Obama Lies In Most Recent Speech

Received the following in an email from a friend and thought it was well worth posting. He makes some great points and good analysis. I have absolutely no idea how in the world he managed to sit through an entire Obama speech without becoming physically ill (personally, just hearing Obama's voice makes my skin crawl) but I am glad there are people who still have it in them to sacrifice one for the team. The following is all his commentary:

In case you didn't get a chance to see Obama's speech, available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-to-a-Joint-Session-of-Congress-on-Health-Care/, here are the lies I noticed in Obama's speech. Obama said at the end of his speech that "If you misrepresent what's in this plan, we will call you out." It is Obama who is misrepresenting what is actually in the bill, but unfortunately if you try to call him out on it, you are a "partisan." So, in the name of partisanship, here you go. Let me know if I missed anything:

Obama doesn't lie?

1) "But thanks to the bold and decisive action we've taken since January, I can stand here with confidence and say that we have pulled this economy back from the brink."

The only bold action that was taken was a stimulus package, most of which has not been spent. http://www.propublica.org/ion/stimulus/item/just-12-percent-of-stimulus-money-has-been-spent-805. How can money that hasn't been spent stimulate anything?

2) "Instead of honest debate, we've seen scare tactics."

And the Obamacare initiative itself isn't one big scare tactic?

3) "And it will slow the growth of health care costs for our families, our businesses, and our government."

The lowest estimate is that the legislation will cost $1 trillion over 10 years. Who is going to pay for that? http://www.smartmoney.com/personal-finance/health-care/the-real-cost-of-health-care-reform/

3a) "Under this plan, it will be against the law for insurance companies to deny you coverage because of a preexisting condition."

This statement is not a lie, but it proves that lie (3) can't be true. Health insurance that must cover preexisting conditions is no longer insurance. Insurance covers risks, not existing loss.

4) "If there are affordable options and people still don't sign up for health insurance, it means we pay for these people's expensive emergency room visits."

Wait a second, I thought that people who didn't have coverage were allowed to die by heartless doctors. Either uninsured are all dying and it doesn't cost the rest of us anything, or they are being taken care of. Which is it?

5) "Now, such a charge [that bureacrats will kill off seniors] would be laughable if it weren't so cynical and irresponsible. It is a lie, plain and simple."

Actually, isn't that how we are going to save all this money? - through "Cost effectiveness analysis." Either we are going to refuse certain types of care under the guise of "cost effectiveness" or Obama's claim of savings is false. They can't both be true.

6) "There are also those who claim that our reform efforts would insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false."

There is nothing in the bill that requires proof of citizenship and the dems have refused to include one.

7) "[U]nder our plan, no federal dollars will be used to fund abortions . . . ."

Federal dollars already are used to fund abortions. More importantly, however, is there a provision prohibiting coverage of abortion in these insurance plans? No. Actually, the bill covers "family planning." So what does that mean.

8) "But an additional step we can take to keep insurance companies honest is by making a not-for-profit public option available in the insurance exchange."

Didn't he say that there wouldn't be a public option just before the recess? So, there's no government option, we're just going to have another option run by the government.

9) "Despite all this, the insurance companies and their allies don't like this idea. They argue that these private companies can't fairly compete with the government. And they'd be right if taxpayers were subsidizing this public insurance option. But they won't be. I've insisted that like any private insurance company, the public insurance option would have to be self-sufficient and rely on the premiums it collects. But by avoiding some of the overhead that gets eaten up at private companies by profits and excessive administrative costs and executive salaries, it could provide a good deal for consumers, and would also keep pressure on private insurers to keep their policies affordable and treat their customers better, the same way public colleges and universities provide additional choice and competition to students without in any way inhibiting a vibrant system of private colleges and universities."

This is an outright lie. You can't insure the poor and sick (people who can't get private insurance) without subisidizing it. Secondly, public universities are the most heavily subsidized institutions we have. And guess what? A lot more people go to public schools than private ones.

10) "[I]t's worth noting that a strong majority of Americans still favor a public insurance option of the sort I've proposed tonight."

??????

11) "First, I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits -- either now or in the future."

Right. Obama has already presided over a huge increase in public debt. http://blog.heritage.org/2009/03/24/bush-deficit-vs-obama-deficit-in-pictures/. Why believe him this time.

12) "[M]aking the program more efficient can help usher in changes in the way we deliver health care that can reduce costs for everybody. [By encouraging] the adoption of these common-sense best practices by doctors and medical professionals throughout the system."

So the government is going to tell doctors how to treat patients, but they're not going to limit care?