CBO: Health care bills would raise costs

This just in from the No Shit Department:

Democrats’ health care bills won’t meet President Barack Obama’s goal of slowing the ruinous rise of medical costs, Congress’ budget umpire warned on Thursday, giving weight to critics who say the legislation could break the bank.

The sobering assessment from Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Elmendorf came as House Democrats pushed to pass a partisan bill through committees, while in the Senate a small group of lawmakers continued to seek a deal that could win support from both political parties.

So yeah, apparently you CAN’T provide health insurance to 45 million people and bring down costs at the same time. Fundamental laws of economics are always getting in the way of these things.

Explained Elmendorf: "In the legislation that has been reported, we do not see the sort of fundamental changes that would be necessary to reduce the trajectory of federal health spending by a significant amount. And on the contrary, the legislation significantly expands the federal responsibility for health care costs."

Which means that it would require the federal government to significantly raise taxes, too.  The whole idea was a stupid power-grab by socialist, intellectual elites and completely irresponsible given the amount of money we already effing owe on our other ineffective government health care plans.  The fact that this wasn’t self-evident in the first place just about gives me an aneurysm.  I hope this plan soon dies a fiery death and is condemned to suffer eternal rape in Hell by indescribable nether-demons.

This little gem provided a little bit of comedy, though.  Another Democrat had to have his statements clarified:

With the pressure mounting on all sides, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., dismissed as "a waste of money" a television ad campaign by Obama’s political organization aiming to nudge moderates of both parties off the fence. He called it "Democrats running ads against Democrats." A spokesman later said Reid has no problem with the effort.

A spokesman for Harry Reid responded to Harry Reid’s earlier statement that the ads were “a waste of money” by saying that Harry Reid actually has no problem with it.  Apparently someone got a phone call from the Obama mob telling Harry Reid’s office to put a cork in it.  It’s the Chicago way.