HOSTAGES

[Cartoons by Lisa Benson ]

UPDATE: Jennifer Rubin in Commentary:

Democrats Pat Caddell and Doug Schoen tryto sound the warning on ObamaCare:

Their blind persistence in the face of reality threatens to turn this political march of folly into an electoral rout in November. In the wake of the stinging loss in Massachusetts, there was a moment when the president and Democratic leadership seemed to realize the reality of the health-care situation. Yet like some seductive siren of Greek mythology, the lure of health-care reform has arisen again.

Quite simply, Obama has lost, they observe, the public-opinion battle: “If it fails, as appears possible, Democrats will face the brunt of the electorate’s reaction. If it passes, however, Democrats will face a far greater calamitous reaction at the polls. Wishing, praying or pretending will not change these outcomes.”

The polls are wrong or the voters are dolts or they will learn to love it. We’ve heard some variation of each of these excuses over the past year. Perhaps Obama and the Democrats are in denial. But I think it’s more properly seen as contempt.

So, is it denial--or is it contempt? My own opinion is that it is the typical sort of psychological denial and delusion seen in the "do-gooder" contingent who see themselves as vastly superior to all of us mere mortals; and who think they can run our lives better than we can....

UPDATE II: Rich Lowry on Obama's latest "new" idea on health reform, which is identical to every other statist idea to control the market: price controls!

The worst fears of the American public would then be confirmed. Government cost-control — even in the form of harmless-sounding “premium caps” — leads inexorably to waiting lists and inferior care.

The president and his allies are not principally on a mission to improve Americans’ health care — they are on an ideological mission to expand the power of government over Americans’ lives. This latest presidential power grab confirms that fact.

So, if you want rationing and poor quality in your health care, then Obamacare is just the thing for you.

UPDATE III: The final push is on...watch for all the martyr videos to come....[From Michael Ramirez (via Rick Steroni)]: