Words of wisdom from the former Governor of Arkansas.
If you listened to the President’s speech last night, chances are that you are more confused than ever. Sure, the President tried to reboot his crashing health care plan. The problem is the same as he has always had. Mr. President, no one knows what health care plan you are talking about. You can’t ask the American people to buy a pig in a poke.
The President trotted out some new buzzwords for us to use such as “market exchange,” “competition,” “rugged individualism,” and “tax credits.” He even said he wanted a bi-partisan bill, mentioning prominent Republicans by name. Unfortunately, he has forgotten once again that the American people want substance over style.
I think we all would agree that some health care reform is a good idea. The President hammered away on things like requiring insurers to cover preventative care, or doing away with pre-existing condition limits. He even talked about letting states do pilot projects to reduce frivolous malpractice lawsuits. Those are things we have been fighting for. We are glad there are some things we can agree on.
But he also admitted that he wants mandated health insurance, even though he said 95% of small businesses would be exempt. The President continues to advocate for his “government run” health care option. These kinds of statements in last night’s speech make it clear that the President is still determined to force his vision of health care reform down the throats of the American people.
He doesn’t give the American people enough credit. They are not buying his outrageous promises – promises that we won’t have to give up our current plan, promises that his plan will actually reduce the deficit. We are too smart to really believe that a new government run health care plan won’t have bureaucrats trying to come between us and our doctors, or that it will be anything other than another government program that will cost us billions of dollars.
The President’s biggest problem last night, however, is that as he spoke last night and made so many great promises, he forgot to read what Congress is getting ready to vote on. He talked as if the process is just starting. It isn’t. We are trying to decipher 1000 page bills and 600 page bills, and no one, including the President can explain any of it.
It’s time to hit the reset button Mr. President. Let’s start all over.
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Kristofer Lorelli can be contacted at lorville@rogers.com, on Facebook and Twitter/Kris_Lorelli
September 10th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
To buy a pig in a poke? What on Earth does that even mean? We DC-dwelling elitists don’t know that jargon, ‘member?
Can someone explain this to me?
September 10th, 2009 at 4:36 pm
For all the elitist urbanites:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pig_in_a_poke
September 10th, 2009 at 4:45 pm
I would go one step (two steps) further – we should hit the reset button going back before Social Security and Medicare were initiated.
This issue of mandates will be an interesting one in the GOP 2012 primary.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:46 pm
I’m not an elitist urbanite but it almost seems to me that Huck says “pig in a poke” intentionally as a way to subliminally appeal to cultural conservatives. That’s fine, in and of itself, but what is the point in getting cute like that? Who says that? Why is it that everything Huck does has to have some sort of “psssst. I am one of you” quality to it. Why can’t he just branch out and try to appeal to the middle?
It’s no different than when Obama said, “They’re trying to hoodwink you” to a black audience that may have seen Malcolm X.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:50 pm
I think having heard or not of “pig in a poke” is less urban/rural than generational. I remember hearing it used a lot as a kid, but haven’t heard it much in recent years.
I am surprised someone as well-read as Alex has never come across it, though — it is not all that uncommon.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:53 pm
I’ve heard it once or twice, but I had no idea what it meant.
September 10th, 2009 at 4:57 pm
I have to admit that in a contest of down home folksiness, the Huckster wins hands down. Remember this was the man who said that he lived on fried squirrel cooked in a popcorn popper for a period of his life.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:01 pm
No doubt. But why keep doing it. He pretty much has a lock on that constituency. He’s making the big bucks now working for Fox News. I bet virtually no one in Little Rock says “Pig in Poke”. So why do it intentionally?
September 10th, 2009 at 5:07 pm
If Mitt’s primary opponents begin conflating Obamacare with Romneycare (as Huck and TPaw seem to laying the groundwork for) Mitt might have some problems on his right flank.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
Interesting was a little thing in an email to supporters of HUCK. Huckabee is serious and we need all of our favorites to be this serious. Check this out.
