Putting out the fire of healthcare takeover

As State Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner, the safety and protection of our
citizens is my job. That is what Georgians elected me to do. That is why I cannot
be silent about the government takeover of healthcare that the U.S. House of Representatives
is proposing this week. If your mental smoke alarm has batteries, it should be going
off now.

First, a government takeover of anything usually results in higher prices and poorer
service. Think about what has happened to our schools with the price-per-pupil continuing
to rise and test scores staying flat or only inching up. The unions, such as the
National Education Association, have resisted educational choice with every fiber
in their being. They have used dues from hard-working Georgia teachers to lobby
against even the most basic educational choice. Obama's so called "public-option"
is nothing more than the first step of government takeover.

The government acquisition of General Motors may save the Camaro and the Corvette,
but may give the new company such an unfair financial advantage that it drives Ford
Motor Company to the brink of bankruptcy. This kind of meddling in the private sector
was certainly not a mandate from any voter back in November. And if the members
of Congress aren't careful, they are going to allow the president to do the same
thing to the healthcare network in America.

Second, destroying the private sector in healthcare would substitute bureaucratic
planning and control for competition and consumer choice. I realize that the word
"destroying" sounds pretty strong. But when you are able to undercut the private
healthcare market, and then add a trillion dollars of new taxes to pay for it, the
result will be companies going out of business. And, all the while, workers likely
will be forced into the government-sponsored plan simply because it is less costly
for employers, even though the care may be inferior. In a word, a monopoly is created.
And when that monopoly can decide whether you live or die, it is too powerful.
How did a country built on the entrepreneurial spirit ever get to a point where
we take glee in seeing the freemarket punished and forced into bankruptcy? This
is not the kind of leadership we need in Washington, Atlanta-or Moscow for that
matter.

Third, as the government-run healthcare plan gobbles up business, there would be
no incentive to improve quality or increase efficiency, but instead we'll see eventual
efforts to control costs by restricting access and choice-such as happens now in
England and Canada. When the good people of Georgia have to wait months or years
for surgery or specialized medical care, we'll know the house is on fire. Access
and Choice will decrease-not increase.

The societal engineers who want to tear down the private sector in health insurance
don't want to be honest about the "uninsured" statistics either. They pad the numbers
with illegal aliens, with young people who choose not to be insured (because they
often think they are invincible), and with people in transition between jobs. So,
before we take such drastic action, let's do more to encourage the non-profit clinics
out there providing a medical home to the uninsured-clinics such as the Good Samaritan
Health Center in Atlanta and the Athens Neighborhood Health Center.

Fourth, have you ever thought that if government can't afford to finance existing
programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, then providing health
care for all our citizens might really be tricky? We must wake up and smell the
smoke before it's too late.

I travel the state frequently and often tout the importance of changing the batteries
in smoke detectors and testing the equipment at least once per year. Fellow citizens,
the detector in all our brains is beeping incessantly trying to warn us of a disaster
that awaits if we allow this takeover. Yet, our smooth talking president and his
big-government allies in the U.S. Congress are telling us it is a false alarm and
urging everyone to return to business as usual. This is a mistake, and as a statewide-elected
official in Georgia, I must urge you to tell your Congressman to vacate this hasty
plan and return to sanity.

Finally, let's think about the future. Do you possibly want to saddle your children,
your nieces and nephews, and even your grandchildren with trillions of future tax
payments when we can't pay the debt we already have?

The house is on fire-but the fire can be put out. Call the White House and the U.S.
House of Representatives today and tell them to back away from this ill-considered
government takeover of healthcare. Urge them to delay this rushed effort to socialize
the best medical system in the world.

By Commissioner John Oxendine

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Oxendine Statement on Campaign Contributions‏

I appreciate all those who have expressed their support these past few days as our campaign has addressed an issue related to contributions made to our campaign.

As it appeared to us, these were not checks from an insurance company we regulate. Additionally, it appeared that these checks were from different entities, not controlled by the same person or people. Under those facts, as we understood them, accepting these contributions was perfectly legal.

Based on facts that have recently come to light, previously unknown to us, we have concerns whether our understanding of the facts were complete. Last week, before these facts fully came to light, we filed an advisory opinion request with the Georgia State Ethics Commission.

Out of an abundance of caution, I decided to return the funds pending advice from the State Ethics Commission.

