Liberals worried about cost of government regulations, LOL

We've spent the past few years watching conservatives argue that Obamacare would have disastrous effects on the health care system, in no small part because it imposes a massive regulatory burden on medical providers and insurance companies. Obama and his Democrat Congresscritters have discounted such concerns, characterizing this as a necessary sacrifice to provide health care to Americans.

We see a similar debate regarding environmental issues, where liberal environmentalists preach that the high cost of complying with an increasingly meddlesome and arbitrary EPA is a burden rightfully borne by those evil corporations. 

Now, after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed HB2 (Texas' new law restricting abortions after five months unless the life of the mother was at risk and requiring certain safety standards at clinics) to take effect, the media are reporting that "at least 12 Texas abortion clinics have been closed."

Isn't that just fascinating? I mean, not a single word in HB2 required any clinics to close, so what's happening here?

Schadenfreudalicious

Republicans in 2008: "Obama's ideas for health care reform are not good. We don't like this."

Democrats in 2008: "No, this will be awesome. Just wait."

Op-Ed: Obamacare closes door to opportunity

Today, I had an op-ed published in the Austin American-Statesman on the topic of the effect of Obamacare on young entrepreneurs. You can read it on the Statesman's website here, or I've reprinted the text below:

Sebelius offers "dead parrot" defense of Obamacare website

How Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius still has her job is beyond me.

At today's Congressional hearing, Sebelius testified, "The website never crashed." Unfortunately for her, the website had actually crashed just a few minutes before the hearing began, and remained down for much of her testimony, and CNN's split screen display was just priceless:

New video series from RNC highlights problems with Obamacare website

The RNC rolled out a new website and a series of short videos highlighting the many problems with the launch of the Obamacare website and other annoyances with the new health care law.

The videos parody the "I'm a Mac, I'm a PC" ads and are posted at obamacarecosts.org. They are also encouraging use of a hashtag, #ImObamacare.

Here's my favorite of the videos:

Sarah vs. ObamaCare

I've never been a "blog-every-story-every-day" blogger. It's easier to tweet the stories of the day (follow me @rumpfshaker if you aren't already) and occasionally write some longer commentary when I have time and schedule the post to go live the next day. 

I don't often get to break stories. 

But apparently I do today....or, at least, I get to break the story of my little role in a much bigger story.

I debated Alan Grayson...well, sort of...

Earlier this month, I debated the once-and-future Congressman (sigh...) Alan Grayson on Fox 35 Orlando regarding whether ObamaCare was at fault for announced layoffs at Orlando Regional Healthcare Systems. 

Well, OK, I didn't really debate him in person. But we were both invited to comment on the story and I believe my analysis up very well against Grayson's predictable talking points:

Obama 2012: Keeping It Classy

The Obama campaign has a Tumblr blog at barackobama.tumblr.com, and a recent image posted there should raise some eyebrows:

A Doctor's View of ObamaCare

American Thinker posted a must-read article over the weekend, featuring an interview with a surgeon frustrated about ObamaCare and its looming impacts on the medical profession:

The Supreme Court just wrote Romney's campaign ads

In case you've been hiding under a rock this morning, the Supreme Court just issued its opinion on ObamaCare, with Justices Alito, Scalia, Thomas, and even swing-vote Kennedy voting to overturn the law as unconstitutional, but Chief Justice Roberts joined the liberal wing of the court in voting to uphold it.

The Court ruled that even though it was an unconstitutional violation of the Commerce Clause to force Americans to buy health insurance, the individual mandate survived as a...tax.

Wait, what?

Representative Plakon and Precourt's Role in Inspiring Florida's Lawsuit Against ObamaCare

Thousands protest in front of the Supreme
Court to support overturning ObamaCare

This week, the United States Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the case of Florida vs. United States Department of Health and Human Services (for an excellent recap, please see this write-up by the Texas Public Policy Foundation), the lawsuit filed by the State of Florida against the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, aka "ObamaCare."

