Obama is already on the path towards an abysmal failure. He has decided to run around claiming the end of the world is nigh if DC doesn’t get its way! The key line of his speech that has been pre-released to the media is unadulterated drama queen exaggeration:

President Barack Obama Wednesday demanded Congress act now on health reform, warning more Americans would die if Washington again does nothing to expand care and cut the costs of insurance.

More Americans are going to die tomorrow no matter what is done. This is akin to screaming “Fire!” in a theatre just to instill a false panic. More over, its another lame example of the far left’s need to be seen as white knights coming to the aid of the poor masses. No listening to America and their priorities, just another round of “I need to save you!”. Ugh. And of course he will blame critics for using ‘scare tactics’. Geez, how many times do we have to see this rerun?

This kind of hyperventilating does nothing to validate the crap DC is proposing to ruin our health care. Americans will not be guilted into making poor choices, any more than we are guilted into things by lame commercials on TV or the radio.

President Obama is not taking this debate seriously. He still thinks if he spins a fiction he will mesmerize people into doing his bidding. Oh, to be so young and naive and full of yourself.

Check back for live blogging updates – if I find anything worth getting up to write about (no promises).

Update – 7:40 PM Eastern: The more I think about this false alarm crap the more I realize how bad it is going to be tonight. Everyone knows President Obama and the Liberal Democrats in Congress proposed cutting $500 Billion from Medicare to pay for their government rationed health care plans. So, how does cutting 10% of the funds for seniors’ health care, at a time their ranks are expanding to record highs as the baby boomers retire, save lives? Does anyone in DC grasp how incoherent that all is?

Update – 7:47 PM Eastern: Looks like President Obama waited too long to try and resuscitate his health care initiative. The votes in the house show only lose-lose scenarios (H/T Drudge):

At least 44 more moderate Members of the Democrat Caucus have gone on the record in opposition to the current health care bill in the House, a Hill source claims. Likewise, at least 57 liberal Members of the Democrat Caucus have gone on the record saying they will vote against a health care bill without a strong public option.

Drudge has the lists of folks who are on the record so far. This doesn’t even count those who are still keeping mum. If Dems lose 38 votes they cannot pass anything. Tonight’s speech appears to already be too little, too late.

Update – 7:52 PM Eastern: The commercials on Fox News leading up to the speech are just stunning. One was a pledge to the national debt by kids, and the other was on what seniors risk under Obamacare.  Here’s the first commercial:

Will try and find the 2nd one when I can. Here’s the 2nd commercial.

Very powerful lead-ins which should really blunt Obama’s efforts to spin this disaster.

Update – 8:14 PM Eastern: The President is really late getting to Congress, and probably just started losing viewers. This is very important to a lot of people. Just not instilling a lot of confidence when you can’t even get to the big speech on time. Not to mention all the talking heads get to set the tone before he even starts talking.

Update – 8:15 PM Eastern: Pelosi knows time is awasting, and is trying to get through the BS applause by gaveling the chamber (I have never seen this before).

Update – 8:19 PM Eastern: Admitting the economy still sucks is not maybe the best way to instill trust that the DC solutions to health care will be any better than their solutions to job creation. Claiming the economy is back from the brink is also just too much to take seriously. I will show in a post tomorrow that unemployment is bad, but underemployment is worse. The man just reminded everyone of his credibility problem.

Update – 8:25 PM Eastern: Laundry list of fictional panic about health insurance. Will the clearly rare and isolated cases of malfeasance be useful in tarring our medical and health care industry? Every system employs its idiots. We know there are incompetents out there. But will we increase the number of incompetents under government rationed health care? History and other like systems indicates yes – it gets much worse under government run options. I can tell the applause is dying off. And Nancy’s vacant smile is not helping ‘the frame’.

Update – 8:29 PM Eastern: He threw the “Public Option” under the bus. Libs and Dems not happy, Nancy not happy. By noting ‘those on the left’ who want a single payer system (smattering of applause) would create a ‘radical’ shift, and it would be better to build on what is working and fix what is not. He has is Sister Soldjah moment. Will the far left lay down and take one for Obama? I think not. Obama is trying to tell them to give up their dreams. He is said ‘bickering’ and ‘games’ is over – which is an attack on his far left.

Nothing is coming out of the house now.

Update – 8:35 PM Eastern: Some details. Nothing will REQUIRE you to change your plan. But the constraints on insurance companies might make them decide to change your plan (or dump you on the government.

Good points: (1) Cannot use pre-existing conditions to deny insurance. (2) Cannot arbitrarily drop or change your coverage. (3) Must cover preventive care and treatments.

Dodgy points: (1) No lifetime or annual caps (financially insane). (2) Caps on premiums = caps on treatment options.

Lame points: Small businesses will get coverage (note to Prez – we have them). Exchanges four years off (therefore no emergency to pass comprehensive reform – just do the easy parts).

Mixed bag on details. But I think he lit a fire on his left he cannot survive politically. One term wonder.

Update – 8:39 PM Eastern: Small businesses exempt from the mandate to provide coverage but individuals are not? Penalties? Seems really dodgy.

Update – 8:41 PM Eastern: Wrong move. Going after Palin on her “Death Panels” claim not only elevated her to his level. He also made light of seniors rightful fears. And when he said no illegals would get coverage (which is impossible) a Town Hall almost broke out when someone cried out “lie”. He is trying to pick fights, not show he understand peoples’ concerns. Dumb, dumb move.

Summary (8:45 PM): He just went head to head with his hardcore left base. He will get nothing out of them. He won’t get centrists or conservatives. His reforms are dead. We can take the good points (pre-existing conditions, terminations, etc) and pass those and dump the rest. His Public Option is just a silly fantasy. No one believes their needs will be met, their fears will be avoided. B-, but still too little too late.

Summary Update (8:52 PM): Kiss Medicare Advantage good-bye seniors, Obama plans to raid it for money to build his vision of public insurance plans. He had a chance until he tried to slip that BS by. I am definitely moving onto something more realistic – like watching Star Wars Episode IV.

Summary Update (9:03 PM): When Obama called for “Social Justice” and then went into that crazy rant about Ted Kennedy you could see the far left liberal come out. Concern for others has NOTHING to do with deciding what to fix and leave alone on health care. He should have stopped before he got into the lecture mode. He’s not better or superior to us. He has not earned the right to lecture us on our moral fiber. Guilting people who don’t agree with his naive precepts does not create a following but a backlash.

There is a reason America has defeated liberal health care reforms throughout our long successful history. His words about too much government are a joke after the guy took over auto companies and fired their execs. The BS meter pegged at the end. Again, rookie mistake. Don’t lecture, dude. You went on 20 minutes too long.

Final Update: The GOP response was short, concise and represented the common ground which all Americans can rally around. But I think the night was stolen by the commercials, which on Fox News were definitely in opposition. Including the two above this one was powerful as well:

These commercials did more to frame the debate more than anything the President said.

Tags: Obamacare, Speech To Congress