Not since the Iraq war have Americans been so bitterly divided over an issue.
On Wednesday, a new Wall Street Journal poll says 48 percent of Americans say Obamacare is a bad idea. Just 36 percent support the president's health care reform vision.
In addition, only 17 percent of Americans believe Congress is doing a good job right now. That incredibly low stat reflects the chaos surrounding Obamacare.
Tuesday night on "The Factor," Fox News political analyst Charles Krauthammer defined the issue clearly: This is a battle between Americans who value self-reliance above government assistance.
The anti-Obamacare mindset is that the less government intrusion, the better off an American citizen will be. The pro-Obamacare camp tends to believe the feds have an obligation to impose social justice on the country. That is, take from the rich and give to the poor. And that reflects the president's philosophy. There is no question about it.
Most Americans agree that health care reform is needed. You can't have insurance companies kicking people off the rolls when they get sick, and you can't have Americans not able to see a doctor because they don't have enough money. There have to be safety nets in a civilized society.
But the Democrats want much more. They want to even the playing field in almost every aspect of life. So if you are poorly educated and cannot earn much money, the Democrats believe the government should give you as much security as possible. And the Obama administration seems to be willing to run up a huge debt in order to make that happen.
As you may know, the Treasury Department recently announced the Obama administration has added $2 trillion to the federal debt in just one year. Of course, some of that is understandable. When the president took office, the economy was in dire shape. The feds had to act to stop some of the bleeding. But now the country is on a wild spending spree in order to impose social justice.
The governor of New Jersey announced drastic spending cuts because that state is on the verge of bankruptcy. Predictably, the Democrats screamed. They don't want spending cuts.
So the battle lines are drawn, and it seems most Americans are siding with less government, less spending.
But remember: 53 percent of Americans voted for Barack Obama, who is a committed liberal. But now with Obamacare and the huge federal debt, Americans are seeing exactly what the left-wing philosophy entails.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
Singer Miley Cyrus has become a bit controversial for some conduct that may be inappropriate for her age, 17.
However, in a recent interview, Ms. Cyrus said: "I'm telling kids, don't go on the Internet, it's dangerous, it's not fun, it wastes your life, and you should be outside playing sports or something."
That is excellent advice, so Miley is a patriot.
On the pinhead front, I cannot believe this, but it's true. In Haiti, the American flag is not being flown over U.S. military compounds. The reason? Some military people feel it sends a bad message that we might be perceived as occupiers of that country.
That is truly dumb thinking, and the pinheads who will not fly the flag should be ashamed. We are doing a lot of good in Haiti, and the world should know it.
— You can catch Bill O'Reilly's "Talking Points Memo" and "Pinheads & Patriots" weeknights at 8 and 11 p.m. ET on the FOX News Channel and any time on foxnews.com/oreilly. Send your comments to: oreilly@foxnews.com
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