“Huck PAC will not endorse any Republican candidate that votes for the government takeover of health care. And if we have endorsed your campaign, and you vote for this monstrosity of a bill, we will revoke your endorsement immediately.”
This could be interesting for HuckPAC endorsed candidate Chuck Grassley who has been one of the Republicans on the fence on the health care reform proposal
I am just saying, an endorsement can do your campaign good, but an un-endorsement has a far greater impact than the original endorsement ever would have.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
BREAKING NEWS……
Mike Huckabee’s fan base continues to expand at a phenomenal pace. Ronald Reagan made a comeback win from a 2nd place finish in 1976 to a stunning landslide victory in 1980. Mike Huckabee is on his way for another historic comeback win in 2012.
Huckabee’s network of fans in 50 States, 390 Counties and 12 Nations keeps on expanding 24/7.
Check it out at: http://www.huckabeefanclub.com
Or google: Huckabee Fan Club
September 10th, 2009 at 5:19 pm
Can you really imagine Obama following Huck’s and McConnell’s advice and hitting the reset button? Its taken so much time & political capital to reach this point, he needs to press on.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:20 pm
gone pig poking….
September 10th, 2009 at 5:24 pm
Huckabee is the next Reagan. Who knew?
September 10th, 2009 at 5:37 pm
Is Editor in Chief Kavon? I’m glad that a FPP on resetting healthcare is not expected to devolve into a discussion on 9/11 conspiracy theories.
September 10th, 2009 at 5:40 pm
Hey no worries. How come you take down my comments about the Federal Reserve ? HR-1207 To Audit the Fed has a signature from every single Rep. congressman as well as many Dems. 285 total so far. Another way to hit the reset button is to Audit the Creature from Jekyll Island and then move onto HR-833 to End The FED. The banksters have stolen America and its time to take it back. Let us find out exactly what happened to the 23 trillion dollars they threw around in the last 12 months and hit the reset button once and for all. God bless America !
September 10th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
Who cares if he says PIGINAPOKE? Who cares? Sarah Palin got that treatment, she didn’t speak correct Washington-ese I guess. At any rate, I thought he made some good points. Problem with Huckabee though, is he’s still assuming Obama is a rational, reasoning person with American values. Many of us have moved past that already.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:07 pm
“Obama is a rational, reasoning person with American values. Many of us have moved past that already”
Indeed, many don’t even think he was born in America. Huck doesn’t need to appeal to those sorts of voters.
September 10th, 2009 at 6:15 pm
2 ACORN Employees Fired, Could Face Criminal Charges
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,549001,00.html
ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation Part I
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LtTnizEnC1U
ACORN Baltimore Prostitution Investigation Part II
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wjiL6uGT–8
H/T: Andrew Breitbart
September 10th, 2009 at 6:44 pm
http://twitter.com/ppppolls/status/3898642557
“167 interviews- was Obama lying about covering illegal immigrants? 88 yes, 60 no, 19 unsure”
September 10th, 2009 at 6:45 pm
http://twitter.com/ppppolls/status/3898650788
“so based on what we’re seeing so far sounds like Wilson’s constituents are with him on this one”
September 10th, 2009 at 6:46 pm
http://twitter.com/ppppolls/status/3898598297
“After 145 interviews 66 say Wilson calling Obama liar makes them more likely to vote for him, 59 say less likely, 20 say no diff.”
September 10th, 2009 at 7:43 pm
Tommy Boy:
FactCheck.org says:
Obama said that his proposal would not cover illegal immigrants, a remark that prompted Republican Rep. Joe Wilson of South Carolina to shout “You lie!”
Obama: There are also those who claim that our reform effort will insure illegal immigrants. This, too, is false – the reforms I’m proposing would not apply to those who are here illegally.
The president is correct: The House bill contains a section (Sec. 246) titled “NO FEDERAL PAYMENT FOR UNDOCUMENTED ALIENS,” which states: “Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States.”
