Originally published by San Diego Newsroom on 3-18-10
Who says President Obama is inexperienced with military matters? He’s great at doing the classic “about face.”
“President Barack Obama says he wants projects helping specific states yanked from the health care bill Congress is writing,” wrote the Associated Press on March 13, 2010. “Democratic senators, being senators, beg to differ.”
And yet, in his recent Fox News interview with Bret Baier, Obama offered an exception clause that would make a contract lawyer blush:
BAIER: Do you know which specific deals are in or out, as of today?
OBAMA: I am certain that we’ve made sure, for example, that any burdens on states are alleviated when it comes to what they’re going to have to chip in to make sure that we’re giving subsidies to small businesses and individuals.
BAIER: So the Connecticut deal is still in?
OBAMA: That’s not going to be something that is going to be in this final package. I think the same is true on all of these provisions. I’ll give you some exceptions though.
Something that was called a special deal was for Louisiana. It was said that there were billions of dollars going to Louisiana; this was a special deal. Well, in fact, that provision—which I think should remain in—said that if a state has been affected by a natural catastrophe that has created a special health care emergency in that state, they should get help. Louisiana, obviously, went through Katrina, and they’re still trying to deal with the enormous challenges that were faced.
See how it works? Suddenly we’re supposed to believe that the deal made with Senator Mary Landrieu is no longer a “project helping a specific state.” As long as other catastrophe-savaged states also qualify for a golden goose, there is nothing wrong with the Louisiana Purchase.
I just can’t help but make an obvious observation here: When we consider tornadoes, fires, floods and blizzards, just how many states haven’t experienced some kind of natural catastrophe recently? And yet there is only a small list of states with sweetheart deals. Besides, our government already gives aid automatically to states that absorb large-scale weather damage. How is this a legitimate part of a bill that is supposed to be about personal health insurance of every citizen? And how much money was already poured into Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina before Senator Landrieu shook hands and changed her vote?
The truth is, we are dealing with a President who will say anything he needs to say. He wants this health care bill passed. Period. If one set of persuasive promises doesn’t work, he simply tries a new one. Later, after the bill passes, he can always explain how we didn’t actually hear him say what we thought we heard.
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