Grading The Big Health Care Speech

Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich asks a very profound question: Did Obama listen to the American people over the past month?

Probably not. Despite the fact that critics (like me) have been taking information directly from HR3200 as well as from speeches and papers written by his advisors, and then questioning the very language used in those documents, Obama and his surrogates still accuse us of spreading lies and misinformation. Yet, when making those claims the Dems and libs completely fail to back up their assertions by quoting any of the socialized health care bills currently floating around Congress.

Newt Gingrich brings up 10 points we should consider while listening to Obama's latest pitch:

In his proposals for reform, does the President include litigation reform, which 84% of Americans believe will help reduce costs and which is the number one goal of doctors in any health reform? Does he include a section onsaving money by stopping payments to crooks who are bilking the taxpayers for $70-120 billion each year in Medicare and Medicaid fraud? For 88 percent of Americans, this is the first place they would look to find savings in our health care system. Is President Obama willing to look there? Does his speech reject higher taxes, which the vast majority of Americans believe will make the current economy even worse and increase unemployment even more? Does it reject all government rationing of health services which the American people have vocally opposed at town hall meetings across the country? Does it reject any government run, bureaucratic health plan? Is President Obama open to four or five bipartisan bills which could pass with big bipartisan majorities? Or does he insist on a single omnibus bill of 1000-plus pages like the one that failed when Mrs. Clinton tried to pass it in 1993-1994? Is he for sustaining the Senate rule of 60 votes to ensure a bill that has wide, bipartisan support? Or is he prepared to destroy long-standing Senate tradition and ram through a radical bill with 51 votes? Does President Obama give any indication he is forincreasing the power, information and choice of the individual and their doctor or is he giving more power to the government? Does he focus on health, wellness, prevention, early detection and health management to avoid or control the severity of chronic diseases? Or does he spend his time talking only about acute care? Does his plan invest in science and technology in order to increase innovation and accelerate the discovery and adoption of new discoveries and breakthroughs in diseases such as Alzheimer's, cancer and diabetes?

Keep the pressure up, folks. The longer this debate lasts, the better it will be for America.

You can access the complete article on-line here:

Grading The Big Speech: A 10-Point Citizens’ Checklist On Health Reform
Newt Gingrich
Human Events Online
September 9, 2009