Florida's previous Attorney General, Bill McCollum, filed the complaint on March 23, 2010. The litigation was joined by attorneys general in numerous other states, and some states filed separate lawsuits, but Florida's case has been the linchpin in moving this challenge forward all the way to the Supreme Court.

ObamaCare and its unconstitutional power grab have galvanized conservatives across the country and united them in their opposition to the Obama administration. What many people don't know is the back story behind how Florida's lawsuit came to be. I recently came across some interesting information when I was doing some research for one of my last Florida clients before I leave for Massachusetts.

The High Costs of Obama's Medicare "Reform"

Since I started this blog last year, a lot of people and organizations send me information about candidates, conservative organizations, and current political issues. I can't print everything that gets submitted to me, but I try to share some things that my readers may find informative.

Here's a letter from Rene Rodriguez, M.D., who is a member of a group called the Medicare Rx Access Network of Florida, and very concerned about some of the Medicare reforms that the Obama administration is proposing:

As the President and Founder of the Interamerican College of Physicians and Surgeons, the Editor-in-Chief of the medical journal Mèdico Interamericano and former Chief of the Orthopedic Section at the VA Medical Center in Miami, I have the opportunity to work with physicians and patients from all over South Florida. Many of my colleagues have expressed concern about possible changes to Medicare Part D that concern me.

Recent proposals by President Obama have suggested imposing price controls on Medicare Part D similar to those in the Medicaid Drug Rebate. Currently, all Medicare beneficiaries have the same access to prescriptions regardless of the state they reside. Under the proposed legislation, individual states would have the power to impose price controls on part D benefits for dual eligibles.

We have seen the effects of these policies in other states and the results have been frightening. Medicaid programs in Texas imposed a three prescription per month limit on beneficiaries. In Mississippi, the limit for brand prescriptions is only two. Other states have created “preferred drug lists” that do not include many life saving options. Turning Medicare into Medicaid is a mistake that will cost lives. Medicare Part D is working well.

A 2004 Harvard study found that after reducing benefits, chronically ill and disabled patients were forced to stop taking preventative medications. This doubled the rate of emergency room visits increasing overall healthcare cost. Restricting access to preventative medicine will result in higher overall healthcare costs as patients are forced to other outlets for care. The cost of these visits will overshadow any perceived cost savings by price controls.

Most hospitals rely on private payers to subsidize the below-cost reimbursement rates of Medicaid. This proposed legislation would base Medicare reimbursement on these below-cost rates. The end result is private insurers will be forced to pass on the additional costs to their customers.

More than 17 percent of Florida's population is 65 or older. One in five residents -- or 3.2 million citizens -- is currently enrolled in Medicare. For Florida, the future of Medicare is critically important. Our hospitals are already under pressure to remain open. Medicare users are struggling to pay for essential treatments. Restricting access to treatment will lead to disastrous healthcare outcomes.

Preserving Medicare Part D is not only a matter of protecting healthcare for our citizens; it is a sound economical investment in a successful program. I encourage all Floridians, physicians and policymakers to consider opposing any changes to Medicare Part D reimbursements. Contact your legislators and voice your support of Medicare Part D.

Rene Rodriguez, M.D.

President and Founder, Interamerican College of Physicians & Surgeons

Member, Medicare Rx Access Network of Florida

Dr. Rodriguez brings up several excellent points. Paying for Medicare benefits is a huge issue here in Florida due to the high percentage of our population who participate in the program, so the need to find savings is understandable. Like any large government program, there are certainly inefficiencies, waste, and fraud. Furthermore, considering the exponential growth of our national debt, I personally believe we cannot afford to have any "sacred cows" and must examine Medicare in its entirety for potential budget buts.

However, the draconian cuts to preventative care that the President is proposing would, without a doubt, actually increase overall costs by leading to more severe medical problems, chronic conditions, and an increase in the number of people seeking treatment in emergency rooms (one of the most expensive and least efficient ways of providing medical care). Instituting measures to monitor and reduce fraud is a legitimate way to save money; asking patients to chose between heart medication and cancer medication is not.

