Dictator logic
by digby
From TPM:
“Going with that logic, according to our own Health and Human Services Secretary, it isn’t far-fetched to think that the President of the United States could say, we need to save health care expenses — the federal government will only pay for one baby to be born in the hospital per family, or two babies to be born per family. That could happen. We think it couldn’t?
Co-host Amy Holmes then asked: “Congresswoman, are you suggesting that this administration, or a next administration, would actually advocate a one-child policy like Communist China?”
Bachmann responded: “What I’m saying is that now that we know the President of the United States unilaterally can tell insurance companies, you must offer the morning-after abortion pill, you must offer sterilizations, you must offer contraceptives free to the recipients of those products, because we tell you to — which means they’re effectively setting the price, as well — that says that whoever the health care dictator, could conceivably make that order, as well.
“There’s nothing that this president, one person, would be limited from doing. That’s how profound that is. I’m not saying that he is going to do it. I’m saying that he has the power and the authority to do it. We don’t want anyone to have that level of authority.”
What in the hell is this lunatic talking about? Seriously, how can she be elected to congress with this sort of lying and/or ignorance?
Think about it. Because the Obama administration is requiring that insurance companies offer no cost contraception coverage (along with other preventive health services) they are dictators who could decide that the government would "only pay for one baby to be born in the hospital per family, or two babies to be born per family." Ok. We've already discussed the difference between regulating the private sector and the Big Brother Health Care that only exists in their fever dreams.
But these are the people who are going on and on about how it's wrong for the government to pay for women's birth control. If you want to have all that sexy sex, pay for it yourself! The government doesn't owe you a thing. Except paying for your childbirth apparently, which last I heard the Republicans were totally against. These are the same people, by the way, who whined and rent their garments for decades about women on welfare having too many children on the government's dime and finally succeeded in pretty much ending the program. And these are also the same people who still want to demolish Medicaid, which does what? That's right, it pays for maternity care for low income women.
So I guess in a way, she's right. The government could dictate how many children it would be willing to pay for. The problem is that it will happen at the hands of a conservative government led by people like Michele Bachman. It's pretty much already written into the Republican Party platform.
I think it was Palin who came up with death panels. Maybe Bachman can get the forced abortion dictator meme going. There are certainly plenty of people willing to believe it --- mostly because normally they're all for it themselves.
Update: I'm reminded by @Ed_Kilgore that it wasn't Palin who came up with "Death Panels." It originated with Bachmann and Betsy McCaughey popularized it.She's a messaging genius.