Updated

Behind all the bloviating on government-run health care lies a simple question: Are we a fair country? Is the USA a rigged game, or does everyone have a chance at a good life and good health?

Government-mandated health care would be the most expensive entitlement in history, and passions are running high on both sides. To make your decision, it is important to understand the truth behind the debate and the vision that President Obama holds.

Liberal Americans generally believe that the country has been unfair to the poor, that folks with little money should receive a major helping hand from folks who have money. Conservatives tend to believe that the government should stay out of economic pursuits and allow folks to compete. Whether they win or lose is not the government's business.

President Obama is a classic liberal, a man who wants the federal government to provide as much as possible to the poor. Mr. Obama believes in economic and social justice being imposed from Washington. But the vast majority of the folks are against him on that.

A new Rasmussen Poll says 65 percent of Americans want fewer services and lower taxes from the federal government. And 69 percent of us believe the USA is a fair and decent country just the way it is.

"Talking Points" believes Americans were ready to listen to President Obama's health care vision because medical care is much too expensive in this country. But Mr. Obama has not been able to articulate specifics, instead falling back on confusing scenarios and ideology.

On Wednesday in a North Carolina town hall meeting, the president once again spoke long and said little. Many folks looked like they were transported back to a high school physics class. In fact, we could not pull one interesting sound-bite from this exposition. Not one.

The truth is that the economic and social justice theory is not taking root in America, and President Obama is being stymied by that. We are a hardworking country that gives more to charity than any other people on Earth. But we do not respect handouts, especially when they might bankrupt the nation.

That is Obama's dilemma. The folks are not with him philosophically, and I don't believe they ever will be.

And that's "The Memo."

Pinheads & Patriots

For some reason, Gen. Colin Powell dodges FOX News, but often appears on CNN. Tuesday night he weighed in on the race controversy in Massachusetts:

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

COLIN POWELL, FORMER SECRETARY OF STATE: When you're faced with an officer trying to do his job and get to the bottom of something, this is not the time to get in an argument with him. I was taught that as a child. You don't argue with a police officer.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

That is excellent advice, so Colin Powell is a patriot for giving it.

Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!

On the pinhead front, we are living in an age of shameless promotion and here's a great example. A new mystery video surfaces on YouTube featuring naked ladies strutting their stuff in Santa Monica, California. It is reportedly a marketing ploy for the new Guitar Hero video game with song titles inside the strategically placed black bars.

Are the ladies pinheads? I guess it depends on your point of view, pardon the pun. You make the call.