CNN’s Suzanne Malveaux Goes After Orrin Hatch Over Health Care
Earlier today we wrote about CNN’s scoping out of new talent — perhaps in response to a dismal year in ratings. In fact, in an era of opinion media domination traditional journalism, spirited debate seems to have been missing from the CNN programming slate, at least judged by total viewers. Well not so today, when Suzanne Malveaux got into a heated exchange with Senator Orrin Hatch over the current health care debate going on in the Senate.
An example of the exchange:
Malveaux: You mentioned that, you said they bought the votes and they’re buying people off and they’re bribing them because of what they’ve gotten. But you, you actually had 50 million that was added to the bill an amendment for abstinence only education. How was that any different?
Hatch: I didn’t do that for me, I did it for children throughout our society.
Malveaux: Certainly, you have a cause that you believe in. There is a price tag with that.
8 comments
Orrin Hatch also said that making people buy insurance is unconstitutional: “There are also a number of unconstitutional provisions in here, like, for the first time, requiring, actually compelling people in this country to buy insurance.”
So we don’t have to buy car insurance or contribute to Social Security anymore?
The FEDERAL health insurance mandate is unconstitutional. It is a clear violation of the Tenth Amendment.
Auto insurance is required as the terms for registering and/or operating a motor vehicle. That is perfectly constitutional since driving is a privilege and not a right. Additionally, the auto insurance requirement is at the state level and since it is not a part of “interstate commerce,” the Tenth Amendment leaves that to the states and the feds are hand off.
The auto insurance analogy is getting tiresome. It is also the basis of the proposal to allow “interstate access to health insurance,” which would not have the desired effect. Health insurance here in South Florida costs more because health care itself costs more here. Insurance in Wyoming costs less for the same reasons. It is the local market that drives the cost. So the insurance company in Wyoming is going to charge a South Florida the same rate as a Florida insurer. That is why they are all STATE regulated.
And one more stake in the heart of the auto insurance analogy: If you call the Geico or Progressive number from the TV ad, the second you identify where you live, you are dealing with Geico/Progressive of ‘your state.’ Again, STATE regulated.
If you think about it, the Tenth Amendment might just sink this whole ship.
What is, sadly, not unconstitutional is glomming tax dollars in exchange for a vote in Congress. I have a lot of respect for Orrin Hatch, but that is an uncommonly weaselish answer from a normally honest man.
TfT says: Just what CNN needs, more liberalism.
Where is Malveaux asking Baukus or Reid why BC/BS of Minnesota and BC/BS of Nebraska are now exempted from the taxes that every other BC/BS of every other state have to pay.
Yeah, this kind of continued attacks on republicans will really help their ratings.
Not.
MOTS
ImNotBlue says: Vidiot says:
December 23, 2009 at 6:47 pm
Come on Vidiot… you’re better than that. Auto insurance is around not to protect the driver, rather it’s to protect the OTHER drivers. Additionally, driving is a privilege, not a right… so they can make whatever laws they want in regard to it. As for Social Security… wasn’t it the Republicans who wanted to give the option of privatizing SS a few years back… but were denied by the Democrats? Seems consistent to me.
Though I may be politically biased toward the left side, I have to take issue with the characterization of the headline and the post. I’d say that though Ms. Malveaux was spirited in her questioning, she never really put forth her opinion or lectured the Senator like an opinion show host; she just asked good, probing questions.
And, I feel confident based on his past performance that if Sen Hatch had felt wronged, he’d have no problem expressing his feelings within the interview, as he did in his exchange with iconic Detroit anchor Bill Bonds during the period of Clarence Thomas’ confirmation.
Fidoohki says: Vidiot says,
((Orrin Hatch also said that making people buy insurance is unconstitutional: “There are also a number of unconstitutional provisions in here, like, for the first time, requiring, actually compelling people in this country to buy insurance.”
So we don’t have to buy car insurance or contribute to Social Security anymore?))
Both of these don’t work as pro arguments because you have opt outs. Don’t want car insurance? Don’t own
a car. There are other modes of transportation but you accept that not owning a car impacts your life. Don’t want to pay Social security? Don’t work. But accept that your life will be impacted and limited majorly by it but it is your choice. What are you supposed to do to not pay for health insurance? Kill yourself?
Take her questions, add sneering, eye-rolling, condescension and a ghastly rictus. Now you have a typical David Shuster interview at MSNBC.
ingenieux says: Keeva- S FL health insurance costs more because the state has one of the highest rates on uninsured in the country and as a result, so many people go to the ER where the costs are passed on to everyone else’s premiums.
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Democrats Announce They Won’t Use “Deem And Pass”
After a week of debate over the process behind passing the potentially historic health care legislation before them, it appears that the Democrats in the House will now not be using the "deem and pass" method to move the bill through the house. Representatives Steny Hoyer and Tom Clyburn just announced to the press on Capital Hill that they expect to have the votes to pass the Senate bill deeming the "deem and pass" tactic unnecessary to pass the bill.
Rep. John Boehner: “This Health Care Bill Will Ruin Our Country”
As news of the Democrats dropping the "deem and pass" in favor of separate votes in the Senate, the hours are inching closer to a time when we might have a conclusive health care reform bill passed in this country. At this point it's hard not to have an opinion about a bill that will require Americans to either buy health insurance (at government subsidized-prices) or pay for it on their taxes, but few have stronger words than Rep. John Boehner who has called the passing of the reform bill "Armageddon."
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