Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Paper Wars — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:22:33 GMT

USA Today looks at the idea of a health-care exchange, which would offer a wide range of health insurance plans.

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When is it USA Today's turn to smooze with The Obama and give him fawning coverage of his socialized health care plan?

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Anita, Birmingham, Alabama — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:25:29 GMT

He will also "sign the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act. The law allows the Food and Drug Administration to reduce nicotine in tobacco products, ban candy flavorings and block labels such as 'low tar' and 'light.'"

This is great. If nicotine is lowered then it would be helpful. Better than those patches.

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Dick Morris — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:25:42 GMT

To quote the esteemed Rev. Jeremiah Wright, the chickens that were hatched in the stimulus package are coming home to roost in the healthcare proposal. The budget deficit Obama racked up paying for the massive federal spending passed in January is now having a real economic and political impact, which is forcing the president and his congressional allies into hard choices as they face his healthcare legislation.

Of course, the prudent thing to do is postpone healthcare changes until the economy generates some revenues and trims the deficit. But the socialist in the White House can’t do that. He’s got to strike while his congressional majority is hot. So he is forcing his administration and his party to choose among unpalatable choices to finance his program. His demand may be a bridge too far, endangering his popularity with the American people.

First of all, the very fact of a focus on healthcare reform inevitably stirs discussion of the deficit. Americans are allergic to deficit spending and worry the more the deficit grows. As interest rates rise and the government finds it more and more difficult to borrow enough to cover Obama’s massive spending, the economy is likely to show the negative effects. It is a matter of a few months, certainly no more, before voters start to realize that it is the deficit, not the pre-existing conditions Obama inherited, which is causing the prolongation of the recession. Already the jump in mortgage rates has slowed the refinancing, which was the only aspect of the Obama economic program that was working well.

But the foreign and domestic focus on the deficit has a harsher political impact: It forces the Democrats to come up with money to fund healthcare reform. In other words, it makes them raise taxes. The Democratic Party is good at fooling itself that tax increases don’t matter and are politically palatable, but they do and they are not.

The massive spending healthcare will require dwarfs the capacity for the rich alone to pay the bill, no matter how confiscatory Obama chooses to become. Only broader taxes will do the job. Obama faces two practical choices: a value added tax or taxing health insurance benefits.

The political harm either way will be enormous. Not only will Obama be breaking his pledge not to tax the middle class, but he will be doing so in a particularly pernicious way. If Obama opts for the value added tax (VAT), Democrats will hope to cloak the increase in the price of the product. They reason that the consumer won’t know how much the tax is since it will be added on throughout the sale and resale of the product rather than at the cash register at the end, as the sales tax is. But it will work the other way. As inflation sets in, triggered by Obama’s deficit spending, consumers will blame the whole thing on Obama. His VAT will be much magnified in the voters’ minds to include all of the inflation going on. Just as voters blamed Clinton’s gas tax increase of five cents in 1993 for the entire run-up in gasoline prices at the pump, so they will place all the blame for inflation on Obama’s VAT.

Or Obama could tax healthcare benefits, a direct reversal of his campaign pledge. He would be adopting a policy for which he overtly and loudly criticized McCain. And his popularity will wilt as taxpayers suddenly have to add onto their tax liability the money their employer has always paid for their health insurance. Obama will probably have his own separate line on the 1040 and even on the short form for his new tax. That’s not the way to stay popular.

Obama’s only good option is not to move so quickly on healthcare reform, to give himself some wiggle room. But as the song says, “we’re knee deep in the big muddy but the damn fool says to push on!”

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Jon — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:26:11 GMT

This Pharma deal is no deal. If the government allowed Medicare, Medicaid, FEHBP, etc. to directly negoitate drugs price it could save the government hundreds of billions. Canada pays roughy 30% for the same drugs. Unless we don't provide our government the power most other governments have to reduce drugs prices it is not real reform or real savings.

http://jwalkerreport.blogspot.com/2009/06/sold-out-to-phrma-by-senator-baucus.html

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Eric, Salinas, CA — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:32:15 GMT

Looks like the repugnant ones are losing more legislative battles as President Obama signs more good legislation. While the promise from Big Pharma is nice for saving $80 billion over a decade, $8 billion a year ho hum, we can never trust them to keep to their false promise until we see the savings at the end of ten years.

Talking about profligate sapending why are the members of Congress operating with a 7% higher budget than before when the repugnant ones are whining about big deficvit spending. The repugnant ones were behind this huge increase in their office spending so oncew again they are the liars with their panties on fire.

In Obama We Trust!

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Moon Dawg — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:42:38 GMT

As Barack Obama gambles with our money, cars, banks and now health care, we certainly don't agree with his total breakdown of American society as we know it. Redistribution is Rev Wright's ideology and Obama has followed it to a T. Socialism? The buck doesn't stop here. Opposition to all of this is strong, and getting stronger.

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Sick of broken promises — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:51:39 GMT

JOBS.
We need jobs.
You promised jobs, Obama.
JOBS!
JOBS!
JOBS!

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Moon Dawg — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:55:27 GMT

Hey Barack, the smoker.

Lennon said it.

"Choking smokers, don't you think the joker laughs at you?"

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

I agree — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:01:15 GMT

KUDOS to Dick Morris!!! Well said!!!

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Ginny, Griffith, IN — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:30:09 GMT

Too much too soon. Obama has to slow down and smell the roses. The state of the economy and the uproar from Iran should be watched carefully. Now is not the time to spend more money that we don't have to begin with. I don't want healthcare to be an issue in the immediate future because he also said in the campaign that not all things can possibly be done right away. Take care of immediate concerns is number one.
The tobacco thing is a joke. Here's more money down the drain to tell our kids that smoking is bad for you? Don't you remember your childhoods? You do exactly the opposite of what you are told. It hasn't done any good so far so lowering nicotine does not make a dent in the problem. I've been smoking since around the age of nine. So what? I have my space and I'm polite enough to keep it out of others.

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Patrick, KY — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:47:04 GMT

Eric, how is it possible for you to trust Obama - he has lied from day one.

Sick, here here! But all those jobs Obama promised will be working in slave labor camps in China or the middle east - cause if BoBo keeps spending at this rate, in another year, China and the Middle East will own this country - lock, stock, and barrel.

Dick, what are you doing posting well thought out and intelligent comments on the blog - you do realize you're posting on MSN and not Fox.....
Seriously, you go man!

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Patrick, KY — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:54:27 GMT

I very highly recommend everyone in this country to stockpile canned goods, water, medicine, and ammunition....a depression is coming soon to a city near you......

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Mo — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:04:01 GMT

Hey Barack, the smoker.

Lennon said it.

"Choking smokers, don't you think the joker laughs at you?"

Moon Dawg (Sent Monday, June 22, 2009 9:55 AM)

Whoa your making less sense than usual, if that's possible. But that's what Republicans do best ramble about nothing.

Obama agenda: Rx drugs, tobacco

Melanie Barrett, Atlanta, GA — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:48:14 GMT

My son, who has been unemployed for seven months just went to work on a $6 million local stimulus project. My husband's company dropped their health insurance plan because it cost the company too much money. His COBRA has run out. The Health Insurance issue brought up during the election might not be of importance to everyone but was a primary reason we voted for Obama. As we applied for private insurance and got denied, I realized that without regulations that force insurance companies to take everyone- they won't and a government plan is necessary. Republicans care about the people, they've drawn the line to protect the money they get from the insurance companies. And I'll remember that when I cast my next vote.