Obama Wants Another $313 Billion Out of Medicare and Medicaid

June 14, 2009 (LPAC)—Taking $635 billion out of Medicare and Medicaid is apparently not enough for President Obama and his Nazi, budget-cutting behavioral economists. During his weekly Saturday radio address, this morning, Obama announced that he would be seeking another $313 billion over the next ten years for a total of nearly $950 billion out of the two programs. These are "savings that will rein in unnecessary spending, and increase efficiency and the quality of care, savings that will ensure that we have nearly $950 billion set aside to offset the cost of health-care reform over the next ten years," he said.

"These savings will come from commonsense changes," he droned on. "For example if more Americans are insured, we can cut payments that help hospitals treat patients without health insurance. If the drug makers pay their fair share, we can cut government spending on prescription drugs. And if doctors have incentives to provide the best care instead of more care, we can help Americans avoid the unnecessary hospital stays, treatments, and tests that drive up costs.

"These savings underscore the fact that securing quality, affordable health care for the American people is tied directly to insisting upon fiscal responsibility."

Senior Democratic Party figures close to the White House pointed to President Obama's radio address on Saturday, and the speech in Green Bay, Wisconsin earlier this week as evidence of a "strategic shift." Up until this week, the main burden for pushing the health-care "reform" through Congress, and selling it to the American people had been assigned to Larry Summers, Peter Orszag, and Ezekiel and Rahm Emanuel. But, after the intense LaRouche intervention, the sources reported, it is clear that this crew can't do the job. Now, the main burden has been suddenly put on President Obama. He has to sell the plan, in its full details, and that is going to be an impossible task. One source observed that Obama is, in effect, being sacrificed to ram this policy through—and there is no guarantee he can do it.