United Liberty

In case you had any question that economist Paul Krugman is nothing more than a shill for the Obama Administration and its policies, here is a recent statement that should convince you:

What would real action on health look like? Well, it might include things like giving an independent commission the power to ensure that Medicare only pays for procedures with real medical value; rewarding health care providers for delivering quality care rather than simply paying a fixed sum for every procedure; limiting the tax deductibility of private insurance plans; and so on.

And what do these things have in common? They’re all in last year’s health reform bill.

That’s why I say that Mr. Obama gets too little credit. He has done more to rein in long-run deficits than any previous president.

The folks from NewsButers cite this piece from Townhall.com that should shoot down any notion of fiscal responsibility from President Barack Obama’s health care “reform” legislation. It shows that to achieve the so-called “savings” in ObamaCare, the administration is:

Below is a collection of several links that we didn’t get around to writing about, but still wanted to post for readers to examine. The stories typically range from news about prominent figures in the liberty movement, national politics, the nanny state, foreign policy and free markets.

Over at the Wall Street Journal, Peter Suderman explains how ObamaCare is hitting states hard by expanding access to Medicaid:

At roughly 21% of total state spending, Medicaid is already the single largest item in state budgets, according to the National Association of State Budget Officers. Between 2008 and 2009 (the latest year for which figures are available), annual spending growth on the program nearly doubled, growing to 9% from 4.9%.

Medicaid currently covers 53 million people at an overall cost of $373.9 billion (states are responsible for about half). But starting in 2014, ObamaCare rules will add about 20 million more, according to Richard Foster, the program’s chief actuary.

Yet state budgets are already being squeezed. Washington state, facing a $5.7 billion budget hole, has ordered the Medicaid program to cut its budget by 6.3%. The state cannot reduce eligibility to enroll without jeopardizing federal funding altogether. Its only option is to eliminate “optional benefits” (not federally required) such as dental services and speech therapy—one of the options suggested in Ms. Sebelius’s letter. That sounds good, but it’s not enough. “Even if we eliminate every single optional benefit, we still don’t get there,” Doug Porter, the state’s Medicaid director, told Governing magazine.

To consider what the expansion of Medicaid under ObamaCare might do to the states, take a look at Massachusetts and Tennessee. In 2006, Massachusetts overhauled its entire health-care system, including a significant expansion of Medicaid. This expansion is costing the state far more than expected. Gov. Deval Patrick approved a record-setting $9.6 billion to cover its share of Medicaid costs last July. It wasn’t enough. He’s already gone back to the legislature twice, adding almost $600 million in additional funds.

Below is a collection of several links that we didn’t get around to writing about, but still wanted to post for readers to examine. The stories typically range from news about prominent figures in the liberty movement, national politics, the nanny state, foreign policy and free markets.

Yesterday, Rep. Ron Paul (R-TX) joined Morning Joe to discuss spending and economics, foreign policy, Donald Trump and his straw poll victory at CPAC:

Below is a collection of several links that we didn’t get around to writing about, but still wanted to post for readers to examine. The stories typically range from news about prominent figures in the liberty movement, national politics, the nanny state, foreign policy and free markets.

Welcome to the third, and final day of CPAC 2011. Among today’s speakers are Andrew Breitbart, David Horowitz, Rep. Connie Mack, John Bolton, Ann Coulter and Jonah Goldberg. Also, straw poll results will be announced later today.

Dan Mitchell, an economist at the Cato Institute, stopped by Bloggers Row in between panels to talk spending, ObamaCare and the purpose of our nation’s military (our intervention and nation-building in other countries).

You can download the podcast here (4.6MB/5min).

In a pre-Super Bowl interview with Bill O’Reilly, President Barack Obama explained that despite a recent Wall Street Journal article slamming his economic policies, he had not raised taxes in his two years in office.

Here is the revelant part of the transcript:

O’REILLY: Here’s what the Wall Street Journal said, I want you to react  to this. Mr. Obama is a determined man of the left whose goal is to redistribute much larger levels of income across society. He may give tactical ground when he has to, as he did on taxes to avoid a middle class tax increase, but he will resist to his last day any major changes to Obamacare and the other load-bearing walls of the entitlement state.

This is The Wall Street Journal you know painting you as pretty left-wing guy. Are you going to go along?

OBAMA: Well, the Wall Street Journal probably would paint you as a left-wing guy. I mean, if you’re talking about the Wall Street Journal editorial page…

O’REILLY: I’ve got to tell you, that’s what this is.

OBAMA: You know, that’s like quoting the New York Times editorial…

O’REILLY: Do you deny the assessment? Do you deny that you are a man who wants to redistribute wealth.

OBAMA: Absolutely.

O’REILLY: You deny that?

OBAMA: Absolutely. I didn’t raise taxes once, I lowered taxes over the last two years.

Below is a collection of several links that we didn’t get around to writing about, but still wanted to post for readers to examine. The stories typically range from news about prominent figures in the liberty movement, national politics, the nanny state, foreign policy and free markets.