Let me be transparent and direct with the taxpayers of Georgia. I have promised to transform Georgia government. Although my staff and legal counsel, Stefan Passantino of McKenna, Long and Aldridge, advise that we have done nothing illegal, based on the facts as we know them, I am concerned Georgia voters might see this as politics as usual. Therefore, last week, immediately after my initial awareness of this matter, I ordered the process be set in motion to return every single contribution in question and to seek advice as to our rights and obligations to the State Ethics Commission.

I have criticized this as a hit piece and the facts are thus: Mr. Passantino communicated via email with the AJC reporter last Friday that they were to speak today. It is unfortunate that the AJC elected to move forward with this piece before having spoken with Mr. Passantino to get our side of the story.

Had this occurred, the story would not have been an issue because the AJC would have had the opportunity to report that the money had already been returned and that we had previously initiated a request for guidance and clarification from the State Ethics Commission.

The critics have questioned my personal integrity. I respect each of you as voters. I realize that many Georgians support our campaign and some oppose it. However, I am determined that those who do oppose my campaign, do so based on honorable disagreements on the issues and not based on a question of my integrity as it relates to campaign contributions.

I will run a non-traditional campaign and be a different type of Governor. I hope that today I have taken steps to demonstrate my sincerity to Georgia. It is my desire to have a campaign that is a positive, issue-oriented campaign based on traditional Reagan conservative values.

When reporters cover issues such as campaign contributions as opposed to covering the important issues before Georgia of transportation, education, water, health care, jobs, agriculture, and the Fair Tax, nothing is done to improve the lives of working families in Georgia.

I am pleased this matter is behind us and welcome the opportunity to listen to Georgians about those issues important to them and to talk about my Contract with Georgia.

John Oxendine
Oxendine Working for Georgia

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Political News You Can Use

Video: PTC Mayor Harold Logdson Announcing Candidacy for Georgia Insurance Commissioner

5/3/09 Mayor Harold Logsdon, Peachtree City, announced his candidacy for State Insurance Commissioner at the Fayette County Republican First Saturday Breakfast yesterday. The Breakfast is held each month at IHOP in Fayetteville. City Councilman Don Haddix had previously announced he would be running for Peachtree City Mayor. Shelby Barker is running for the seat being vacated by Haddix. To find out more about state races visit Georgia Front Page. We will be following local races on the Fayette Front Page. Senator Eric Johnson, a candidate for Governor, and State GOP Chair Sue Everhart also spoke at the breakfast. We will be posting videos of both talks on the Georgia Front Page.

PTC Mayor to Announce for GA State Insurance Commissioner

Rumor has it that Mayor Harold Logsdon, one term Peachtree City Georgia Mayor, is going to announce he'll run for State Insurance Commissioner at tomorrow's Fayette County Republican Breakfast. We'll be there to see if the rumor is true...

Current State Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine is running for Governor. Senator Seth Harp (Columbus / Muskogee County area) announced a few weeks ago that he would be seeking the Republican nomination for the seat.

The Fayette County Republican Breakfast is held at the International House of Pancakes in Fayetteville. 9 a.m.

Peachtree City Council member Don Haddix is running for Peachtree City Mayor.

John McCain's Remarks at Rally in Concord, NC today

It's great to be here in North Carolina. This is a must-win state on November 4th, and early voting is taking place now, so make sure you get out there and make your voice heard. With your help, we're going to win North Carolina, and bring change to Washington, DC.

We had a good debate this week, and I thought I did pretty well, but let's have some straight talk: the real winner this week was Joe the Plumber. Joe won, because he's the only person to get a real answer out of Senator Obama about his plans for our country. Congratulations Joe. That is an impressive achievement.

Now, Joe didn't ask for Senator Obama to come to his house, and he didn't ask to be famous. He certainly didn't ask for the political attacks on him from the Obama campaign. Joe's dream is to own a small business that will create jobs in his community, and the attacks on him are an attack on small businesses all over the country that employ 84% of Americans. We learned more about Senator Obama's plans from Joe's question than we've learned in months of speeches by Senator Obama.

We learned that Senator Obama's economic goal is, as he told Joe, is to quote "spread the wealth around." He believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that grow our economy and create jobs and opportunities for all Americans. This explains some big problems with my opponent's claim that he will cut income taxes for 95 percent of Americans. You might ask: How do you cut income taxes for 95 percent of Americans, when more than 40 percent pay no income taxes right now? How do you reduce the number zero?

