According to Philip R. Klein, It's the End of the World as We Know It

Let's review (pun intended) a few of Philip's comments on the Healthcare bill  over the past week. Klein first predicted:

Healthcare - They got the votes or will be called weak and unable to govern. It passes by one vote.

By last Friday, Klein had already changed his original prediction to this:


The real number: 219 - 212. Even after two attempts, Philip still missed the actual vote.

If Philip can't get the simple numbers right, readers can bet he's even more confused about the real details of the bill. Consider this statement:

Make no mistake - the is a democratic bill that forces you the taxpayer - whether you serve hamburgers at a fast food joint - or you are a CEO of a major corporation - to buy something. You don't have a choice - even if you were a billionaire and have no need for insurance - you will buy something or pay a fine or go to jail.

This bill mandates a 2 percent tax penalty for those who choose to go without health insurance. No jail, no fines, just a higher income tax bill. This makes a lot of sense to me, since we all pay for those indigent emergency room visits. In Texas, however, one can go to jail if that person repeatedly refuses to insure their car. 

Philip's rant on the healthcare bill is a typical Klein exercise in fear-mongering and hysteria, whether it's his statements about death panels, government takeovers, or socialized medicine. Philip hasn't explained how handing 32-million new customers to private insurance companies constitutes socialized medicine or a government takeover. One could make an convincing argument that the health care bill is actually pro-business, since those who stand to gain the most are the insurance companies, the pharmaceuticals, hospitals and doctors. This is not exactly what most people would call Socialism.

Philip makes this simplistic argument, typically based on half-truths and falsehoods:

And this is how one party rule can kill this country. For us here in Southeast Texas - it is the same mind thought of your elected officials in Jefferson County. It is about power - it is about people that simply want to control you lives. It is about protecting them - it is about the pressing their will on yours - not governing. Thus you see the social experiment called Jefferson County.

Philip's comment belies the facts: In 2009, Republicans filibustered 80 percent of all legislation in the Senate in the name of partisan politics. In probably the most egregious example, Senator Mitch McConnell, leader of Senate Republicans, filibustered a proposal for a deficit-reduction commission that he himself demanded.  In Texas, the appointment of many qualified people to federal roles have been delayed for over a year while our two senators played partisan politics.

I'm not a fan of this bill, but I am a fan of enlightened and informed debate over the real issues. I've seen none of that on the SET Political Review.