Tabitha sits down with Brian Johnson of Americans for Tax Reform in the first half and is later joined by Dr. Melissa Clouthier and Ed Morrissey to discuss the State of the Union speech.
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Tabitha also blogs at her website tabithahale.com and also can be found at smartgirlpolitics.org
Posted in Raisin' Hale
Tagged Ed Morrissey, Melissa Clouthier, Raisin' Hale, Tabitha Hale, Take That!! Radio
From Reuters:
NEW YORK (Reuters) – The Connecticut attorney general is seeking information about what the state’s five largest health insurers may have sent policyholders over legislation that would reform the Medicare program for the elderly.
The information requests announced on Friday follow a U.S. government probe announced last month into a letter sent from Humana Inc (HUM.N) to its Medicare members that caused a stir on Capitol Hill.
Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal wants information from Aetna Inc (AET.N), UnitedHealth Group Inc (UNH.N), Health Net (HNT.N), WellPoint Inc’s (WLP.N) Anthem Health Plans unit and ConnectiCare Inc.
Let me summarize: The Attorney General of Connecticut was irritated that Humana had the audacity to inform its members of relevant legislative changes, and wants to ensure that the other insurance companies are staying in line.
To quote the President – let’s be clear about this… it’s purely a way for the state to monitor private industry. It’s part of the game. They’re finding ways to demonize the companies and shut them down. It’s a way to limit your options, Connecticut.
Eliminating options seems to be a pattern. There is a HuffPo piece (yes, click at your own risk) that refers to the battle between public and private insurers “political extortion”. Seriously?
The fiscal truth of the matter is Medicare cannot afford to continue to give away $169 billion dollars of taxpayer funds to America’s insurance industry. The industry is quick to highlight extra benefits provided to MA beneficiaries (such as eyeglasses, dental coverage, and gym memberships) but why shouldn’t these benefits be provided to all seniors, not just those in private plans?
First of all, this begs the obvious: we can’t afford to subsidize… but we can afford to provide a public option that gives everyone those benefits? Um…
Second – it shouldn’t be provided to all seniors because some people pay more. All health care is not created equal. Medicare Advantage is a higher level of care. If seniors want to pay more and have more benefits, they should have that choice.
Ed Morrissey asks:
Do you recall the many occasions when Barack Obama said, “If you like your current plan, you can keep it”? Why doesn’t that apply to Medicare Advantage consumers?
Because it’s not true, Ed. That’s why. It’s another step in systematically eliminating options. Everyone gets care… the same sub-par care. Even when they’re willing to pay for better.
Awesome.
So the Olympics won’t be in Chicago. Excuse me while I recover from my heartbreak.
Here’s the thing: our mission is not to bring down Obama. Our mission is to support free markets, personal liberty, and accountability. This movement isn’t about Barack Obama the man. This is about what he stands for, which is big government, higher taxes, and less personal responsibility. We can’t look at one specific incident and rejoice that the world has “seen the light”.
No matter how much fun it may be… because it is fun.
The bigger issue here is what it could mean in terms of our place in the rest of the world. His Presidency was touted as a new era in foreign policy. We saw images of people rejoicing around the world when he was elected and subsequently inaugurated. He was supposed to be the new face of the United States, and win back all the enemies that Bush made. He’s not doing that.
He was the first President to ever go make a plea of this kind regarding the Olympics. In my opinion, it was inappropriate, but whatever, I could have overlooked it. As Ed Morrissey said earlier today, it was surprising that he even went without having it locked down. It seems he was setting himself up. Which doesn’t make sense, until you look at it this way: Losing the Olympics was good for Obama.
The ever brilliant Melissa Clouthier hypothesized in an earlier conversation that it was a win-win situation. Obviously, if it went to Chicago, all of his cronies win. The US gets the Olympics. Everyone’s happy.
However, even if he lost, Obama’s goal has never been to strengthen our country’s place in the world. America is no better than anyone else. Now that we’ve lost the event, he can save face and have us not look like the imperialist, self important bastards he thinks we are.
Smooth.
Posted in Corruption, General Controversy, Obama, Politics
Tagged Chicago, Ed Morrissey, Melissa Clouthier, Obama, Olympics