Well, that's the key to Barack Obama's whole plan: Since you can't reduce taxes on those who pay zero, the government will write them all checks called a tax credit. And the Treasury will have to cover those checks by taxing other people, including a lot of folks just like Joe. In other words, Barack Obama's plan to raise taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it's just another government giveaway.

The Obama tax increase would come at the worst possible time for America, and especially for small businesses like the one Joe dreams of owning. The small businesses Senator Obama would tax provide 16 million jobs in America. And a sudden tax hike will kill some of those jobs at a time when need to be creating more jobs. I'm not going to let that happen.

America has an alternative to the phony tax cut my opponent started talking about only months ago. The McCain-Palin tax cut is the real thing. We're going to double the child deduction for every family. We will cut the capital gains tax. And we will cut business taxes to help create jobs, and keep American businesses in America.

As Joe has now reminded us all, America didn't become the greatest nation on earth by giving our money to the government to "spread the wealth around." In this country, we believe in spreading opportunity, for those who need jobs and those who create them. And that is exactly what I intend to do as President of the United States.

This is the choice that we face. These are hard times. Our economy is in crisis. Americans are fighting in two wars. We face many enemies in this dangerous world, and many challenges here at home.

The next President won't have time to get used to the office. He will have to act immediately. We cannot spend the next four years as we have spent much of the last eight: waiting for our luck to change. We have to act immediately. I said it at the last debate: I'm not George Bush; if Senator Obama wants to run against George Bush, he should have run for President 4 years ago. We need a new direction now. We have to fight for it.

I've been fighting for this country since I was seventeen years old, and I have the scars to prove it. If I'm elected President, I will fight to take America in a new direction from my first day in office until my last. I'm not afraid of the fight, I'm ready for it.

I'm not going to spend $700 billion dollars of your money just bailing out the Wall Street bankers and brokers who got us into this mess. I'm going to make sure we take care of the people who were devastated by the excesses of Wall Street and Washington. I'm going to spend a lot of that money to bring relief to you, and I'm not going to wait sixty days to start doing it.

I have a plan to protect the value of your home and get it rising again by buying up bad mortgages and refinancing them so if your neighbor defaults he doesn't bring down the value of your house with him.

I have a plan to let retirees and people nearing retirement keep their money in their retirement accounts longer so they can rebuild their savings.

I have a plan to hold the line on taxes and cut them to make America more competitive and create jobs here at home.

Raising taxes makes a bad economy much worse. Keeping taxes low creates jobs, keeps money in your hands and strengthens our economy.

The explosion of government spending over the last eight years has put us deeper in debt to foreign countries that don't have our best interests at heart. It weakened the dollar and made everything you buy more expensive.

If I'm elected President, I won't spend nearly a trillion dollars more of your money, on top of the $700 billion we just gave the Treasury Secretary, as Senator Obama proposes. Because he can't do that without raising your taxes or digging us further into debt. I'm going to make government live on a budget just like you do.

I will freeze government spending on all but the most important programs like defense, veterans care, Social Security and health care until we scrub every single government program and get rid of the ones that aren't working for the American people. And I will veto every single pork barrel bill Congresses passes.

If I'm elected President, I won't fine small businesses and families with children, as Senator Obama proposes, to force them into a new huge government run health care program, while he keeps the cost of the fine a secret until he hits you with it. I will bring down the skyrocketing cost of health care with competition and choice to lower your premiums, and make it more available to more Americans. I'll make sure you can keep the same health plan if you change jobs or leave a job to stay home.

I will provide every single American family with a $5000 refundable tax credit to help them purchase health care insurance. Workers who already have insurance from their employers will keep it and have more money to cover costs. Workers who don't have health insurance can use it to find policy anywhere in this country to meet their basic needs.

If I'm elected President, I won't raise taxes on small businesses, as Senator Obama proposes, and force them to cut jobs. I will keep small business taxes where they are, help them keep their costs low, and let them spend their earnings to create more jobs.

If I'm elected President, I won't make it harder to sell our goods overseas and kill more jobs as Senator Obama proposes. I will open new markets to goods made in America and make sure our trade is free and fair. And I'll make sure we help workers who've lost a job that won't come back find a new one that won't go away.