President Obama needs to realize that a cut isn't really a "cut" if it leads to higher costs elsewhere. It's also extremely hypocritical for Obama to try and scare senior citizens by threatening that their Social Security checks may be cut off if the debt ceiling negotiations fail, while simultaneously proposing to eviscerate their Medicare benefits.

To contact your member of Congress, click here.
To contact your Senator, click here.

For information about the Medicare Rx Access Network of Florida, send an email to medicareRxFL@gmail.com.

~ Sponsored Blog Post ~

To submit news, research, press releases, or for advertising inquires, please contact me at sarahrumpf at gmail dot com.

More on why Obamacare will be a disaster

Sometimes I come across an article while I'm browsing the internet and I just know I am going to want to write something about it. Here's one such article:

Big Government | John Nolte | After Facing the Very Worst of Our Healthcare System, I Still Oppose ObamaCare

John Nolte

In this powerful and intensely personal article,  Big Hollywood Editor-in-Chief John Nolte describes his wife's struggle with "trigeminal neuralgia," a nerve disorder that causes episodes of excruciating facial pain. It's an extremely debilitating medical problem that has literally been deemed "The Suicide Disease" because it has driven so many sufferers to end their lives.

Nolte describes the years they spent visiting multiple doctors and desperately trying different treatments with great emotional detail. Blessedly, his wife was able to successfully obtain several newly-developed treatments and her symptoms have now abated.

My wife has the promise of her life back because of the dynamic innovation of our current health care system, and also, those individuals and institutions the Left is so determined to demonize.

...I’m not arguing our current system is perfect and couldn’t use some major improvements...And though I always fear chasing the perfect at the expense of the good, there are a number of market-based solutions to the legitimate problem of the uninsured that deserved a chance before a full-blown government takeover.

Yes, as I noted above, there were moments so frustrating that I would’ve gladly reached out for anything marked hope or change. But the bottom line is that what saved my wife can best be described with a single word: Innovation – and nothing drives away creativity and risk-taking and those industriously intelligent individuals good at both, faster than the punishing regulations, restrictions, red tape and overbearing punitive measures that always come with government interference.

Had ObamaCare become the law of the land ten years ago would the perfect storm of scientists, technicians, thinkers, and doctors have been around to create the medications and equipment necessary to give my wife her life back? No one can say. But when you’re talking about the well-being of my wife, or anyone’s loved one, “no one can say” is not an acceptable answer.

True, at first we trusted the system and it failed us. Miserably. But because the system is still mostly market-based this gave us choices and alternatives that made The Miracle possible. 

What is wrong...is ObamaCare and its advocates stifling the kind of creativity that affects our quality of life, and this I fear will be the unintended consequence. This will also affect everyone. In the world of ObamaCare, the wealthy will most certainly continue to enjoy their elite, top-tier health coverage. But everyone will be in the same boat when it comes to paying the cost of whatever medical innovations are lost in the bureaucratic maze of what is now the law of the land...

Nolte is absolutely right. The American healthcare system is messy and chaotic and frustrating. Almost everyone has a dear friend or family member who has struggled at some point with the challenges of getting the treatment they need. But across the board, the American system provides quicker and better medical services to more people than that of any other nation. 

Not only do we have a choice of doctors in virtually any specialty, doctors who will be able to select from a number of different medications and treatments to fix what ails us, we also benefit from American researchers who have pioneered new technology which allows for quicker and more detailed diagnoses of diseases before they even develop, e.g., the discovery of the mutation of the BRCA1 gene and its correlation to increased risk of breast cancer.

To give a more superficial example, capitalist ingenuity brings you stuff like Hot Pockets and iPads. Government-run development gets you a Trabant...also known as a Trabi, the East German car infamous for its cheap construction and poor mechanical reliability (see jokes here and here).

Q: How do you double the value of a Trabi? A: Fill its gas tank!

Additionally, the Democrats' arguments in support of Obamacare center around the supposed "47 million uninsured." First of all, 47 million is a extremely inflated figure. (Seriously, why do Democrats always seem to be having such problems with math?)

