By Isaiah Stegman and Carter Clews
Opponents of the Democrats’ all-out push for healthcare legislation have been striking back hard. Some have condemned it as “socialized medicine,” others have dissected it line by line to reveal its more egregious provisions, and still others have simply labeled it “deathcare” citing the sections of the bill calling for healthcare rationing and government death counselors.
They have given the Democrat Party elites one opportunity after another to fight back with the “facts.” But, instead, “Obamacare” apologists have hurled invective, launched carefully orchestrated smear campaigns, and cloistered themselves behind barricades to fend off peaceful protestors.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) penned a piece together over the weekend in which they called Obamacare opponents “un-American.” And they even claimed, contrary to recent polling, that most Americans want the healthcare legislation they are proposing.
When Democrats have run into opposition from those they serve at town hall meetings, they have not shown the slightest inclination to seriously listen to those concerns. Sheila Jackson Lee, infamously talked on her cell phone while taking attendees’ questions. Pelosi and Hoyer called concerned constituents “mobs” and “astroturf” (phony grassroots organizations).
And the White House isn’t doing much better. A call for all citizens to send in the names of those who espouse “fishy” and “misleading” information about the healthcare legislation – “even
in casual conversation” — to the ominous sounding flag@whitehouse.gov has already sparked public outrage. And it has prompted one Senator to accuse the White House of creating lists of enemies.
Another White House call to its union cronies to “punch back twice as hard” on healthcare, may have played a direct role in the savage beating of an African American opponent of the plan. This beating was so severe that a local emergency room treated him for numerous injuries.
There have been some rather feeble attempts to sell it. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius wrote two opinion pieces that were heavy on the lofty goals and good intentions of Democrat healthcare plans. But they fell far short on actual facts. In one of the pieces she went so far as to tell people that she and the President were taking care of the details, and that people should not “let the details distract [them] from the huge benefits reform will bring.”
So, why aren’t Democrat leaders trying harder to sell what is actually the warp and woof of their massive healthcare package? Because they have no intention of selling it. They talk of dialogue and then revile their opponents, without truly discussing the legislation or answering objections.
They have made up their minds on what is good for the country — and regardless of any concerned constituents and their protests, as Mr. Obama has pointedly said time and again, they plan to enact their agenda. Come hell or high water.
In short, every time the party leadership opens its mouth about healthcare, it is a simple extension of Obama’s smug observation to Republicans in January: “I won. So live with it.”
Well, they did win in 2008. But, as massive protests continue to build nationwide over the largest government power grab in recent U.S. history, there is a resounding question as to whether they will be able to say the same in 2010.
Isaiah Stegman is a Senior Research Analyst at Americans for Limited Government and Carter Clews is the Executive Editor of ALG News.
