Steele: Obama Is Part Of Health Care "Cabal"

WASHINGTON — The chairman of the Republican party is accusing President Barack Obama of conducting "risky experimentation" with his health care proposals, saying they will hurt the economy and force millions to drop their current coverage.

Michael Steele, in remarks prepared for delivery at the National Press Club, also said the president, Speaker Nancy Pelosi and key congressional committee chairmen are part of a "cabal" that wants to implement government-run health care.

"Obama-Pelosi want to start building a colossal, closed health care system where Washington decides. Republicans want and support an open health care system where patients and doctors make the decisions," Steele said in excerpts of his speech made available in advance.

Obama has repeatedly said he does not favor a government-run health care system. Legislation taking shape in the House envisions private insurance companies selling coverage in competition with the government.

Even so, numerous Republicans in Congress continue to level the accusation at Obama and congressional Democrats, and Steele did so in sharply critical terms.

"Many Democrats outside of the Obama-Pelosi-Reid-Waxman cabal know that voters won't stand for these kinds of foolish prescriptions for our health care. We do too. That's why Republicans will stop at nothing to remind voters about the risky experimentation going on in Washington," the party chairman said in advance excerpts. Harry Reid, D-Nev., is Senate majority leader; Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., is chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee.

Republican officials said they were supplementing Steele's speech with a round of television advertising designed to oppose government-run health care. No details were immediately available on the areas where the commercials would run or their cost.

In his speech, Steele broadened his attack beyond health care to question Obama's truthfulness.

The president "tells us he doesn't want to spend more than we have, he doesn't want the deficit to go up, he doesn't want to live off borrowed money. But he also told us he didn't want to run an auto company. President Obama justifies this spending by saying the devil made him do it. He doesn't want to spend trillions we can't afford, but he says he just can't help it," Steele said in the prepared excerpts.

The Republican chairman is making his speech at a time when Obama is struggling to advance his trademark health care proposal after a period of evident progress. Two of three House committees have approved their portions of the bill, while one of two Senate panels have acted.

But conservative Democrats have raised objections to some elements of the legislation, and efforts in the Senate to reach a bipartisan agreement have yet to bear fruit. Obama's attempt to impose an early August deadline on both the House and Senate for passage of legislation is in jeopardy.

Comments

[LetMeUnderstandThis]

As usual full of complaints but no solutions to offer!

[PamperedHousecat]

I agree.
Where is the Republican alternative?
You can criticize until the cows come home, but where are YOUR solutions?
Oh yeah, what its always been: Don't Get Sick!

[Leigh49]

I'd like to know what kind of health insurance coverage Steele has and how much it costs him. If we don't get a national health care system in this country Americans need to start an uprising like the one in Iran.

This is totally ridiculous. Health cost will bankrupt this country if we don't stop it now. Insurance companies, big pharma and republicans are all to blame. They OWN the country. They don't care about people, just profits and getting re-elected.

Stop worrying about your political future, Senators, and do what is right. NOT easy, but RIGHT.

[Upset2]

Health insurance is available but people make choices on life styles. 2 packs of smokes and a 12 pack of beer a day or health insurance? They complain about the cost of insurance but never the cost of their habits. As to the Emergency Rooms being over crowded. Look are these visits necessary or would asprin cure the problem. Think folks . Eliminate abuse. Obama talks about inefficiency in health insurance, What about the waste in the federal Government. Seems that Government waste is a bigger issue.

[lysistrata]

I am sure you made the right choices, you don't smoke, don't drink and therefore you will not get ill ever and you do not need insurance for yourself and your family. You will never need more than an aspirin, so why get insurance?

[Leigh49]

And how can you stop yourself from getting a broken leg? Will aspirin prevent that?

Govenment is already wasting money on healthcare ... medicare and medicaid cost this country dearly because they are inefficient. We need REFORM. Why can't people like you understand that. Just because you and Steele have your health plans doesn't mean you're safe. Face reality. The entire system is geared toward profit, not people.

[lynettema]

Medicare is one of the most efficiently run organizations, private or public. I would like to see the age for Medicare qualification lowered to age 50. I have yet to see a Republican turn down their Medicare coverage and most will get a supplemental plan (the insurance companies make money here) and Medicare D ( pharma also making money).

[Gidster]

Are poor people forced to go to the ER for any medical attention "An abuse"?

[PWM]

The insurance industry IS the abuse.

[Phxflyer]

Did he clear those remarks with Rush?

[PamperedHousecat]

Rush wrote them.

[UsofA]

"Every major social advance is surrounded by controversy and conflict. That's because every time there is change in the status quo there are winners and losers. The controversy over President Obama's health care reform does not center mainly on "differences in approach" or academic disagreements over the way that health care systems should be designed in some ideal world. They center instead on battles over wealth and power - just as they did when the Congress created Social Security or Medicare, or passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964."- Robert Creamer in HuffPo

All the small Republicans like Steele, Kristol and Jindahl are crawling out of the woodwork, sensing a potential weakness among Democrats and using all those scary words like "socialism" and "cabal." Let's send them back where they came from. Call your Congresspeople.