Research verified from a number of groups, including the left-leaning Kaiser Family Foundation and the U.S. Census Bureau, show that the actual number of uninsured Americans (i.e., those who are uninsured not because they have chosen to be, but because they cannot afford insurance) is, at most, about 14 million.

According to the 2010 Census, the current population of the United States is over 308 million, so 14 million is less than five percent. Obama and his Democrat allies in Congress have decided to tear apart our medical system, unconstitutionally mandate the purchase of individual insurance policies, and add billions of dollars of cost from added levels of bureaucracy and regulation, all supposedly justified by the ability to help less than five percent of the country.

You've probably seen discussions about the hundreds of new bureaucratic agencies and departments that will be needed to enforce and administer Obamacare, such as the thousands of new employees to be hired at the IRS. Americans for Tax Reform, citing research done by U.S. News and World Report, points out that the cost of ObamaCare just at the IRS alone will be over $359 million next year.

I cannot see how providing basic health care coverage for 5% of the U.S. (even if we paid for all of the costs) wouldn't far cheaper than over-regulating all of us. If the Democrats actually wanted to help the poor and uninsured, they would be doing everything they could to encourage preventative care and reduce the use of emergency rooms as the major medical provider for uninsured Americans. Besides the fact that providing care in an ER is significantly more expensive, it's also far more stressful for the patient. I mean, given the choice, would you rather make an appointment to see your primary care physician or wait for hours and hours in an ER with seriously ill and injured people?

I am cautiously optimistic that the constitutional challenges to Obamacare will succeed (everyone say a special prayer of encouragement for Pam Bondi, OK?), but in the meantime, Republicans in Congress as well as those who are seeking elected office need to keep hammering the points that Obamacare is a dangerously risky burden on the best parts of our health care system, while failing to adequately help the uninsured people that it claims justify the new legislation.

(You may also consider this post my statement that, while I'd vote for him over Obama, I will not be supporting Mitt Romney in the primary. Government takeover of health care and individual insurance mandates are not "conservative" ideas, in my opinion, and while I recognize there is no "perfect" candidate, this is just too big of a deal for me to look past.)

[Cross-posted at The Minority Report]

Sunshine State Sarah on "Flashpoint"

I had the honor of being invited to participate in Lauren Rowe's great political roundtable show, "Flashpoint," this past weekend. Also appearing with us was former Democratic Congresswoman Pat Schroeder (elected from Colorado but lives in Orlando now).

Here's a link to the video:

Flashpoint | 2/6/11 | Video WKMG Orlando

(Mental note: those dangly earrings are super-cute in person but ummm, not so great on TV.  Not sure if that saying about "TV adds 15 pounds" is always true, but, yeah, my earrings look about 15 lbs. each on this video.  Oh well.)

We discussed Obama's State of the Union speech, specifically his comments on health care and the economy, and Rick Scott's relationship with the media.

Dear America, You're Welcome. Sincerely, Florida

In case you were locked in the trunk of a car yesterday, Judge Roger Vinson of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida ruled that Obamacare is a big ol' pile of unconstitutional mess.

The Court ruled that the part of the bill that mandates that individuals purchase health insurance is unconstitutional, because it is beyond the scope of Congress' regulatory authority under the Commerce Clause.  Basically, because the individual mandate applied even if you did not do anything other than continue to breathe, you were not "engaging in commerce," and Congress overstepped their bounds.  Contrary to what many Democrats seem to argue, the power of the federal government is not without limit...and the Constitution is that limit.

The Democrats responsible for this monstrosity of a bill got smacked in the face by two of their own decisions.  First, the bill did not have what's called a "severability clause," or language that provides that if any part of the legislation is found unconstitutional or otherwise unenforceable, that the rest of the bill would still have legal effect.  Ironically, the original version of the bill did include a severability clause.  If you remember back to when the Democrats passed this bill (again, without a single Republican vote), they had to engage in serious negotiations to buy, I mean obtain, the votes they needed (see, e.g., Cornhusker Kickback, etc.).  The negotiations were so tight that no one was willing to risk any of the provisions for which they had so carefully bargained, so the severability clause was deleted.

