Before the debate over health care reform really got started, President Obama said that the final result of reform should NOT increase the deficit (and debt).   In fact, he said he would not sign a bill that added "one dime" to the deficit.

Well, we're about to find out how serious that promise was, because it turns out that the calculator at the Congressional Budget Office doesn't work so well.  In its first look at the Senate version of the bill, the CBO showed a savings, leading Obama was able to take to the stage and declare "mission accomplished", saying:

"This bill with strengthen Medicare and extend the life of the program.
Because it’s paid for and gets rid of waste and inefficiency in our
health care system this will be the largest deficit reduction plan in
over a decade. In fact, we just learned from the Congressional Budget
Office that this bill will reduce our deficit by $132 billion over the
first decade of the program, and more than one trillion dollars in the
decade after that."

But it turns out that it's easy to show a bill costs less than it really does if you count the "savings" twice.  Which is what the CBO just admitted that it did in its analysis of the bill.

The result?  A 170 BILLION dollar hole in the deficit.

It's been said that laws are like sausages - it's best not to see them being made.  If ever that applied to the product of any legislative body, it applies doubly so to the debate over Obamacare.

And when it comes to the Senate's version of the bill to take over 1/6th of the American economy, we're talking about some expensive sausage.

Via the Washington Examiner, here's a list of some of the payoffs to senators in exchange for their votes for the bill:

Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La. -- Up to $300 million in additional federal money to pay for the state of Louisiana's share of the proposed expansion of Medicaid.

Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Neb. -- A commitment that the federal government will permanently pay for Medicaid expansion in the Cornhusker State at a cost of about $100 million.

Sens. Ben Nelson and Carl Levin, D-Mich. -- A provision that shelters Mutual of Omaha in Nebraska and Blue Cross Blue Shield in Michigan from a proposed $10 billion annual fee on the health insurance industry.

Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn. -- Dodd, facing a re-election battle with low poll numbers, inserted a $100 million grant tailored to a proposal for a new hospital at the University of Connecticut Health Center.

Margaret Thatcher once said that the problem with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money.  And considering that liberalism is essentially socialism, the same principle applies.  And with that said, America is fast running out of other people's money.

There was a great op-ed in the Washington Examiner last week which suggested that our national debt, the result of borrowing other people's money over the years, would be the end of liberalism as there would no longer be enough money to pay for it.  To which one could conclude that, if there's anything silver lining to the explosive growth of government, entitlement programs, etc. - to say nothing of what Obama and current members of Congress have in mind - it's that they'll just bankrupt us quicker and bring a more speedy end to liberalism.

From the article:

In case you were wondering why there isn't any language any of the various versions of health care "reform" that deals with addressing the out of control escalation of lawsuits against doctors and hospitals (aka: tort reform), just have a look at who the biggest medical malpractice law firms in the country have given their money to since January of 2009.  The numbers speak for themselves.  (And if you don't believe them, just ask Howard Dean)

As mentioned earlier, former DNC chief and Vermont Governor Howard Dean has come out against the latest version of health care "reform" in the Senate.  And, much to the dismay of the White House, he's been making the rounds in the media opposing passage.

And since we recognize how rare the occasion that we would agree Dean on anything, it makes his following quote worth highlighting:

"The bill doesn't actually "cover" 30-million more Americans - instead it makes them criminals if they don't buy insurance."

Exactly.

The following chart from Pollster.com gives you a good view of the growing opposition to Obamacare by the American public over time.

In fact, you can pretty much track the red "oppose" line with the increasing amount of details about the proposed versions of "reform" that began to sink in with people.

Which explains why Obama and the Democrats are in such a hurry to get it passed.

"We're going to let you die."

As incredible as it may sound, those are the words of Robert Reich, former Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton, in a speech given two years ago whose premise was "what a Democrat presidential candidate would say if he wasn't worried about getting elected".

You don't say.

His remarks were caught on audio, (much to the chagrin of those pushing Obamacare right now), and you can listen to them by clicking the "video" below.  A transcript of his comments is posted below as well, (via WSJ).

It's interesting how, as you listen to his comments, you can see how much of what he says looks an awful lot like some of the elements of (and logical consequences of) current Democrat health care proposals.

Enjoy... and pass it on!

TRASCRIPT:

Cast your vote in our latest poll...then add your comments.

What are your main concerns about recently proposed health care reforms?

Your options:

• The costs
• Potential rationing of health care
• Public funding of abortion
• Loss of personal liberty
• The government run "public option" in general
• All of the above
• Other

 Click here to cast you vote and comment.

***

TAKE ACTION: contact your members of Congress and let them know how you feel.