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6/25/2009
Rahmlow: A healthy challenge for Feingold
Russ Feingold is suddenly a major proponent of President Barack Obama’s health care reform proposal scheduled for legislative action this fall.
“We must create a health care system where the excellent health care that is now only available to some Americans will be available to all,” Feingold wrote for Wisopinion.com. Expect the class warfare to continue as Democrats ramp up efforts to enact this ill-advised federal program. By making health care appear to be a rare commodity enjoyed by “some”, it ignores the fact that most Americans do have health care.
Feingold’s support for another costly federal program is not really a surprise for conservatives who always expected he would vote with his party on national health care. However, some Wisconsin voters have to be wondering what happened to the Russ Feingold that supported a state-based solution to health care as recently as 2006. At the time, Feingold asserted his independence from Washington-thinking by saying government closest to the people knows best.
The Feingold bill “gives flexibility to the states to use their own approach to achieve health care coverage for all their residents”. Presumably, Feingold hoped the Wisconsin legislature would enact Healthy Wisconsin or follow Gov. Jim Doyle’s lead on expanding BadgerCare to provide equality in health care. Now that Democrats have complete control of the state legislature and governor’s office, Feingold ought to be offering his bill as an alternative to Obama’s.
But instead, Feingold appears to be carrying water for this administration as it seeks to exert control over 1/7th of the US economy. Some Wisconsin residents must be trying to reconcile Feingold’s maverick image with the image of just another run of the mill politician. The backbone Feingold supporters so prominently displayed on their campaign t-shirts six years ago seems to have gone wobbly.
The junior Senator goes on to outline his reasons for supporting federal intervention in the health care market. First, according to Feingold, “While Wisconsinites should be able to retain their current coverage if they choose, providing a strong public health insurance option will allow the government to compete with private insurers.”
The federal government should not be competing with car companies, mortgage companies, health providers or anyone else for that matter.
Second, Feingold finds it unacceptable that “Americans spend … $2.2 trillion on health care each year”. But at least Americans receive a return on their investment. Those dollars spent in the free market have provided most Americans with world-class doctors, the best medicines and best medical research around. The return on investment from central planners in Washington likely will not be so generous. If government becomes the major purchaser of health care, it will create shortages and drive more doctors and more medical specialists out of business.
What government should be doing is pushing back the boundaries impeding medical entrepreneurs. Patients should be able to shop around for the best medical care. Pharmacies should be encouraged to disclose prescription drug prices so patients can shop around for the cheapest rates. Doctors should be able to consult patients without fear of reprisal from the government.
Other nations recognize America’s medical marketplace is second to none as long as doctors and patients are making the decisions. Russ Feingold circa 2006 seemed to grasp this on a limited basis. But the column written by Senator Feingold this week leaves more power in Washington. So which Russ Feingold will show up during the health care debate? Does Feingold still believe in states rights, or does he now believe in a strong central bureaucracy?
The health care debate would be far more interesting if Feingold showed some backbone.
Rahmlow is a former field director for Michels for US Senate.
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| 2009 |
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• The Lawton-Bader files
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• If not Barrett, who?
• The subsidy game
• Burri: Bailouts, Banks, Health Care, and the Mob
• Attend Appleton Schools budget meeting tonight
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• Is Rep. Nelson a political hack?
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• Kagen's pandering again
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• The trouble with health care is paying for it
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• Burri: Kids... the joys and blessings
• Very, very worried about health care
• Rep. Huebsch: Wisconsin is proof government health care isn’t the answer
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• What? Obama, the Peace Prize?
• TODAY - hearing on Campaign Finance Reform
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• CBO report is out - and the bill isn't even written yet?
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• Important votes Tuesday, including Appleton Common Council
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• From Mark Gundrum: One of the greatest honors an American can experience
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• Joe Martin the best candidate in Appleton's 8th
• State programs to cut? - Volume II
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• Make cuts only AFTER you're elected....
• Getting serious: What programs can we cut?
• Rep. Steve Kagen joining me on Jerry Bader Show today
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• Speaker Huebsch: Governor turns down Federal Aid?
• Mark Rahmlow: "We're Broke."
• As taxpayers, how do we know if it's a Chevy or a Lexus?
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• Frank Lasee: Take time to get the Compact right
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• Any chances???
• I'm doing the Jerry Bader Show, today, the 11th
• Representative Frank Lasee: Final Waltz of the Season
• Guest Blog: It's not the county's business to be in the nursing home business
• Yup, Hillary won Texas and Ohio
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• Lies from Planned Parenthood and NARAL
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• Lots of ideas. No money.
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• Kagen and Reagan in the same breath?
• Menasha: behind the 8-ball, but not biting the dust
• Any way you slice it, Wisconsin government wants (further) in on health care
• The World is Flat...what about health care?
• The PAC - too precious to fail. Day 3
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• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail - Day 2
• Fox Cities PAC - too precious to fail
• New Transit Tax coming your way
• Rep. Petri has his finger in the dike - I guess
• AASD Retirement Costs Burdensome
• Health care, health care, health care, health care
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