controversial issues remain unresolved, including how to pay for the bill and a Democratic demand for the government to sell insurance in competition with private industry

The government selling insurance.

Will it be like the Post Office? Take a number, get in line. Or will they dispense policy's from an ATM?

This is both hilarious and frightening.