Fascinating discussions dominated the Sunday news programs today.  Cici Connely (Wash Post), Joe Klein (Time), Howard Fineman (Newsweek) and Helene Cooper (New York Times) all agreed: the reason Obama’s poll numbers have fallen is simple – RACISM.

That’s right, it was unanimous.  Since the economy is showing signs of recovery, the rise in unemployment is slowing and the auto worker’s nirvana has been rescued, what other reason could there be?  You can watch it for yourself here (1), but you’d better have anti-emetics handy, because you’re going to need them.  Of course this view is supported by Maureen Dowd who wrote in the New York Times on Sat.9/12, ” Joe Wilson yelled “You lie!” at a president who didn’t. But, fair or not, what I heard was an unspoken word in the air: You lie, boy! “. You can view Ms. Dowd’s article in all its’ venomous glory here.

So what is going on?  Apparently one  can no longer oppose a Politician and their legislative priority without being labeled a racist!  Have the MSM and the “group think” view sunk so low that they cannot comprehend a principled opposition to the government take over of 1/7th the US economy and an area of vital interest to every American?  I suppose advocacy for Cap and Trade and Card Check will follow the same pattern.  Dissent = Racism!  Well, here at TBM we are not biting.

I would suggest that a principled opponent could find concern in the following list of facts:

1. Despite President Obama’s claims not to “add a dime to the deficit” either now or in the future, ALL existing variants of HCR legislation violate this promise.  Adding between $600 Billion and $1.2 Trillion over the next decade none of the bills before Congress are even close to deficit neutral; this despite the fact that they pay for 7 years of the benefit with 10 years of taxation.  Over the subsequent decade the numbers grow far worse.
2. Despite promises that “you can keep your current plan and doctor if you like them”, it is impossible for President Obama to keep this commitment either.  At ~75% of private insurance rates for the average physician, down to 33% for Anesthesiology, Medicare under reimburses physicians and hospitals alike.  Participation is not mandatory, so as these discounts are further stretched, many physicians will leave the program.  It is already happening here in Santa Barbara.  Further, and as previously discussed in The Death of Private Insurance, it is a rare circumstance in which employees exert decisive influence over their corporate health insurance options.  Stated simply, if the 8% tax penalty is less than the cost of providing coverage, one can expect a great many businesses to terminate their private plans, forcing millions into the National Exchange and the pending Public Option.  According to the Lewin Group nearly 70% of employees will suffer this fate.  Would not this alone suffice as a reason to oppose Obamacare?
3. While the President promises not to “pull the plug on Grandma”, he simultaneously promises to squeeze waste and inefficiency from the health care world.  With a panel of experts to determine what is and is not covered, these bureaucrats will not need to pull the plug; they’ll force physicians to do it for them.  Again speaking in clear and unambiguous terms; if it isn’t covered it isn’t offered.  This experience has been born out in Canada and the UK, France and Germany.  One of the reasons the Cancer survival rates are so much lower in these systems is that new but costly options are never even discussed with the patients .  Have a Her2nu (+) Breast CA?  Well, Herceptin just doesn’t make the NICE panel cut in England, so not only will you not receive it, but if you purchase it with your own resources, you lose overall coverage through the NHS.  No, brown shirted AmeriCorps thugs won’t pull the plug, but care will be “managed” nonetheless.
4. Abortion is another hot button issue.  While the Hyde Amendment remains in effect, is there any honest broker who foresees a national public option plan lacking reproductive services?  How long will it be before Sonia Sotomayor deems such limitation unconstitutional?  Bait and switch anyone?
5. “14,000 Americans lose their coverage every day” the President said, yet according to the census bureau 600,000 Americans lost coverage last year, in the middle of one of the deepest recessions in history.  That is because for the 14,000 who lost coverage, 12,400 Americans gained coverage simultaneously.  Perhaps if we were not being constantly mislead with statistics the populace have less doubt overall in this President and his plans.  And on the same topic, I would note that suddenly, after 8 months of saying 47,000,000 were uninsured Obama used the new 30,000,000 during Wednesday’s speech.  Quite a large improvement it would seem, or perhaps it’s just that now he has chosen NOT to include illegal immigrants in the calculation.  Lies, damned lies and statistics indeed.
6. President Obama stated unambiguously “There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally”, while independent analysis and prior posts here on TBM show this to be untrue.   Though Rasmussen finds 83% of Americans feel proof of citizenship should be required to get government funded health aide, none of the existing bills require documentation.  Would this represent a valid reason for dissent Mr. Klein?

This list is not meant to be exhaustive, merely illustrative.  It is clear to those engaged in the process that many scrupulous objections exist regarding HCR.  Perhaps if Politicians, our President included, would be more honest in their appraisal of current efforts, such distrust would not exist.

In 1965 then President Johnson made similarly inaccurate predictions relating to the Medicare program.   Stating that by 1990 Medicare would cost a total of $12 billion dollars, Johnson sought to reassure a restive public.  The actual costs: $107 billion.  Time and again our government has mislead us about the true costs and nature of entitlement spending.  The text of the Medicare act reads “Nothing in this title shall be construed to authorize any federal officer or employee to exercise any supervision or control over the practice of medicine, or the manner in which medical services are provided, or over the selection, tenure, or compensation of any officer, or employee, or any institution, agency or person providing health care services.” Go ahead, ask any physician you know whether this promise has been kept.  Perhaps it is not the uninvolved and ignorant who are losing faith in this President, but those who are listening closely.

Or maybe we’re all just narrow minded racists horrified at the thought of a Black President.  When DID you stop beating your husband Ms. Dowd?

Post script note 9/16- So now Nancy Pelosi has gotten into the mix with an impressive performance of Crocodile Tears lamenting that racial hatred could lead to violence.  If you’ve got a very strong stomach you can see it HERE.

1.  Skip to 6:35 remaining for direct access to the comments