Maggie's Farm

The medical care bill. From Steele:

“The Democrats’ priorities for health-care reform are now clear: a government-run system financed on the backs of Americans and small businesses with higher taxes,” said Michael Steele, chairman of the Republican National Committee.

From the AP, which begins:

House Democratic leaders, pledging to meet the president's goal of health care legislation before their August break, are offering a $1.5 trillion plan that for the first time would make health care a right and a responsibility for all Americans. Left to pick up most of the tab were medical providers, employers and the wealthy.

No, it doesn't make health care a right. It makes insurance a right - if you can call something a "right" which is enforced and required by the government and paid for by us, whether we want to or not.

What do I want? I want free housing in Manhattan, free food and beer, a free car with free car insurance, a free boat with free dockage, and free legal coverage if I get in a scrape.

And I do not want my doc subject to "best practices" as determined by Washington wonks. I want him to work with me and for me, and I want to pay him to do so. Cooky-cutter medicine is crazy.