Over the weekend, Newsweek assistant managing editor Evan Thomas offered an intriguing insight into the MSM’s approach to the liberal health care bill slowly rolling its way through the Democratic-controlled Congress. After conservative columnist Charles Krauthammer accurately pointed out how the Senate bill only pretends to be “deficit-neutral” by front-loading the tax collection process while delaying the payouts, Thomas agreed: “Charles is right. This bill is a fiscal fraud.”
But he quickly added: “I’d still vote for it.” (Video here.)
NPR’s Nina Totenberg attempted to defend the Senate bill as one that “actually tries to do something about costs.” But she, too, was insistent on the need for congressional passage: “I am not saying it’s ideal. But we have to start this. But if we don't get a health care bill this time, it is probably the last chance.”
MRC intern Mike Sargent caught the exchange on the panel show “Inside Washington,” which airs at various times over the weekend on a number of Washington-area stations, including the ABC affiliate WJLA:
CHARLES KRAUTHAMMER: The fraudulence of these numbers is absolutely staggering, and I’ll explain to you why. The benefits kick in in 2015, so outlays are only for half of that decade. The taxes and the cuts, the presumed spending cuts, all kick in at the beginning. You’ve got 10 years of money in and five years of outlay, so of course it will produce a deficit — I mean, a surplus. If you start of 2015 and go until the end of time, the amount of deficit added every decade is going to be about half a trillion. So once you start — When the program starts, it will be annually — it will cause a huge deficit annually. That is an absolutely phony number that Reid gave us.EVAN THOMAS: Charles is right. This bill is a fiscal fraud. I’d still vote for it, because I think it’s a good thing to extend benefits and start down the road to universal and — because of the health insurance. But we have to be — if we were honest about it, we would say that we have not dealt with the money piece of it, with the cost thing, that we’re going to have to deal with. We’re going to kick that down the road and have to deal with it later.
KRAUTHAMMER: How do you do that?
NINA TOTENBERG: The thing about the health care bill, though, is that — the Senate bill — is that it actually tries to do something about costs. It its starts down that road.
THOMAS: It doesn't! It doesn’t, it’s as fake as a $2 bill. You don’t get serious about costs.
TOTENBERG: Unlike the House bill, it tries to do things about cost. I am not saying it’s ideal. But we have to start this. But if we don't get a health care bill this time, it is probably the last chance....
—Rich Noyes is Research Director at the Media Research Center. You can follow him on Twitter here.
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Come on...it's Evan Thomas,
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 14:50 ET by bigtimerCome on...it's Evan Thomas, I would expect nothing less.
As to Totenberg and her sentiments, I pray we don't get this OCARE Bill passed and it is the last time I see this outrageous attempted govt take over that has very little to do with the real welfare of any of us...smoke and mirrors, they aren't fooling all of us.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
Evan! Do We Look Like
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:14 ET by bse5150Evan! Do We Look Like Michelle Obama?
Then why are you doing sex to us!!!!!
Fraud & democrats are like
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:53 ET by notonmywatchFraud & democrats are like pretzels & beer.
It's illegal, it's treason.
And they know it.
___________________________________________________________
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Smoke and mirrors
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:28 ET by Blonde....over on the Gator boards, some little trollster (and I kid you not, they are even stupider over there than they are here, I didn't think it was possible, but 'tis true!).....came up with a beautiful typo:
Which is exactly what these liberals are doing. Smoking mirrors.
I hope he fails, too.
J... Now you have should
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:32 ET by bigtimerJ...
Now you have should have put a Spew Alert Warning there...I'm laughing so much I'm having a hard time posting this...anyway, that hit me just right...sometimes one doesn't know whether to laugh or cry regarding some people, let alone their ability to vote.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
Well, they're smokin'
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:48 ET by BKeyserWell, they're smokin' something, but I'm not so sure they're visible in mirrors.
Sometimes they tell the
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:03 ET by dscottSometimes they tell the truth and sometimes they just outright lie.
Today, the lying Gibbs is claiming during a WH press briefing the health care
debate is driven by two things 1. the tax cut (Bush) and 2. the
unfunded prescription drug benefit.
This lying sack of #$%#$% has the
audacity to bold faced lie on TV!!!!
1. The Bush tax cut brought in
trillions of extra dollars since 2003. this is nothing more than
rationalizing a tax increase by allowing the tax cut to expire.
2. Rx benefit was paid for, BY SENIORS so says the SS Trust fund
report…for years in their annual report. It is the ONLY part of the
Medicare program that is NOT in financial trouble.
I am fed up with the bold faced lying coming out of this administration. As long as government is synonymous with lying, there can be no public trust or even the pretense of one.
