BCT Editorial – 9/24/10

To start, let’s review a bit of Times history on the topic of a government-run, taxpayer-funded healthcare monopoly.  For years, the content of editorials on this topic implied the Times supported a government-run, taxpayer-funded healthcare monopoly.  In private, though, the Times claimed nothing could be further from the truth.  The editorial page editor told me, “It [Beaver County Times] has not, does not and will not … support a single-payer (government) health care system” and “consistently supported a market-based approach to health-care reform going back to the Clinton era.”  Upon passage of Obamacare, however, the Times voiced its support and proved it had been lying about its position or was very, very confused (here and here).

Now let’s get to the meat of the critique.  This editorial would be funny if it weren’t so sad.

First, remember when the Times downplayed the size of the Obamacare bills?  Big bills mean lots of volume and complexity, and volume and complexity are purposely hard to communicate.  Obamacare supporters wanted to get away with “trust us.”

Second, do you remember when Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) told us, “But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it, away from the fog of the controversy?”  As ridiculous as it sounded when Mrs. Pelosi said it, she was correct.  That’s because much of the Obamacare bill was the equivalent of “fill in the blank.”  That is, much of the Obamacare bill merely specified the actual laws (aka regulations) would be written and enacted later by various government agencies and departments (headed by political appointees) and not subject to approval by Congress.  As a result, no one knows the full extent of Obamacare because parts of it literally have not been written yet.  You can’t communicate what you don’t know.  Again, that’s by design.

Third, it’s likely the left intentionally kept quiet about what’s in Obamacare because they know what’s in it isn’t/won’t be popular.

Finally, the Times – allegedly a NEWSpaper – is complaining Democrats have done a poor job of communicating about what’s in Obamacare?  Either as the lefty propaganda outlet it is, or as a legitimate NEWS outlet (No laughing, please.), isn’t it a job of the Times and other so-called NEWS outlets to inform us about what’s in Obamacare?  Doesn’t the press like to refer to itself as the “Fourth Estate?”