The last President to raise taxes and restrict trade in a bad economy as Senator Obama proposes was Herbert Hoover. That didn't turn out too well. They say those who don't learn the lessons of history are doomed to repeat them. Well, my friends, I know my history lessons, and I sure won't make the mistakes Senator Obama will.

If I'm elected President, we're going to stop sending $700 billion to countries that don't like us very much. I won't argue to delay drilling for more oil and gas and building new nuclear power plants in America, as Senator Obama does.

We will start new drilling now. We will invest in all energy alternatives -- nuclear, wind, solar, and tide. We will encourage the manufacture of hybrid, flex fuel and electric automobiles. We will invest in clean coal technology. We will lower the cost of energy within months, and we will create millions of new jobs.

Let me give you the state of the race today. We have 17 days to go. We're 6 points down. The national media has written us off. Senator Obama is measuring the drapes, and planning with Speaker Pelosi and Senator Reid to raise taxes, increase spending, and concede defeat in Iraq. But they forgot to let you decide. My friends, we've got them just where we want them.
What America needs in this hour is a fighter; someone who puts all his cards on the table and trusts the judgment of the American people. I have fought for you most of my life. There are other ways to love this country, but I've never been the kind to do it from the sidelines.

I know you're worried. America is a great country, but we are at a moment of national crisis that will determine our future. Will we continue to lead the world's economies or will we be overtaken? Will the world become safer or more dangerous? Will our military remain the strongest in the world? Will our children and grandchildren's future be brighter than ours?
My answer to you is yes. Yes, we will lead. Yes, we will prosper. Yes, we will be safer. Yes, we will pass on to our children a stronger, better country. But we must be prepared to act swiftly, boldly, with courage and wisdom.

I know what fear feels like. It's a thief in the night who robs your strength.

I know what hopelessness feels like. It's an enemy who defeats your will.

I felt those things once before. I will never let them in again. I'm an American. And I choose to fight. Don't give up hope. Be strong. Have courage. And fight.

Fight for a new direction for our country. Fight for what's right for America.

Fight to clean up the mess of corruption, infighting and selfishness in Washington.

Fight to get our economy out of the ditch and back in the lead.

Fight for the ideals and character of a free people.

Fight for our children's future.

Fight for justice and opportunity for all.

Stand up to defend our country from its enemies.

Stand up, stand up, stand up and fight. America is worth fighting for. Nothing is inevitable here.
We never give up. We never quit. We never hide from history. We make history.

Now, let's go win this election and get this country moving again.

Just Words: Barack Obama's Medicare Malpractice And Lies

Today, in Virginia, Barack Obama committed malpractice by accusing John McCain of trying to cut Medicare services and benefits. Nothing could be further from the truth. Check out Barack Obama's top Medicare lies below:

OBAMA MEDICARE MALPRACTICE #1: The Very Same Reforms That Barack Obama Calls "Cuts" Under John McCain, He Says Will "Strengthen" Medicare Under His Program
THE MALPRACTICE: While Saying Today That John McCain's Reforms Will "Cut" Medicare Spending, Barack Obama Says He Will "Strengthen" Medicare With His Reforms. OBAMA: "So what would Senator McCain's cuts mean for Medicare at a time when more and more Americans are relying on it? It would mean a cut of more than 20 percent in Medicare benefits next year. ... I think every single American has a right to affordable accessible health care. We can strengthen Medicare by eliminating wasteful subsidies to big HMOs in Medicare, and making sure seniors can access home-based care, and letting Medicare negotiate with drug companies for better prices. That's the kind of change we need." (Barack Obama, Remarks As Prepared For Delivery, Roanoke, VA, 10/17/08)

THE TRUTH: Just Two Days Ago, Barack Obama Highlighted His Own "Cut" To Medicare Spending. OBAMA: "And some of the cuts, just to give you an example, we spend $15 billion a year on subsidies to insurance companies. It doesn't -- under the Medicare plan -- it doesn't help seniors get any better. It's not improving our health care system. It's just a giveaway." (CNN, Presidential Candidate Debate, Hempstead, NY, 10/15/08)

THE TRUTH: One Such "Cut" That John McCain Must Support Under Barack Obama's Logic Is A Reform That Today, Barack Obama Said Would "Strengthen" Medicare.