[lynettema]

Not "sensing", "hoping." They are doing all they can to fire up their base and attempt to put doubts in the minds of those who voted for health care reform in November. President Obama promised he would make this attempt for us and the GOPers are praying this won't happen because they will be wandering in the wilderness for 40 years if President Obama can deliver on his desire to provide us universal health care coverage.

[helonias]

Jer. 22:3. Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Luke 12:33. "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys."

Luke 3:11. And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, "Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise."

Mt. 5:42. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

[MeddlingMonk]

And how about Acts 4:32, 34-35: "The group of those who believed were of one heart and mind, and no one said that any of his possessions was his own, but everything was held in common...F­or there was no one needy among them, because those who were owners of land or houses were selling them and bringing the proceeds from the sales and placing them at the apostles' feet. The proceeds were distributed to each, as anyone had need."

What a bunch of commies, eh? Funny how the right-wingers seem to just slide past passages like that.

[PamperedHousecat]

Have the guys on C Street seen these?

[kamact]

Republican misinforma­tion,...an­d just to protect the interests of the insurance companies.­..

As David Johnston stated in his very insightful book "Free Lunch" the big problems in healthcare -- namely, lack of coverage, under coverage, costs increases, and excessive paper work -- really started when Nixon turned our public health care system into a for-profit business -- making a few immediately billionaires.

We need to return it to a public health care option that provides coverage for all Americans and eliminates the waste and added billions in expense caused by the insurance companies' paperwork -- this will eliminate the conflict of interest with the insurance companies, which now make more money by denying coverage (and they spend billions in paperwork to legally deny coverage).

In fact, this is what we do with the police and fire department­s....these­, along with health care, are better provided as a public service...­..They are some of the special cases where the government can do a better job than conflicted, for-profit insurance companies. Healthcare for tens of millions of Americans will improve once insurance companies are removed from our healthcare system.

Kamact, a capitalist who believes in regulation, but not trickle down

[slj316]

The GOP doesn't care about the people without health insurance. They just want to make their friends who run the insurance companies richer.

[freedomfighter1]

You know why your comment is so correct? If the GOP did really care about anyone besides their insurance buddies, they would tell the truth to the American people instead of concocting lies to 'scare' people. 'Cabal'? These folks want us to be more afraid of health insurance more than we should be concerned about the wars.

[ruthie17]

The GOP doesn't have any plans for Health Care They are still the Party of NO --NO Plan No thoughts NO help No TAXES!! No sense.

[helonias]

One nation under god who's kid said

You treat me as you treat the least of you

[ncmom54]

fanned & faved!

[Aboomer]

And Steele is part of a cabal of Id*ots.

[Andreams]

When this clown and all the others who don't want healthcare reform pay 77% of their income for insurance, then they'll have some legitimacy. Until then they can just shut up.

[elr50]

During the Civil War, Michael Steel would have been called House N---er.

[TLV]

Not necessary to be crude.

[sheikwil4]

during the civil war, heck the republicans are calling him that now. Michael Steele is not going to get one AA vote for the republicans and they have lost the hispanic vote completely with the terrible treatment of judge Sotomayor. Michael Steele is beyond pathetic, he is so jeaolous of the President that he doesn't care how low he has to stoop to get attention.

[MizLiz]

I think you have a good point there...I never thought of that. I can just hear him thinking: "I'm smart! I'm cute! Why can't I be president?"

[BigAl72]

Every party has their clown. Even Democrats have one - ? I guess not.

[tb92]

Lieberman, if you want to count him as a democrat, fills the bill nicely.

[MizLiz]

Well, let's put it this way, then: He is anxious to please, so he can keep his exalted position. little does he know others in the RNC are the real power.

[slj316]

Back then and now. His GOP buddies call him that without the house preceeding it behind his back.

[Jase84]

"Republicans want and support an open health care system where patients and doctors make the decisions,"

Is this a joke? They support a health care system where Insurance bureaucrats make the decision, not the doctor or patient. What kind of fantasy world do they live in?

[MizLiz]

A world filled with million-dollar donations to their campaigns. From the Healthcare industry. and they are expected to earn it.

[PWM]

Good point. They left out the call center tech who makes a decision on what is covered or not.

[powerlift2201]

As soon as these Republicans say that they want to keep health care in the free market and let the patient and doctor decide they lose me. We all know who actually currently decides health care - insurance beaurocrats.

[TLV]

Is Steele really a black man? Has he no idea how unhealthy most blacks in America are? They have the highest rate of obesity, diabetes, and asthma of any racial group. he should be working day and night to help his president implement a plan to help members of his own race to understand how to get healthy, stay healthy, and see a doctor regularly so that small problems do not become major ones.

[BigAl72]

You are absolutely right. Instead this guy wants to woo everyone with fried chicken to board his sinking ship.

[bluehand]

You assume that being black means you care about other black people. It doesn't