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
Fake as a $2 bill?
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:07 ET by VonuNow you tell me.
Freedom is a vital component of human effectiveness and fulfillment.
Now that's an interesting
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:25 ET by dscottNow that's an interesting Freudian slip on Thomas' part, $2 bills are still in circulation even though they were discontinued in 2003, it's the $3 bill that's phony. Hmmm, another variation on fake but true...
http://www.ustreas.gov/education/faq/currency/denominations.shtml
Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid, starving the poor one gallon of ethanol at a time. Fill your tank with E85 and cull a village.
dscott... Good
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:27 ET by bigtimerdscott...
Good catch!
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
Evan was just being overly cautious,
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:45 ET by motherbeltbecause everyone knows the real expresssion is "Queer as a three-dollar bill" and he didn't want to give anyone the idea that...well, you know, you can't be too careful.
Of course Evan Thomas would vote for CommieCare
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:12 ET by R D HelmAfter all, he knows damn well it isn't about heath care at all, but power and control.
So what if it bankrupts the country? They don't care.
-Dave
Our elected representatives have failed us.
NPR’s Nina Totenberg:
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:14 ET by BKeyserThat's very telling. It's not like another Congress won't be voted in next year. It's not like this is the last president we'll ever have (sorry libs). And it's not as if failure of this bill will lead to an implosion of health care as an entity, leaving us to rely on magic potions, beans, or leeches. It's the last chance in liberals minds because they know they'll not secure both houses and the White House again, anytime soon. Their policies are so out of the mainstream, they've managed to awaken an opposition that no one could've foreseen just a year ago, and no one will soon forget.
It's likely the last chance for a mind-numbingly deviant health care reform bill that will put all other entitlement programs to date- to shame. It's not the last chance for health care reform.
fiscal fraud = jail time?
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:36 ET by jon_torlinI thought people who commit fiscal fraud, especially on the scale that this gov't is looking to impose on us, are often sent to jail for said fraud.
So why isn't anyone bringing these criminals on charges?(rhetorical question) They already are criminals for the fraud of TARP and the bailouts.
-Jon
Save the last chance for me.
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:40 ET by tim413This can't be the last chance if health care "reform" is such a wonderful thing that the majority of Americans want.
Stop federal judges from foisting their notions of "fairness" on the States. Amend the 14th Amendment! - tim413
Exhibit A: Evan Thomas
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:46 ET by YephoraLiberalism is a Dangerous mental disorder.
They all keep saying, "It's
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 15:50 ET by AlanaThey all keep saying, "It's the last chance."
If it's such a good thing, why is it the last chance?
"It's the last chance",
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:25 ET by ForeverOnTheRight"It's the last chance", sounds like it's either a pressure tactic for the gullible or they know that there time in power is limited and it's their last chance.
Yeah--really really smart
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:26 ET by StarAZNot ideal, not even close, will push the country down the sewer and many of the uninsured will be on Medicaid or still not insured, the rich are ticked, the poor are screwed...just ducky, guys, but Evan Thomas is all for it...the perfect is the enemy of the good and all that happy you-know-what. Bad drives out good--ever heard that one!? It is HARD to fix things later--and if they can't do it now, what would they do to "fix" it? Yes, these are our intellectuals, our deep thinkers...I bet they never saw an EOB in their lives.
StarAZ
Tue, 11/24/2009 - 00:06 ET by ahusserI don't know who the regulators of this legislation will be HHS or a new entity but a bureaucracy and regulations will have to be put into place to implement the law. The Code of Federal Regulations will be thousands of pages long. As loopholes, mistakes, impossible contradictions, and unintended consequences appear in the implementation of the law then the regulations, clarifications, amendments, will grow and grow and grow. This bureaucratic still born monster will take on a life of it's own. The IRS tax code regulations will pale in comparison. Bureaucracy is always the end result of any legislation.
"Somehow, I told you so, just doesn't quite say it." Will Smith in 'I, Robot.'
He'd vote for a fraud? Of
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:33 ET by mattmHe'd vote for a fraud? Of course he would, he's a lefty.
"would" and surely did.
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:42 ET by BKeyser"would" and surely did.
obama is a presidential fraud, and he voted for him!
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 18:30 ET by vrwc13obama is a presidential fraud, and he voted for him!
...at least he's consistent.
v
...an error was made in 2008
If we follow the logical
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 16:59 ET by celatorIf we follow the logical extension of Evan's "I would vote for it", principle, can we assume that if a bill came up that would truly help the country economically or in any other way, he would vote against it?
Of course we can. He works for Newsweak.
No citizen's right to life, liberty, pursuit of happiness, or property is safe as long as Obama is President of the United States.