MCCAIN: "Government programs such as Medicare and Medicaid should lead the way in health care reforms that improve quality and lower costs. Medicare reimbursement now rewards institutions and clinicians who provide more and more complex services. We need to change the way providers are paid to focus their attention more on chronic disease and managing their treatment. This is the most important care for an aging population. There have been a variety of state-based experiments such as Cash and Counseling or The Program of All-Inclusive Care for the Elderly, called PACE, that are different from the inflexible approaches for delivering care to people in the home setting. Seniors are given a monthly allowance that they can use to hire workers and purchase care- related services and goods. They can get help managing their care by designating representatives, such as relatives or friends, to help make decisions. It also offers counseling and bookkeeping services to assist consumers in handling their programmatic responsibilities. In these approaches, participants were much more likely to have their needs met and be satisfied with their care. Moreover, any concerns about consumers' safety appeared to be misplaced. For every age group in every state, participants were no more likely to suffer care-related health problems." (John McCain, Remarks, Tampa, FL, 4/29/08)

OBAMA MEDICARE MALPRACTICE #2: Barack Obama Implies The Wall Street Journal Reported John McCain Plans To "Cut" Medicare By $882 Billion -- The Number Is Not Reported By The Journal But Made Up By The Obama-Supporting Center For American Progress

THE MALPRACTICE: Today, Barack Obama Implied That The Wall Street Journal Reported John McCain Plans To "Cut" Medicare By $882 Billion. OBAMA: "But the Wall Street Journal recently reported that it's actually worse than we thought. It turns out, Senator McCain would pay for part of his plan by making drastic cuts in Medicare -- $882 billion worth. $882 billion in Medicare cuts to pay for an ill-conceived health care plan, even as Medicare already faces a looming shortfall." (Barack Obama, Remarks As Prepared For Delivery, Roanoke, VA, 10/17/08)

THE TRUTH: Barack Obama Is Basically Citing His Own Campaign Because The Report Comes From The Liberal-Leaning, Obama-Supporting Center For American Progress. "Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) disclosed this week that he would cut $1.3 trillion from Medicare and Medicaid to pay for his health care plan. ...The McCain plan will cut $882 billion from the Medicare program, roughly 13 percent of Medicare's projected spending over a 10-year period." (Peter Harbage, Karen Davenport and Ellen-Marie Whelan, "McCain's Latest Health Care Strategy," Center For American Progress, 10/7/08)

OBAMA MEDICARE MALPRACTICE #3: Barack Obama Accuses John McCain Of Not Being Forthcoming About His Health Care Plan Just One Day After His Own Campaign Refused To Answer Questions About His Plan

THE MALPRACTICE: Today, Barack Obama Said That John McCain Has Not Shared All The Detail Of His Health Care Plan. OBAMA: "Senator McCain has been eager to share some details of his health care plan -- but not all. Like those ads for prescription drugs, you have to read the fine print to learn the full story." (Barack Obama, Remarks As Prepared For Delivery, Roanoke, VA, 10/17/08)

THE TRUTH: Just Yesterday, The Obama Campaign Said That It Had "No Plans" To Detail How Much Of A Fine Small Business Not Offering Health Insurance Would Have To Pay Under The Obama Health Care Plan. "As the presidential candidates push their competing health-care plans, Sen. John McCain regularly presses Sen. Barack Obama to tell voters how big a fine he would impose on companies that don't offer their workers health insurance. ... Obama officials say the campaign has no plans to answer that question before Election Day on Nov. 4. Neera Tanden, a top Obama policy adviser, said the fine is intended to discourage employers from dropping coverage, not to raise significant revenue." (Laura Meckler, "McCain Presses Obama On Health-Plan Penalties," The Wall Street Journal, 10/16/08)

THE TRUTH: Barack Obama's Plan Has "Little" To Say About The "Immediate Challenge" Of Taming The "Soaring Costs Of Medicare And Medicaid." "While Senators Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama fight over who has the better health plan for the uninsured, they say little about a more immediate challenge that will confront the next administration, whether Democratic or Republican: how to tame the soaring costs of Medicare and Medicaid." (Robert Pear, "About Those Health Care Plans By The Democrats," The New York Times, 3/3/08)

THE TRUTH: Barack Obama Has "Not Focused On The Dour Forecast For Today's Workers Who Hope Someday To Be Enrolled In Medicare." "Clinton and Obama have also said they would raise the current income tax rates on upper-income people to help pay for offering insurance to younger and middle-aged Americans who now have none. But their health insurance rhetoric has not focused on the dour forecast for today's workers who hope someday to be enrolled in Medicare." (Tom Curry, "Next President To Inherit Medicare Morass," MSNBC News, www.msnbc.msn.com, 3/25/08)

