Obamacare in Meltdown

Who's to blame for Obamacare's woes?.

We are seeing the American people rising up to reject the bill, over the threat to Granny's medicare, over bureaucrats denying/rationing care, over the huge cost on top of our $2 trillion current deficit, over the Trojan Horse public option that will end up being single-payer, over taxpayer-funded abortions, etc. As a result, the Obama Team has gone into major spin mode, denying and calling 'myths' factual critiques of the bill. There is 'mininformation' misinformation.

Congress has gone into meltdown over it, from AWOL Congressmen and Reps 'phoning in' their townhalls to McCarthyite tactics. Democrats in townhalls are tacking right to escape voter wrath. America didn't sign up for socialized healthcare when they voted for Obama, and the angry townhall protests are making even the most dense of liberals realize this. For Congress, their Job One is re-election, and a public-option healthcare bill - which the left-liberal core Democrats demand - will be election suicide. This contradiction, and the fact that 2010 is looking like 1994 redux is creating the meltdown.

Sen Reid is willing to 'go nuclear' on this bill. If they do that, it will be a true electoral death-wish. Maybe he will rethink this after Congress gets back in session. If this bill was a genuinely good bill, the Republican minority in Congress would be irrelevent and it would find the needed support in the Democratic majority and with Republicans. But it is an ideologically driven left-wing Big Govt bill. So the right can credit Obama for their rebound. Obama's extremist agenda is the real driving force behind the Tea Party movement and townhall protests. As a result, we see new leaders emerging in the opposition to Obamacare, and Conservatives are finding their voice on healthcare reform.

The Team Obama log-rolling of intimidating corporations, enlisting/abusing organizations to sign up, etc., is backfiring. A case in point: AARP is losing membership due to their unwise support of ObamaCare. Trickery like phony doctors planted to support ObamaCare is getting exposed. Maybe the real problem is the top guy keeps contradicting himself.

It certainly was foolish to cost-bend Medicare to the point of stirring up the over 65 crowd. As one commenter put it: "They have however stepped in it, they took on Seniors. Many of them are well informed, well read, crusty and tough. The man who sleeps in the White House will lose this round."

Disorganized populist rage against the Obamacare bill is leading to tut-tutting over some of the expressions used. But it's a predictable double-standard: The Oba-media use a Larouchite's Obama=Hitler poster to tar Obama opponents (while failing to note her Larouche Democrat background), but where was the MSM the past 8 years on this point? MSNBC insinuates a gun-toting black Obama supporter is a white racist Obama opponent. Way back when, dissent was patriotic - now Democrats are accusing GOP Senators of 'treason' for dissenting on ObamaCare. Liberals are expressing their intolerance by demanding boycotts of Whole Foods stores because CEO McKay made a sensible alternative proposal to ObamaCare, and boycotting Glen Beck for exercising his first amendment rights in ways that might be over-the-top, but are less so than what you see and hear on MSNBC or Air America on a daily basis.

What gives?

The Obama Machine is sputtering. Many ugly details remain to be hashed out and negotiated, and fall season legislative slog to get this passed could get even worse for the Democrats. Corruption and self-dealing and union payoffs will get exposed. Intrade now has chance of Public Option bill near single digits percent probability. Co-ops? A mini-Trojan Horse to replace the Public Option Trojan Horse.

Sooner or later, in this representative democracy, the voice of the people will be heard. It's Obama's call on whether he listens now or has to be instructed in the next election.