Without a severability clause, if one part of a bill is killed, especially a part as major as the individual mandate is for the health care bill, the whole entire bill must die with it.

(Keep reading after the jump, including link to view the Court's entire opinion and video interviews of Pam Bondi and Bill McCollum.)

Pam Bondi discusses new states joining the lawsuit against Obamacare

Pam Bondi was on Greta Van Susteren's On the Record show last night, to discuss the addition of six new states to the lawsuit against Obamacare:


FoxNews Video | The More Not Merrier for 'Obamacare'? 

...don't miss the nice "Please call me Pam!" moment at the end of the video between Bondi and Van Susteren. :)

Currently, over half of the 50 states are engaged in active litigation against Obamacare, and others may join in the next few weeks.  When you add in the fact that the legislation has always had negative polling results and voters in the 2010 midterm elections overwhelmingly stated that they were voting for Republicans because they wanted them to repeal the health care bill, it boggles my mind how Obama and the Democrats in Congress can get on TV and say with a straight face that the health care bill is "popular" or that they are representing the "will of the people."

As I type this, the House bill to repeal Obamacare has passed, 245-189.  I am very proud of the Republican Congressional leadership who put together a short and simple bill, and also of all the Republicans and the three Democrats who voted in favor of repeal.

Regarding the Senate, I highly recommend you read this excellent commentary on RedState:

RedState | Brian Darling | Repeal of ObamaCare in the Senate - How To Do It

Contrary to what the Democrats are claiming, today's vote was not merely "symbolic."  The Republicans ran on a pledge to repeal ObamaCare; failing to take action on this issue would have made them hypocrites.  Also, the Democrats are now forced to go on the record and decide whether or not to vote for this bill.  Newly-elected Democratic members of Congress who had escaped the political fallout that rained down on their colleagues last year will now have a public vote supporting ObamaCare permanently attached to their names. 

Pam Bondi: Swinging for the Fences on Day One

Our new Attorney General is wasting no time getting to work.  Here is an excellent op-ed  by Pam Bondi, published in the Wall Street Journal today:

Wall Street Journal | Pam Bondi | The States Versus ObamaCare

This week begins the inauguration and swearing-in ceremonies for newly elected officials all over the country. One thing many of us have in common is that the voters rewarded us for our outspoken opposition to ObamaCare.

The electorate's decisive rejection of the Obama administration's policies reveals a pervasive concern over the federal government's disregard of fundamental aspects of our nation's Constitution. No legislation in our history alters the balance of power between Washington and the states so much as ObamaCare does...

On Monday, Bondi appeared on On the Record for a great interview with Greta Van Susteren.  I am thrilled to see her enthusiasm for her job and aggressive approach to the health care litigation.


YouTube | FoxNewsChannel | Uncut: Pam Bondi 'On the Record'

Looks like hiring a prosecutor to be our Attorney General was a good move.  Bondi's been locking up serial killers and child molesters for years.  Obama and Congress don't scare her one bit.  And if this is what she has done with less than 24 hours officially on the job, I cannot wait to see what comes next. 

High five to Pam Bondi.

Dave Barry's Year in Review: Why 2010 Made Us Sick

Dave Barry is pretty much guaranteed funny, but he really outdoes himself here.

It's a little long, but pure awesomeness from beginning to end. Grab a cup of coffee and enjoy:

Dave Barry's Year in Review: Why 2010 Made Us Sick

McCollum: Obamacare is "the wrong way to reform health care"

Here's a great op-ed in today's Washington Post, written by Attorney General Bill McCollum:

Bill McCollum - The wrong way to reform health care

...Health-care reform is critical - but it should not come at the expense of our citizens' individual rights nor by jeopardizing the role of the states in our system of federalism. 