Barack obama's Health Care Record

With Barack Obama lying about John McCain's health care plan today, please find below the facts about Barack Obama's health care record:

BARACK OBAMA RECENTLY ACKNOWLEDGED HIS PLAN WILL COST AT LEAST $150 BILLION A YEAR

Despite What He Claimed Today, Barack Obama Recently Said His Plan Will Cost At Least $150 Billion, Despite Earlier Claims That It Will Cost Much Less:

Barack Obama Said On "60 Minutes" That His Plan Would Cost At Least $150 Billion. CBS' Steve Kroft: "How much is it going to cost? $150 billion it's going to cost, right?" Obama: "It is. It is. But we pay for every dime that we propose to spend. I believe in pay as you go. That if you want to propose a new program, you better cut some old ones. If you want to expand a program, then you better figure out where the money's coming from." (CBS' "60 Minutes," 9/21/08)

Previously, Barack Obama Said His Plan Will Save The Average Person $2,500 Per Year And Will Cost Taxpayers Between $50-$65 Billion Per Year. "Obama said his plan could save the average consumer $2,500 a year and bring health care to all. Campaign aides estimated the cost of the program at $50 billion to $65 billion a year, financed largely by eliminating tax cuts for the wealthy that are scheduled to expire." (Mike Glover, "The Time Has Come For Universal, Affordable Health Care, Obama Says," The Associated Press, 5/29/07)

BARACK OBAMA'S CLAIM THAT HIS PLAN SAVES FAMILIES $2,500 IS BASED ON "MISLEADING MATH"

There Is "Zero Credible Evidence" That The Obama Plan Will Lower The Costs Insurance Premiums By $2,500, Which Is Based Off Of "Misleading Math":

Obama's Pledge To Lower Health Care Premiums By $2,500 In His First Term "Is A Matter Of Considerable Dispute" Among Experts. "In speech after speech, Senator Barack Obama has pledged that he will lower the country's health care costs enough to 'bring down premiums by $2,500 for the typical family.' Moreover, Mr. Obama, the presumptive Democratic nominee, has promised that his health plan will be in place 'by the end of my first term as president of the United States.' Whether Mr. Obama can deliver is a matter of considerable dispute among health analysts and economists." (Kevin Sack, "Obstacles For Obama In Meeting Health Care Goal," The New York Times, 7/23/08)

A Health Policy Professor At The University Of North Carolina-Chapel Hill Said The Savings In The Obama Plan Are "Wishful Thinking." "Jonathan B. Oberlander, who teaches health policy at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, called it wishful thinking. 'Do they have the potential to generate significant savings in the long run?' Dr. Oberlander asked. 'Yes. Do I believe they will produce substantial savings in the short run that can be used to finance Obama's plan? No.'" (Kevin Sack, "Obstacles For Obama In Meeting Health Care Goal," The New York Times, 7/23/08)

M.I.T.'s Jonathan Gruber Said That There Is "Zero Credible Evidence" That The Obama Plan Will Save The Average Family On The Costs Of Insurance Premiums. "Experts also are skeptical of both [Obama and Clinton's] claims that their plans will reduce the cost of insurance for the typical family by $2,000 or more. 'I know zero credible evidence to support that conclusion,' says M.I.T's Jonathan Gruber." (Factcheck.org Website, www.factcheck.org, Accessed 6/9/08)

Factcheck.Org Said Obama's Claim That His Plan Will Cut Insurance Premium Costs By $2,500 Is "A Bit Of Misleading Math." "That's a bit of misleading math. It assumes individual Americans will share in all of the savings for the health care system, which includes insurance companies, the government and health care providers. Obama claims families will save $2,500 under his plan, but they won't see at least some of those savings directly in the form of lower premiums. And they may not see them indirectly either." (Factcheck.Org, www.factcheck.org, Accessed 6/16/08)

BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN WILL BURDEN BUSINESSES WITH A MANDATE AND IS VAGUE ABOUT WHICH ONES ARE EXEMPT

Barack Obama's Health Care Plan Requires Employers To Provide Insurance Or Contribute A Percentage Of Their Payroll To The Public Plan:

