Socialist Death Panels

From the blog "Texas on the Potomac," reporting on the comments of U.S. Congressmen from that state's delegation concerning the House vote to "Repeal the Job-Killing Health Care Law Act:" 

Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Dallas, chairman of the House Republican Conference:

"The American people don't want it. It's personal.

"Here's my story, two days ago, I was in San Antonio, Texas, and my mother had a large tumor removed from her head. They wheeled her away at 7:20 in the morning, and by noon, I was talking to her along with the rest of our family. It proved benign, thanks to a lot of prayers and good doctors at the Methodist hospital in San Antonio. My mother's fine. I'm not sure that would be the outcome in Canada, the U.K., or anywhere in Europe.

"No disrespect to our President, but when it comes to the health of my mother, I don't want this President or any President or his bureaucrat or commissions making decisions for my loved ones. Let's repeal it today, replace it tomorrow."

Now, first of all, this holder of one of the highest offices our nation has to offer believes that the reason his mother's tumor was benign was "thanks to a lot of prayers and good doctors ..." Prayers? Well, okay; if they'd been doing a better job of praying maybe the lady wouldn't have had the tumor in the first place. But good doctors? I know a lot of doctors, but I don't know of any who can make a malignant tumor benign. So we have to question Rep. Hensarling's understanding of how things work. Not in medicine; I mean, in the Universe in general.

But to move on, Hensarling, 53, doesn't want Obamacare. Specifically, he doesn't want the government making decisions about his mother's health care. Presumably, his mother is at least twelve years older than he, and so is most likely a Medicare beneficiary. Medicare, unlike private health insurance would have done, did not require that her surgery be pre-approved in order for the hospital and the surgeon to be paid. It did not, as some private insurers do, place limits on the pain medication or other drugs she could have in connection with the surgery. And unlike most private insurers, Medicare will in all likelihood pay the physician within 30 days.

Hensarling was pretty happy with his mother's government-provided health care. And, of course, as a congressman, he also has government-provided health care, and top-quality care at that, just like Mom. 

He just doesn't want the rest of us to have it.