.
Associated Press's Calvin Woodward does the primary honors in an AP Fact Check that takes aim at the President's 'accuracy' in his descriptions of his health care bill... [snip]
OBAMA: "It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it."
THE FACTS: A commission appointed by the government would determine what is and isn't covered by insurance plans offered in a new purchasing pool, including a plan sponsored by the government. The bill also holds out the possibility that, over time, those standards could be imposed on all private insurance plans, not just the ones in the pool.
OBAMA: "I have also pledged that health insurance reform will not add to our deficit over the next decade, and I mean it."
THE FACTS: White House Budget Director Peter Orszag told reporters this week that the promise 'does not apply' to proposed spending of about $245 billion over the next decade to increase fees for doctors serving Medicare patients.
OBAMA: "You haven't seen me out there blaming the Republicans."
THE FACTS: Obama did so in his opening statement, saying, "I've heard that one Republican strategist told his party that even though they may want to compromise, it's better politics to 'go for the kill."
OBAMA: "If we had done nothing ... you'd have a $9.3 trillion deficit over the next 10 years. Because of the changes we've made, it's going to be $7.1 trillion."
THE FACTS: Obama's numbers are based on figures compiled by his own 'budget office'. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office, in its own analysis of the president's budget numbers, concluded that the cumulative deficit over the next decade would be $9.1 trillion.
Woodward et al could have done a bit better. Their "deficit-neutral" fact check point ignored Congressional Budget Office predictions that the legislation will add to the deficit, and to spending.
The AP team could have further pointed to the history of federal programs in general, which rarely if ever stay within their anticipated spending constraints, or to Massachusetts's government-run Commonwealth Care, supposedly a model for much of what is in ObamaCare, where costs are spiraling out of control.
Nonetheless, Woodward and ABC's Jake Tapper remain virtually alone in the White House press corps in their willingness to report negative news about Obama or to even question him on identified analysis items.
Will that ever change?
READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment