Dems’ Golden Rule: Do Unto Others and Get a Waiver So It’s Not Done Unto You

As Government Takeover of Healthcare Continues to Destroy Jobs and Raises Costs, Dem Constituencies Continue to Win Exemptions and Favors

A new study out this week added to the already substantial evidence that the Democrat government takeover of healthcare will increase healthcare costs and destroy jobs, despite the Democrats’ extensive claims that their new law would bring costs down:

NEW REPORT: GOVERNMENT TAKEOVER OF HEALTHCARE RAISING COSTS:“U.S. employers can expect an 8.5 percent increase in their medical costs next year, the consulting firm PwC said in a report Wednesday, due in small part to the healthcare reform law.

“The widely read annual report on cost trends points to three main drivers of healthcare costs, two of which are exacerbated by the new law.” (Julian Pecquet, “Report: Medical Costs to Rise 8.5 Percent in 2012, in Small Part Due to Healthcare Law,” The Hill, 5/18/2011)

PELOSI: HEALTHCARE TAKEOVER IS STILL “RIPENING”: “ ‘We gave the blueprint for how we strengthen Medicare in the Affordable Care Act,’ Pelosi said, a plan which is still ‘ripening’ and ‘which does not reduce benefits. Itlowers costs to taxpayers, the deficit, and beneficiaries.’” (Greg Sargent, “Nancy Pelosi: ‘We Have a Plan. It’s Called Medicare.’,” The Washington Post, 5/19/2011)

To cover up for their broken promises, Democrats in the White House have been using the same questionable political tactics in issuing waivers from the law’s provisions that they used to pass the law. The Obama administration has chosen to hand these waivers out to some interesting groups:

RETURNING THE POLITICAL FAVOR? UNIONS GET HALF OBAMA’S WAIVERS:“As of Friday, the administration had issued 1,372 one-year waivers for health care plans covering nearly 3.1 million people.

“Mark Hemingway of the Weekly Standard reported that more than half the entities that sought waivers are in union plans. They cover more than 1.5 million people.” (Editorial, “If Obamacare Is Good, Why All the Waivers?”, The Charleston Daily Mail, 5/17/2011)

“LUXURIOUS, GOURMET RESTAURANTS AND HOTELS” IN PELOSI’S DISTRICT:“Of the 204 new Obamacare waivers President Barack Obama’s administration approved in April, 38 are for fancy eateries, hip nightclubs and decadent hotels in House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi’s Northern California district. …

“Pelosi’s district secured almost 20 percent of the latest issuance of waivers nationwide, and the companies that won them didn’t have much in common with companies throughout the rest of the country that have received Obamacare waivers.

“Other common waiver recipients were labor union chapters, large corporations, financial firms and local governments. But Pelosi’s district’s waivers are the first major examples of luxurious, gourmet restaurants and hotels getting a year-long pass from Obamacare.” (Matthew Boyle, “Nearly 20 Percent of New Obamacare Waivers Are Gourmet Restaurants, Nightclubs, Fancy Hotels in Nancy Pelosi’s District,” The Daily Caller, 5/17/2011)

HARRY REID’S HOME STATE: “Nevada got a partial waiver from the health care law – a significant development that Democrats are dismissing as par for the course and Republicans are claiming as a political victory. …

“The announcement makes Nevada one of only three states to have compliance requirements under the health care bill waived.” (Karen Demerjian, “ENTIRE State of Nevada Scores Obamacare Waiver,” Fox News, 5/18/2011)

This bizarre exercise in political favoritism helps explain why the public continues to support repeal of Democrats’ government takeover of healthcare:

MAJORITY CONTINUES TO SUPPORT HEALTHCARE REPEAL: “A majority of voters continue to support repeal of the national health care law and believe it will increase the federal deficit.

“A new Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey finds that 55% of Likely Voters at least somewhat favor repeal of the health care law.  Thirty-eight percent (38%) oppose repeal.  These findings include 43% who Strongly Favor repeal of the measure and 26% who are Strongly Opposed.

“Most voters have favored repeal every week but one since the health care bill became law.” (“Health Care Law,” Rasmussen Reports, 5/16/2011)