If Barack Obama fails to enact national health care, it will be because he sowed the seeds of his own demise last Feb. 17 -- the day the president, surrounded by Democratic leaders, signed the $787 billion economic stimulus bill. In the legislative campaign leading up to that moment, both Obama and congressional Democrats made promises and took actions that are now coming back to haunt them as they pursue their goal of remaking the nation’s health care system.
“We have another trillion-dollar bill with the same strategy of passing it before people even have a chance to read it and know what’s in it,” says Republican Sen. Jim DeMint, who has emerged as a leader of the opposition in the health care fight. “It’s becoming clear that they misunderstood the economy, and now Americans are wondering whether they misunderstand health care.”
“People are less trusting now.”
A couple of points. First, this highlights the difference between priorities base on values and priorities based on time. Obambi would much rather have spent oodles of money on health care, but, by definition, a stimulus was something he could only sell as an emergency measure. Second, I’m not convinced he won’t find a way to use some (yet unspent) stimulus money to pay some initial Obamacare costs. The argument will be (1) health care will destroy the economy if left alone so using stimulus money is appropriate and (2) see, it’s already paid for now! Whoopee! (Via InstaPundit.)
