Health Wars (11/2/09)

Listening to Orrin Hatch's remarks here, I'm led to wonder why nobody has ever challenged state-level BarryCare in Massachusetts or Maine in court on constitutional grounds:

Let's look at that money quote again:

Well, let’s put it this way: If that is held constitutional – for them to be able to tell us we have to purchase health insurance – then there is literally nothing that the federal government can’t force us to do. Nothing. Now, whether or not the states can is another issue. The states may be able to. But since that government is closer to the people, those state representatives know that their very political lives depend on not doing things like that to the people.

Which seems to beg the question of how BarryCare's mandates could ever be ruled constitutional, provided an opponent or opponents filed suit in a constitutionalist federal court jurisdiction.  I've got to think that if this monstrosity ever did find its way into law, it would be at least partially struck down before one, er, "red" cent of benefits could ever be paid.

Far more likely is that BarryCare never will see the light of day.  And the House version seems to be leading the way into the outer darkness:

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced the House version of health care reform legislation last week, but most voters are still opposed to the effort.

The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 42% now favor the health care plan proposed by President Obama and congressional Democrats. That’s down from 45% a week ago but unchanged from two weeks ago.

Fifty-four percent (54%) now oppose the legislative effort, up three points since last week.

Ensign Ed has the internals:

The internals look even worse.  Among independent voters, 58% now oppose the health-care overhaul, with 50% of them strongly opposing it.  Majorities of both men (54%) and women (53%) oppose it now, which means the White House’s efforts to frame this as a “womens issue” with the First Lady have flopped.  The only age demographic to back this is the 18-29 year old likely voters, and even that comes in at an anemic 51%.  Even those voters acknowledge that the price of health care will go up, not down, by a plurality of 47%.  All other age demographics have clear majorities believing that, as well as majorities believing health care will get worse rather than better or staying the same (65+ a plurality at 48%).

No matter how they try to sell this beast, no matter what they call it, no matter how they try to hide its horns and hooves and red, forked tail, the public simply isn't buying it.  We know it's a disaster, and we do...not....want it.  The logic of political self-interest strongly indicates that the scads of vulnerable congressional Donks facing early retirement a year from now know we know it, and will not be willing to sacrifice themselves as the Obama/Pelosi/Reid Axis's commu-cannon fodder.