Doubts On Healthcare Reform Growing

Always beware the dire proclamation that action is required immediately and without reflection -- especially when that action is political in nature.

The nominally 60 vote fillibuster-proof Democrat controlled Senate and majority controlled House have put together no less than 3 competing health care reform bills that vary wildly and run on to 1,000 pages or more and they still can't get a health care reform bill done. That's because the liberal wing demands a public option - which is not optional - to compete with private insurance, the Blue Dogs demand fiscal responsibility, and the conservatives are staunchly opposed to a single payer system.

Looks like there are more cracks than bricks. Congress is a deliberative body -- it's supposed to be slow so that all sides are heard and the best consensus can be made before actually making law. Some elitists, nevertheless, are determined to cram "reform" down our throats any way they can, including brazen suspension of the rules and demonizing any opposition.

According to the spokesman for Harry Reid, the Senate majority leader:

"The White House and the Senate Democratic leadership still prefer a bipartisan bill. However, patience is not unlimited, and we are determined to get something done this year by any legislative means necessary." (emphasis added)

However, the backlash is beginning to gain momentum. Star Parker writes in her column:

[Scripps] Health sharing ministries is one particularly beautiful example of how faithful Americans take care of themselves when allowed to be free. But there are many others.

In thousands of homeless shelters around the country, charitable Americans provide complete health care for the homeless. There are 5000 crisis pregnancy centers, financed privately by charitable Americans that provide free care for pregnant women.

Many creative ideas have been put forth on how American health care delivery can be dramatically improved if markets are allowed to work. John Mackey, chairman of Whole Foods, listed eight in a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed.

In another Wall Street Journal column, a University of Chicago Business School professor explained how forward purchases of insurance could deal with the problem of pre-existing conditions.

But, Barack Obama and congressional Democrats have slammed the door on all this. They only want to hear about more government. Not less.

The problem isn't that dissenting Americans are immoral. It's that Democrat leadership has a problem with individual freedom.

Even independant Sen. Joe Lieberman, who caucuses with the Democrats, has expressed doubts about the wisdom of rushing through such an important piece of legislation.

"And I'm afraid we've got to think about putting a lot of that off until the economy is out of recession. There's no reason we have to do it all now."

It is a fallacy to declare in this case that any action is better than none at all. When you are playing with one sixth of the nation's economy and more importantly with people's lives, it's better to go slow and get it right than to botch it by rushing and forcing it on everyone in the name of the public interest.