Congress has limited, enumerated powers under the Constitution and cannot make law beyond those specific powers. All powers not specifically granted to Congress by the Constitution are left for the states, which have equal sovereignty to make their own laws. 

When Congress has invoked the commerce clause in the past, it has regulated only those individuals who voluntarily engaged in commercial activities. This law would compel the purchase of insurance and fine those who do not comply. If Congress has the power to force Americans to buy goods and services, where is the limit?

...The stakes could not be higher: ObamaCare is public policy at its worst, in violation of the U.S. Constitution. We can and should support a health-care overhaul; it is up to our leaders in Congress to both do those reforms and protect the Constitution. 

Here's McCollum discussing the health care litigation and Thursday's oral arguments with Greta Van Susteren last night:

YouTube | Fox News Channel | 20-State Health Care Challenge in Judge's Hands

I don't know about you, but I watch McCollum taking names and kicking you-know-what with this health care litigation, and I can't help but feel a bit sad, and wonder "what might have been."  If Charlie Crist hadn't made his ego-driven leap at the U.S. Senate, and had instead run for a second term as Governor, then McCollum would have most likely also run for re-election as Attorney General.  Don't get me wrong, I am a big fan of Pam Bondi, but in a few weeks, we are going to lose an excellent AG and champion for the people of Florida.

A behind-the-scenes look at the NRCC's 2010 strategy

Interesting article on Politico by Brad Todd and Mike Shields, who headed up the independent expenditure efforts for the National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC), about their successful strategies for the 2010 elections:

Politico | Opinion: How the NRCC won in 2010 

There's some intriguing stuff about the NRCC's strategy from the beginning, to aggressively target Democrats in conservative-leaning districts:

Our independent expenditure unit was spun out of the NRCC and given four guiding principles: 1) maximize dollars by acting early to broaden the playing field; 2) never let a local storyline stray from the national narrative; 3) force “red” districts to perform “red,” even if the incumbent is popular, and 4) upgrade our quantitative research and media production values to customize each race. 

We stuck to these principles throughout the fall, and -- to our great surprise -- the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee never tried to force us off our game. All our hard funding decisions were between competing opportunities in long-shot races – never between one of our very public early targets and new opportunities. 

Perhaps most significant, these strategic principles were not formed in the swell of a wave -- they guided the NRCC since January, 2009. Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) created a challenger-focused, aggressive NRCC and viewed House control as the only acceptable outcome -- even as many in Washington saw this as a two-cycle project.

The mindset from the early days, installed and enforced by the NRCC’s Executive Director Guy Harrison, was “play offense” and “cause chaos” -- and the IE unit was set up as an extension of this philosophy.

To win a majority in one election, the NRCC had to make the playing field larger than just the Democratic “war babies,” who had won in 2006 and 2008 as part of the vote against President George W. Bush. We needed a playing field that gave us 80 opportunities to win 39 seats...

...The best use of scarce resources, we decided, was to start play early -- pushing the prospect of majority control to mobilize outside groups and donors to individual campaigns. The operational term became “make-a-race” and our rationale was simple: If we build it, they will come. 

We did build it. And they came -- both donors to candidates and third-party assistance from outside groups that had previously focused on Senate races. Federal Election Commission data shows the DCCC’s IE Unit out-spent the NRCC’s unit $62 million to $44 million in 2010, but the same reports show the other major third-party players on the conservative side out-spent their liberal counterparts.

Also interesting is the discussion of the decision to make the health care bill a central theme of the election:

The health care vote, while consistently not the toughest hit in quantitative surveys, provoked a more visceral reaction among voters than any other Democratic misstep. While independents objected to Democrats’ spending and debt, we found it was the health care vote that caused them to give up on the party as a congressional majority.

Focus group respondents in Rep. Scott Murphy’s upstate New York district were so agitated by his flip-flop to support health care reform that they began cursing our moderator.

When asking voters an open-ended question about their greatest hesitation to supporting their local Democratic candidate, the phrase “health care” came up more often than any other -- besides “Democrat.” In our most difficult races, we closed the campaign on health care.