AP: Obama’s Slippery Claim “less than your cellphone bills.

Democracy and Power 108: Obfuscation

Wherever politics intrudes upon economic life, political success is readily attained by saying what people like to hear rather than what is demonstrably true. Instead of safeguarding truth and honesty, the state then tends to become a major source of insincerity and mendacity. —Hans F. Sennholz

The politician’s speech is seldom precise or logically reasoned. Seeking a favorable image, the politician talks in generalities, exaggerates and obfuscates.

AP: Obama’s Slippery Claim  “less than your cellphone bills.’’

The new health insurance mandate will cost “less than your cellphone bill,” so states President Obama.  This is obfuscation – political spin.  The cellphone analogy is the latest deception created by The White House spin fraudsters.  The President and his acolytes are continuously repeating the mantra – “less than the cost of your cell phone bill.”  The Associated Press juxtaposes the political spin to the truth. 

OBAMA: ‘‘Knowing you can offer your family the security of health care, that’s priceless. Now, you can do it for the cost of your cable bill, probably less than your cellphone bill. Think about that, good health insurance for the price of your cellphone bill or less.’’ — Speech in Largo, Md., on Thursday.

THE FACTS: The family coverage you can get for the cost of a monthly cable or cellphone bill is going to expose you to a hefty share of your medical expenses.  … Obama said earlier that of every 10 Americans who are uninsured, ‘‘six out of those 10 are going to be able to get covered for less than $100 a month, less than your cellphone bills.’’

He is referring to the cheapest of four major options offered by the new markets, the ‘‘bronze’’ plan. … Those who choose bronze will have to pay 40 percent of their medical bills out of pocket through deductibles and copayments. A family’s share of medical costs could go as high as $12,700 a year, or $6,350 for individuals, on top of those cell-phone-like premiums.

As Hans F. Sennholz observed many years ago:  Instead of safeguarding truth and honesty, the state then tends to become a major source of insincerity and mendacity.   Our Founders recognized virtuous leaders are absolutely essential for our republic to excel.

“The aim of every political Constitution, is, or ought to be, first to obtain for rulers men who possess most wisdom to discern, and most virtue to pursue, the common good of society; and in the next place, to take the most effectual precautions for keeping them virtuous whilst they continue to hold their public trust.”
– James Madison

Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics.”
– John Adams

“Laws without morals are in vain.”
– Benjamin Franklin