Obama broke these 6 health care promises. [View All]

[dixiegrrrrl]

Biggest promise:
Universal Health Care:

May 14, 2007

Democratic presidential hopeful Barack Obama, seeking support from labor union members in New Jersey, vowed Monday to make health insurance available to all Americans by the end of his first term in the White House.

''We can have universal health care by the end of the next president's first term, by the end of my first term,'' Obama said, bringing 600 union workers to their feet during a question-and-answer session with members of AFL-CIO affiliated unions.
http://www.suntimes.com/news/elections/385287,051407obama.article


When he was campaigning, he also promised us this:

1. No Individual Mandate.
In this transcript of his Jan 31 2008 debate with Hillary, he was against a mandate, saying she was for it.
"if, in fact, you are going to mandate the purchase of insurance and it's not affordable, then there's going to have to be some enforcement mechanism that the government uses. And they may charge people who already don't have health care fines, or have to take it out of their paychecks. And that, I don't think, is helping those without health insurance. That is a genuine difference."
********* Well, the bills have mandates.

2. Complete Transparency

Candidate Obama promised that health care deliberations with Congress and special interests would be transparent to the extreme.

"That's what I will do in bringing all parties together, not negotiating behind closed doors, but bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are," Mr. Obama said during his Jan. 31, 2008 debate with Clinton. "Because part of what we have to do is enlist the American people in this process. And overcoming the special interests and the lobbyists who -- Senator Clinton is right. They will resist anything that we try to do."
********** But deals were cut with Big Pharma in private meetings at the WH.

3. Enable the Government to Directly Negotiate Drug Prices

In the Jan. 31, 2008 debate, Mr. Obama said, "If a drug company -- if the drug companies or a member of Congress who's carrying water for the drug companies wants to argue that we should not negotiate for the cheapest available price on drugs, then I want them to make that argument in front of the American people."

"We'll negotiate with the drug companies for the cheapest available price on drugs," Mr. Obama said again in an Oct. 15, 2008 debate with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.).
********* Nope....not happening.

4. Allow Drug Importation

During the campaign, Mr. Obama said his plan would "Allow consumers to import safe drugs from other countries" because "some companies are exploiting Americans by dramatically overcharging U.S. consumers."
******* Nope...part of the secret deal with drug companies was no importation.

5. Lower Premiums by $2,500 for a Family of Four

"If you've got health insurance through your employer, you can keep your health insurance, keep your choice of doctor, keep your plan," Mr. Obama said in his Oct. 15, 2008 debate against McCain. "The only thing we're going to try to do is lower costs so that those cost savings are passed onto you. And we estimate we can cut the average family's premium by about $2,500 per year."
******* Both proposed bills will reduce employer coverage, and dramatically RAISE insurance bills, on top of the rapid premium increases we have seen already.