President Obama's Town Hall Social

Call me a skeptic but something was up yesterday in Portsmouth New Hampshire town hall meeting. The president might as well have been attending a party in honor of Lenin and all his great accomplishments. Rather asking probing questions about the President's Health care reform plans the get together was more of a social gathering for people to be able to say "I saw the President in person."

The Associated Press had this to say - "The White House had been ready for an unruly reception from opponents of overhauling health care. There was no sign of that, perhaps because of the makeup of the day's crowd or out of traditional deference for the president." Yes there was likely some deference shown to the President. More likely the crowd's make up was progressive and the majority were supporters of the President's agenda. Being the skeptic that I am I suspect the crowd of approximately 1800 was packed by the Democratic party with Obama supporters. I am sure the party of Pelosi and Reid would not want the President to be faced with tough questions he might not be able to answer.

I read the Associated Press article twice and came away with the feeling the President, the Democratic Congress, and the government media complex are going to do all they can to keep the American people as uninformed as they possible... I say this because we hear no specifics from the President, no specifics from the Congress, and the media by and large are nothing more than lapdogs to the administration and the socialist agenda.

I tried to extract something of substance from the article, it was difficult but here are the noteworthy quotes from BHO;

1) "For all the scare tactics out there, what is truly scary is if we do nothing."

2) "For all the chatter and the yelling and the shouting and the noise, what you need to know is this...if you have insurance, we will make sure that no insurance company or government bureaucrat gets between you and the care you need."

3 ) " Spread the facts. Lets get this done."

4) At one point in response to a supporter, "I love you back"

All the above sounds more like campaign talk than anything of substance. Long on feel good, short on specifics. This has come to personify our modern day politicians in both major parties, the President, the Congress and the government media complex. The attitude seems to be one of , 'lets spoon feed the public our agenda for them, heavy with disinformation or outright lies, promise them all the goodies they want so we get re-elected and worry not about the cost or impact on the nation. Future generations can deal with it.'

I give the President a lot of credit though. At the end of the session he went so for as to ask the attendees for some skeptical questions. Talk about brave, whew. And only after he had identified he was in admiring company. He did get some questions about why he doesn't put more heat on Congress and where the country would find the additional doctors it will need. Interesting that there was no response to the later. Perhaps the Associated Press just forgot to print the Presidents response.

The great and remarkable thing was his statement reiterating that he is determined to get his plan done and paid for without raising the nations already 11.8 trillion dollar debt. Sounds wonderful, but try as might I could find no specifics. Should this surprise anyone?

Further the President addressed the concerns, and statements made by Sarah Palin that Obama's plan would create "death panels" that would deny care to frail seniors . The provision that has caused this concern would "only" authorize medicare to pay doctors for providing end of life care counselling, living wills, hospice care and other issues the President said. He said it wouldn't "basically pull the plug on grandma because we decided that it is to expensive to let her live anymore."

People should be very very skeptical of this answer. Sure, for now the Presidents statement is no doubt true. However, as this ill advised plan spirals out of control and costs begin to rise rapidly the stage is set for health care rationing. If, or when this happens decisions made by agents of the federal government will determine who gets treatment. The decision will be made on a cost benefit analysis and the seniors and least productive will be the targets of rationed health care.

This proposed legislation is 1,018 pages long. It is filled with legalese so no one but attorneys can understand it. And it is extremely complex. It also will have deep and long term consequences for this and future generations. The President and the progressive/socialists in Congress want it passed post haste. This smells like rotting fish and is a sure recipe for disaster.

There are just to many questions and not enough answers. It seems like the citizens only recourse is the town hall meetings. Not the staged kind, but rather the kind where real people, with real concerns attend, and voice their opinions confidently and forcefully. Demand to be heard, and not let up until satisfied the questions have been answered. After 9 to 12 months of debate and consideration put the issue before the people in the form of a national binding referendum and truly let the people decide. The American people are not dunces, irrespective of what the ruling elite may think. Given the track record of Congress we the People can do a damn sight better.

Les Carpenter III

Rational Nation USA