What an embarrassment. I
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 17:16 ET by b4m4wyWhat an embarrassment. I truly hope that someone explains to him how stupid he sounds. I know everyone misspeaks, but come on. Is this guy supposed to be educated and able to persuade the public? My 6 year old son knows about $2 bills. He also knows not to go into a burning building.
Government's first duty is to protect the people, not run their lives.
Ronald Reagan
Thomas's grandfather was a socialist cadidate for Pres
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 17:42 ET by rfpzzzzzEvan Thomas's grandfather was a socialist candidate for Pres. to whom some famous quotes have been attributed. I don't think it means much but it is sort of interesting. Reagan quoted his father as to the socialist plans for the US.
At any rate supporting a vote for something that you know is a fiscal fraud is the hallmark of a really wonderful guy.
I think this
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 17:45 ET by doug1950pretty much confirms what Rush and others have been saying all along about this or any other health care bill. It has nothing whatsoever to do with health care, it is about seizing power. If anyone knowingly votes for this fraud than they are traitors to the nation and deserve whatever the electorate does. We have already seen how easily some sold their vote and how willing the leaders in the majority party were to buy the votes with the public's money. They are not even ashamed to be caught doing it anymore. It is "in your face" thievery and vote buying. Time to clean house. November 2010 can't come soon enough.
Right doug, clean house
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 17:51 ET by bigtimerRight doug, clean house indeed, and as far as shame goes, that is something they have never had, it has always been a pretense protected by the msm, now like you say, they could give a fig less...msm or no msm...it's total power/control now...at any expense...even some of their own, and it will be at plenty of their own...as Nancy and some others are in a safe seat/district, they could care less about their underlings they sacrifice.
It's going to be interesting in less than a year from now.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart
As Nutty as Grandpa Norm
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 18:10 ET by BW222Even Thomas is starting to sound whackier than his grandfather - Socialist Party candidate Norman Thomas. We all know he was an absolute nut-job.
BW222
Evan Thomas
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 18:42 ET by Edward Lunny" But he quickly added: “I’d still vote for it.” "...of course he does. he'll be dead soon and won't have to pay for it.
"????????"
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 19:02 ET by mad53PAWOW, This is mind-numbingly stupifying!!
Yes, the bill is a fraud. Yes it does not reduce costs. Yes, it will actually add $5,000,000,000 to the deficit per year when fully implemented. But, I'd vote for it.
Just an honest response to what the real objective is. A path towards government run everything.
What is even more scary than this, is the fact that democrats in Washington continue to insist that this is what "The People" want.
It is gross irresponsibility, insanity and an absolute crime against all Americans. In other words, DEMOCRATIC POLITICS!!
"My Bad"
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 19:05 ET by mad53PAMath was wrong.
Make that $500,000,000,000!
This is INSANITY!!
"Newsweek is a journalistic fraud, . . ."
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 22:45 ET by Galvanic". . . but I'd still wipe my a** with it."
The Repubicans better wake up.
Mon, 11/23/2009 - 23:39 ET by pbthinkerSomeone better tell the moron Republicans, they were in office for 10 years and didn't do squat but try to be Democrat lite. They still had people like me voting for them but, obviously, that's not enough. The Democrats have over-reached enough to turn these people off; but the Republicans had better start thinking about why they deserve to be elected to replace the Democrats.
For the Republican Party to sit there and say, "We all know health care needs to be changed." and not have a plan, is pretty shallow. What they're proposing won't sell. The Democrats are offering free Cadillacs and the best the Republicans can come up with is a used Chevy.
Now we know that the Cadillacs come with strings and you might as well sell your sole to the devil, but there are some that will look at it like they've got the Caddy and they'll worry about paying for it later.
Personally, I'm in favor of removing health care from the employer altogether. It's about time to separate this function and actually have a free market where people can buy their own health care on the open market. Congress can set up basic guidelines and rules but, basically, people can call anyone they want, negotiate the price, and get health insurance. They can do this if they're illegal aliens, unemployed, or employed. If they can afford it, they can have the same plan that Rob Reiner has in California or they can have a plan that only pays for major expenses.
If the Republicans made that possible, they would win this debate, because the costs would be minimal and the implemented plan would be a major shift in how health care is purchased in this country.
If they want to stay with the same old stuff, they're not much better than the Dems, although the Dems are going to bankrupt us.
Election 2008-God's way of showing us that elections count.
pb... Thumb's Up...I'm of
Tue, 11/24/2009 - 00:02 ET by bigtimerpb...
Thumb's Up...I'm of the same mind all the way.
'Doubling down on stupid is not a particularly good idea'~Breitbart