Congresscritters may lose healthcare coverage (pwned)

Patterico made me LOL. Remember when everyone asked our public servants masters to read this thing?

The President goes cuckoo, Cocoa Puffs not available for comment

Washington Examiner Opinion Article

PS: Mr President, if you are going to waste so much time talking, at least answer the question. You should talk to Dick Cheney, he actually knows how to do this.

OMG! Accusations of Socialism

Recently I overheard a conversation in which the participants claimed that the conservative accusations of the President/Democrat congressional majority being socialist were "reminiscent of McCarthy" or "scary."

I'll argue that the behavior of the progressive Democrats is scary. While my opinion of the the socialist actions of the majority party aren't probably convincing, it's hard to argue with Emmanuel Lewis.

Main Entry: so·cial·ism
Function: noun
Date: 1837

1 : any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2 a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3 : a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

I hope parts 2 and 3 of the definition are not too rapidly approaching, the emphasized portion of part one is happening in the health care industry (and the obviously related student loan takeover*). Liberal pundits claim that it's not an actual takeover. Once again a vocabulary lesson by Mr Lewis:

Main Entry: take over

Function: verb

Date: 1884

transitive verb

: to assume control or possession of or responsibility for

intransitive verb

1 : to assume control or possession
2 : to become dominant

If one thinks that the government hasn't recently assumed control of how the insurance companies operate he/she is not paying attention/literate.

The comparison of the conservatives' accusations of socialism with McCarthyism is really amusing due to McCarthyism involving accusations without evidence. On the other hand, calling policies or politicians socialist is quite reasonable when they openly further socialist causes.

Speaking of McCarthyism I will only mention two words (and a handful of relevant links): Henry Waxman.

Get In Their Faces: Administration Lashes Out at John Deere, Caterpillar For Accurately Reporting Their Finances
The Administration’s Attack on American Business
The New McCarthyism is Waxmania: Silencing the Capitalists
The Empire Strikes Back

*LOL not really related

Not so suprising anouncement by insurance company

Aetna: Premiums Will Go Up Because of ObamaCare (Jim Garaghty via National Review Online via Ace of Spades).I'd like to comment, but I think the linked text says enough.

Obamacare's Effect on the Idiots that Overwhelmingly Favor It.

Interestingly (but unfortunately, not too surprisingly), the 18 - 29 year-old age group simultaneously has the highest approval of President Obama and has the most to lose under the Obamacare law. An investors.com article describes "20 Ways ObamaCare Will Take Away Our Freedoms." Three that will particularly affect the 18 - 29 year-old (my) age group are quoted below.

2. You are young and healthy and want to pay for insurance that reflects that status? Tough. You'll have to pay for premiums that cover not only you, but also the guy who smokes three packs a day, drink a gallon of whiskey and eats chicken fat off the floor. That's because insurance companies will no longer be able to underwrite on the basis of a person's health status. (Section 2701).

3. You would like to pay less in premiums by buying insurance with lifetime or annual limits on coverage? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer such policies, even if that is what customers prefer. (Section 2711).

4. Think you'd like a policy that is cheaper because it doesn't cover preventive care or requires cost-sharing for such care? Tough. Health insurers will no longer be able to offer policies that do not cover preventive services or offer them with cost-sharing, even if that's what the customer wants. (Section 2712).

I'm interested to see who is blamed* when the Obama-loving youngsters discover that they are required to purchase insurance at inevitably high rates (insuring pre-existing conditions/the un-insurable will not be cheap my friends).

*Bush