PrintMay 1, 2009
Cold, Cold Health Care
Last year I read that Barack Obama not only voted against, but vigorously fought the passage in Illinois of the Born Alive Infant Protection Act (BAIPA). This bill addressed the situation when an abortion results in a live baby. BAIPA stated all live born babies are guaranteed the same constitutional right to equal protection whether or not they were wanted. The Federal version of this legislation passed the Senate unanimously. Yet Barack Obama voted against this legislation not once but several times.
As a mom, nurse and member of the human race, my first question is, "Why would he do that?" After all, even ardent pro-choice legislators, like Barbara Boxer, voted aye.
In defending his vote, Obama stated that he was concerned that the bill did not contain language that protected Roe vs. Wade. He also stated in 2002:
[A]dding a - an additional doctor who then has to be called in an emergency situation to come in and make these assessments is really designed simply to burden the original decision of the woman and the physician to induce labor and perform an abortion. ... I think it's important to understand that this issue ultimately is about abortion and not live births.
In other words, a "live birth" will get in the way of the woman's decision to abort. Those are the words of a cold, cold guy. Even when the language of the Illinois BAIPA was amended to protect Roe, Obama still voted against it.
Why? I have to conclude that the special interests who support him (e.g. radical feminists, the abortion industry) wanted him to. As far as the living baby -- so what? Obviously, he or she is meaningless to our cool, cool President.
If one looks at this situation completely dispassionately and only in terms of profit and loss instead of life and death, opposing BAIPA makes sense. After all, the abortion industry makes billions by performing routine procedures on young, healthy patients. If there's a problem later, the woman is told to go to the emergency room. It's a nice setup for an abortionist.
But along come the pro-lifers getting legislation passed mandating that abortion clinics be prepared to treat live-born infants. The average American sees this as a no-brainer. But the average American has no idea the cost involved in caring for a critically ill premature infant. Besides all the equipment and medication that now needs to be maintained, the clinic owner is responsible for training a staff in neonatal life support. The owner is now faced with one of Obama's famous choices: he can expend all these resources, or he can forgo the late term abortions that can possibly result in a live birth. (Ever wonder why abortion advocates fought so fiercely against the partial birth abortion ban? It's the only late-term abortion method that guarantees a dead baby). A situation like this can cut very deeply into the profit margin.
However, there is a third option: The abortionist can request the assistance of that cool, cool state Senator, Barack Obama, who obediently voted against BAIPA several times. In fact, BAIPA was not passed in Illinois until Barack Obama left to become a cool, cool US Senator.
One can easily believe that Obama never gave BAIPA another thought. Watch this interview, where Senator Obama appears stunned and a little angry that he is being criticized for his votes. Don't these people realize that all he was doing was protecting Roe v. Wade?
This is a cold, cold guy.
BAIPA may be the most glaring example of the coldness of Barack Obama, but it is by no means the only one. This past January saw devastating ice storms strike the heartland, especially Kentucky. Over fifty people died. President Cool's response? No statement, no flying in to console heartbroken families. Instead, he hosted a cocktail party, attended the Alfalfa Club dinner, and threw a Super Bowl party.
During his recent trip to Europe, he decided against visiting Normandy . He didn't want to offend the Germans. He appeared on a late night talk show and mocked the Special Olympics. What kind of man does these things? A man who simply doesn't care: about live-born infants, about ice storm victims, about war heroes, about the disabled.
This is a cold, cold guy.
Now we're told that Obama wants to reform health care this year. What does health care run by a cold, cold President look like?
Obama's first choice for Secretary of Health and Human Services, Tom Daschle, withdrew his name after his myriad tax problems came to light. But as far as I can tell, his health care reform ideas live on in the Obama administration and Democrat-majority Congress. The jewel of his plan is the Federal Health Board:
these government experts would "help define evidence-based benefits and lower overall spending by determining which medicines, treatments, and procedures are most effective--and identifying those that do not justify their high price tags."
Ladies and gentlemen, he's talking about rationing and denying payment. But look on the bright side, America. Physicians will no longer be "burdened" by decision making. And think of all the time doctors can save when they no longer need to explain various treatment options to you or your elderly mom. Life is so much easier when you simply don't care. Ask our cool, cool President.
So get used to health care profiling. Just have your doctor fill out this form with your age, gender, diagnosis, and prognosis, and Washington will let him know what to order. It's medicine by spreadsheet. It's cold, cold healthcare.
Carol Peracchio is a registered nurse.