September 10th, 2009 at 7:52 pm
Fred, I believe the contention is over the funding and reimbursement of health clinics that serve illegals.
September 10th, 2009 at 7:53 pm
And later:
However, conservative critics object to a lack of specific enforcement measures in the bill. They argue that the lack of a specific verification mechanism constitutes a loophole that would allow illegal immigrants to get benefits despite the legal prohibition. Republican Rep. Dean Heller of Nevada proposed an amendment to the bill that would have required the use of the Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements program to check the citizenship of anyone applying for federal coverage or affordability credits. SAVE is the program used by Medicaid and similar entitlement programs. That amendment was voted down along party lines by the House Ways and Means Committee.
Republicans have a point here: More could be done to enforce the ban. But it’s worth remembering that, as a spokesperson for the American Immigration Lawyers Association told us, attempting to get a health care credit would have legal repercussions. “Making a fraudulent claim to an entitlement program when you’re not actually entitled to it would have serious consequences for any person,” the spokesperson told us, “but especially if it’s considered a false claim to citizenship, that would have serious immigration consequences that could ultimately lead to deportation.” And Rep. Wilson certainly was out of bounds to call the president’s statement a “lie.” He later issued a statement apologizing for his “inappropriate and regrettable” comments.
September 10th, 2009 at 8:12 pm
There wasn’t much thought behind this statement at all, where has he been…. has he been following Obama’s inconsistencies and lies.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:18 pm
Most of the fact checking afterwards sided very clearly with the President against the Rep.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
Romney on Hanity today. Gosh, we sure missed out by not bring him into the white house. The man knows his stuff without foot notes.
September 10th, 2009 at 9:41 pm
jaype. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL. Huckabee can’t even touch the hem of Reagans pant legs! He is NOT the next reagan. Don’t go speaking ill of the dead like that.
September 10th, 2009 at 11:10 pm
Huckabee is fighting this well though. Threatening to pull endorsements.
September 11th, 2009 at 12:01 am
I think one of the great lessons learned from the stimulus bill and now the health care debate is that the American people are all now from Missouri. You gotta show them the actual words in actual written bills that guarantee what presidents and congressmen say will be the law.
This is huge.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:44 am
“To buy a pig in a poke? What on Earth does that even mean? We DC-dwelling elitists don’t know that jargon, ‘member?
” Haha, did you never watch C-SPAN as a little boy Alex, while a pig in a poke is funny expression, it is not exactly uncommon throughout American political discourse.
“If Mitt’s primary opponents begin conflating Obamacare with Romneycare (as Huck and TPaw seem to laying the groundwork for) Mitt might have some problems on his right flank.” Good point JA, while Romneycare is not anywhere near as bad as Obamacare, it is a weakness for Mr. Romney. Also Romneyites are not helping their cause by running their mouthes with uncapitalistic non-sense. While Mr. Romney is likely a bit more Conservative than the other two men on balance, Mr. Huckabee (and Mr. Pawlenty) have scored some political points by promoting capitalism in health care.
September 11th, 2009 at 6:53 am
I know that many of you think that Romney is the only one who could be the next POTUS, but even NRO seems to be moving on and have found a new person to champion:
“Of course, for those who haven’t seen him before — Pawlenty is very, very good on the stump, and his ability to campaign is a major reason why he’s considered one of the frontrunners for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. But there’s another good reason for the Pawlenty hype: To be brutally honest, he is one of only a few top-tier Republicans known for being credible talking domestic policy. Listening to John McCain talk about anything other than foreign policy last year was . . . well, the wheel was turning but the hamster was dead.”
http://corner.nationalreview.com/
September 11th, 2009 at 9:53 am
Texasconserv, you do realize that we are still 3+ years from the next election,right? Just because someone (or some organization) mentions that someone has good qualities and would be a good candidate, doesn’t mean that they are abandoning their preference. It’s not an all or nothing proposition, contrary to many on this board. Ol’ Huck can come up with a reasonable idea, occasionally. Even a blind pig can find an acorn every now and then.