No doubt that Karl Rove is a very smart guy and has added greatly to "The Factor" with his political analysis.
Back in September, I told Mr. Rove that the public option component in Obamacare would eventually die because the president didn't really care about it. Mr. Rove disagreed.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
O'REILLY: I think the public option is gone. He threw it right out the window. So liberals are not going to like that. It's gone.
KARL ROVE, FORMER BUSH ADVISER: Bill, I don't agree with you. I think tonight he had a tougher tone on it than before.
O'REILLY: No.
ROVE: I hope you're right.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Well now it looks like I am correct, as the Senate has replaced the public option with some kind of mish-mash about private companies offering health insurance coverage under the tutelage of somebody in government. More incomprehensible gibberish, but for now the public option is off the table in the Senate.
The question: Why?
"Talking Points" believes that most Americans do not like the federal government telling them what to do. It's that simple.
Many Americans reject the feds dictating their medical decisions. That's what a public option is. If you sign up, the feds tell you you can do this but you can't do that.
The left loves that kind of big government intrusion. They want Washington to have as much power over you as possible, falsely believing that government will eventually impose social justice.
This is important. Social justice is when powerful people force citizens to share their wealth and their accomplishments so that the have-nots can have more.
If the feds run health care and can tell you what medical procedures are available to your family, that's an enormous amount of power and control over trillions of taxpayer dollars.
Basically, conservatives want power centralized locally. The right believes that individual freedom should trump federal interference. The left disagrees, and that's what this health care debate is all about.
Maybe in the end Karl Rove will be right. The public option could make a comeback, but I don't think so. The folks are leery about giving the feds more power, and they should be.
And that's "The Memo."
Pinheads & Patriots
Clint Eastwood is out promoting his new film "Invictus." He directed the movie about Nelson Mandela. Here he is with Ellen:
Click here to watch "Pinheads & Patriots"!
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
ELLEN DEGENERES, TALK SHOW HOST: You look fabulous, by the way. And I...
CLINT EASTWOOD, DIRECTOR/ACTOR: We're going to get you to an ophthalmologist really soon.
DEGENERES: So where do you have this energy? Because you're going to — it's not a secret. We can say that you're going to turn 80 next year. Can we say that? It's too late. I've said it.
EASTWOOD: Eighty is the new 20.
(END VIDEO CLIP)
Hey, more power to him. Mr. Eastwood remains a patriot.
On the pinhead front, the new governor-elect of New Jersey, Chris Christie, is a big Bruce Springsteen fan. Christie has seen 122 Springsteen shows.
So his people asked The Boss to perform at the upcoming inauguration, but Springsteen said no, even though he's done performances for John Kerry and Barack Obama.
That does not seem to be a classy move, Bruce. You're a New Jersey-ite. Christie is the new governor, so you may be an ideological pinhead.
Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox