Commander Hood passes along this NRO post from Ben Zycher reviewing President Obama’s healthcare speech. It’s a must read. Here’s the point that — in my opinion — cannot be emphasized enough:
It truly is amazing that President Obama can claim that most of the costs for this plan will be financed by reducing waste in Medicare and Medicaid. How will this expansion in government involvement in health care avoid the very same waste? This problem is utterly obvious, unless by reducing “waste” Obama means reductions in the reimbursements paid to doctors and hospitals, that is, further price controls. That is what he must mean in substantial part, and so the relationship between the providers and patients cannot remain unaffected even in principle, and these changes cannot be salutary in terms of the availability and quality of care.
Does President Obama —- brilliant and Harvard-educated —- really believe this? Or —- God forbid I would defend Joe Wilson —- is he just lying?