Barack Obama's Plan Includes Required Employer Coverage Similar To The Failed Clinton Mandate Of 1993. "Obama would require almost all employers to offer insurance to workers or face a tax penalty, an idea that many businesses abhor and that is also in Edwards's proposal. This employer mandate drove much of the opposition to the Clinton plan in 1994." (Anne E. Kornblut and Perry Bacon Jr., "Obama Says Washington Is Ready For Health Plan," The Washington Post, 5/30/07)

· "In Addition, Mandated Employer Coverage Has Faced Fierce Opposition In The Past And Likely Will Again, [New America Foundation Len] Nichols Said." (JoNel Aleccia, "Overhauling Health Care: Two Divergent Visions," MSNBC News, www.msnbc.msn.com, 9/22/08)

Barack Obama Is Vague On The Specifics Small Businesses Have To Meet In Order To Be Exempt From His Employer Mandate:

Obama's Campaign Has Not "Put Out A Specific Number" When Asked To Identify Which Small Businesses Would Qualify For The Small Business Exemption And Tax Credit. "Under Obama's health plan, businesses over an unspecified size would have to either make a 'meaningful contribution' to their employees' health coverage or else pay an undefined percentage of payroll towards the costs of the national plan. Obama has also promised 'small businesses' that he would provide them with a refundable tax credit worth up to 50 percent of what they contribute towards their employees' health premiums. 'We haven't put out a specific number,' said Jason Furman, Obama's director of economic policy, when asked by ABC News to identify who would be covered by Obama's small business exemption and health-care tax credit." (Gregory Wallace and Teddy Davis, "Obama Fuzzy On 'Small Business' Exemption," ABC's "Political Radar" Blog, blogs.abcnews.com, 8/5/08)

Obama's Campaign Has Not Laid Out Details About How Much The Play Or Pay Or Tax Would Be For Those Who Don't Offer Health Insurance Or Which Small Businesses Are Exempt. "The campaign has not said how large the tax would be for businesses that opt not to offer insurance, or how small a business would have to be to be excluded from the requirement. If the payroll tax is too low, say 6 percent, many businesses will opt to pay it instead of offering insurance, sending their employees into the public program and boosting federal costs, he noted." (JoNel Aleccia, "Overhauling Health Care: Two Divergent Visions," MSNBC News, www.msnbc.msn.com, 9/22/08)

Obama's Staff "Declined To Be More Specific" For The Philadelphia Inquirer About His Employer Mandate. "Under [Obama's] plan, employers either would give employees 'meaningful' insurance coverage or pay a percentage of payroll to provide coverage for the uninsured. His staff declined to be more specific." (Stacey Burling, "Clinton, Obama Differ Slightly On Health Plans," The Philadelphia Inquirer, 4/15/08)

BARACK OBAMA SAID HIS PLAN MAY LEAD TO A SINGLE-PAYER PLAN "OVER TIME"

Barack Obama Suggested His Health Care Plan Could Lead To A Single-Payer System "Over Time":

Barack Obama Says His Health Care Plan Could Lead To Single-Payer System "Over Time." Obama: "If I were designing a system from scratch, then I'd probably set up a single-payer system. ... But the problem is we're not starting from scratch. ... Making that transition in a rapid way I think would be very difficult. ... So my attitude is let's build up the system we got, let's make it more efficient, we may be over time -- as we make the system more efficient and everybody's cover -- decide that there are other ways for us to provide care more effectively." (Barack Obama, Remarks At A Campaign Event, Albuquerque, NM, 8/18/08)

Barack Obama Was A Self-Described "Proponent" Of Single-Payer Health Care, But Later Backtracked:

Barack Obama Was A "Proponent Of A Single-Payer Health Care Program" And Said It Could Happen If Democrats Occupied The White House And A Majority In Congress. Obama: "I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer health care program. I see no reason why the United States of America, the wealthiest country in the history of the world cannot provide basic health insurance to everybody. A single-payer health care plan, a universal health care plan. And that's what I'd like to see. And as all of you know, we may not get there immediately. Because first we have to take back the White House, we have to take back the Senate, we have to take back the House." (Barack Obama, Remarks At AFL-CIO Forum, Chicago, IL, 6/30/03)

