In Whom Do We Trust?

After watching about half of the President's speech on health care on Wednesday, I decided that the issue comes down to a question of trust: whom do we trust to handle our health care dilemma -- the U.S. government, or the current mishmash of insurance companies, hospitals, doctors, and consumers. If one believes maybe 90% of what comes out of the President's mouth, that person is probably more willing to support health care than the majority of Americans. If one doesn't believe the President is telling the whole truth, or at least 90% truth, that person is probably not going to be willing to follow the President's lead on this issue. There really is no such thing as 90% truth -- it's an all or nothing proposition -- either the President is telling the truth or he's not. One member of the audience last night felt compelled to shout out, "lie," after the President promised that no illegal immigrants would be covered under his proposal. I don't know for a fact that the President is lying, so I wouldn't go as far as that person. I do generally trust the government more than my conservative friends. Still, even I am finding some of the President's promises hard to believe. For example, there's his promise that this reform will not add one dime to the federal deficit. I don't know how he can make that promise when it seems clear that this program will provide government-sponsored insurance to at least some people who can't afford insurance, which will require some expenditures, and the taxes aren't in place now to pay for every dime. Tax projections are difficult to judge, so the huge numbers the President is throwing around (trillion is the new billion) make for some difficult math at the least. I've been supportive of the plan up to this point, and I continue to believe that health insurance reform is desperately needed in this country. I just wish the President wouldn't oversell the program or stretch the truth in making his arguments.