Did Republicans really deceive the public?

By Tom Quiner

According to a poll conducted by PolitiFact.com, the biggest lie of 2010 was the Republican claim that ObamaCare was a “takeover” of health care.

Jake Tapper of Nightline chastised the Republicans as follows:  “Way to deceive the public!”

So, it’s fair to ask in light of this national attack on the GOP, do Republicans have a shred of evidence to back their takeover claims?

It’s true that ObamaCare requires you to purchase health insurance or else you’ll be fined.  And if you don’t pay the fine, you may go to jail, where taxpayers will pay for your health care.

But is that a takeover?

And it’s true that the government now wields a club over health insurance companies if they don’t start accepting folks with pre-existing conditions, like terminal cancer. And all of that without dropping anyone.

But is that a takeover?

And it’s true that they’re requiring companies to cover their insured’s kids until they are 26.

And it’s true that they’re telling companies what their profit margins should be, and how much they should pay out in claims.

But is any of this a takeover?

Let me put it to you another way.

What would Jake Tapper have to say if the government told him what stories he had to cover?

What would his network, ABC, have to say if the government told them how much they can sell ads for and what level of profit margin is permissable?

What would ABC have to say if the government wouldn’t allow them to broadcast their show across state lines, just as they don’t allow health insurance companies to market their services across state lines?

I’ll tell you what they’d say: this is an unconstitutional takeover of the news industry! This is an infringement of freedom of speech.

And they wouldn’t be whispering their dissent, they’d be screaming it at the top of their lungs.

Is ObamaCare really a takeover of health care?

How could you call it anything else?