In 2008, Barack Obama Said He Would Only Support A Single-Payer System If "Starting From Scratch." Obama: "[I] never said that we should try to go ahead and get single payer. What I said was that if I were starting from scratch, if we didn't have a system in which employers had typically provided health care, I would probably go with a single-payer system." (Barack Obama, CNN/Congressional Black Caucus Democrat Presidential Candidates Debate, Myrtle Beach, SC, 1/21/08)

KEY DEMOCRATS DOUBT THAT BARACK OBAMA'S PLAN WILL PASS

Senate Democrats Are Already Raising Doubts About The Likelihood That The Obama Plan Will Pass:

Senior Congressional Democrats Are "Maneuvering To Lower Public Expectations" Of Barack Obama's Health Care Promises. "Congressional Democrats are backing away from healthcare reform promises made by their two presidential candidates, saying that even if their party controls the White House and Congress, sweeping change will be difficult. It is still seven months before Election Day, but already senior Democrats are maneuvering to lower public expectations on the key policy issue." (Manu Raju, "Dems Hedge On Healthcare," The Hill, 4/23/08)

Barack Obama's Promises To Deliver Universal Care On The Campaign Trail "May Not Match The Political Reality On Capitol Hill." "For some senators, the promises made by Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.) outside of Washington may not match the political reality on Capitol Hill." (Manu Raju, "Dems Hedge On Healthcare," The Hill, 4/23/08)

Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) On The Obama Health Care Plan: "We all know there is not enough money to do all this stuff. . What they are doing is...laying out their ambitions." (Manu Raju, "Dems Hedge On Healthcare," The Hill, 4/23/08)

Sen. Chuck Schumer Questions If The U.S. Is "Ready For A Major National Heath Care Plan." "Sen. Charles Schumer (N.Y.), a member of Senate Democratic leadership and a key Hillary Clinton ally who also sits on the Finance Committee, said he is 'not sure we have the big plan on healthcare. ... Healthcare I feel strongly about, but I am not sure that we're ready for a major national healthcare plan,' Schumer said." (Manu Raju, "Dems Hedge On Healthcare," The Hill, 4/23/08)

IN ILLINOIS, OBAMA HAD A "PERFECT VOTING RECORD" IN FAVOR OF STATE MANDATES

In Illinois, Barack Obama Had A "Perfect Voting Record" On Insurance Mandates That Are Now In Place In Illinois And Have Increased The Cost Of Health Care In Illinois:
"Obama Voted For All" Of The 18 Insurance Mandates That Passed During His Time As A State Senator. "Today, the requirement is one of 43 mandates imposed by Illinois on health insurance, according to the Illinois Division of Insurance. ... By my count, during Mr. Obama's tenure in the state Senate, 18 different laws came up for a vote and passed that imposed new mandates on private health insurance. Mr. Obama voted for all of them." (Scott Gottlieb, Op-Ed, "Obama's Health Care Record," The Wall Street Journal, 5/5/08)

According To American Enterprise Institute's Scott Gottlieb, Barack Obama Had A "Perfect Voting Record" On Enacting State Mandates That Have Increased Insurance Costs. Gottlieb: "The fact is that about 18 in all, bills came up - public acts came up that would impose new mandates on private insurance plans about things they had to cover and [Obama] voted for all of them. He had a perfect voting record. We know as a matter of policy, these state mandates end up increasing cost. Many of them are pushed by special minutes the states. In the case of dental anesthesia, pushed by the dentists, this is far more complicated dental procedures. Nonetheless, these are things that people may be willing to fund out of pocket or partially pay for. By mandating them, insurance companies need to cover the cost, it ends up increasing the cost of health insurance and cost of basic policies which in many cases is all people can afford." (CNBC's "Squawk Box," 5/6/08)

· Barack Obama "Clearly" Did Not Stand Up To Special Interest In Illinois By Consistently Voting In Favor Of Insurance Mandates. Gottlieb: "[B]arack Obama was hardly alone for voting for state mandates. In fairness, they have become less popular because a lot of states are realizing they do increase the cost of health insurance. But he's out on the campaign trail talking about his willingness to stand up to special interests in order to control costs. In the state of Illinois, he clearly didn't do that. He voted for all of these state mandates. In fact, he voted for a lot of additional insurance regulation, some of which we didn't count because we didn't feel it fit the mold of what you call a mandate. If you include the insurance regulation he voted for, voting record was 21 out of 21 public acts that came up." (CNBC's "Squawk Box," 5/6/08)