When President Barack Obama and liberal lawmakers were cooking the books to make their health care takeover plan seem less expensive than it is, conservatives warned some "savings" in the proposal were fabrications.
Specifically, conservatives argued that "savings" in the Medicare program were not sustainable. Liberals knew that but claimed the conservatives simply didn't want health care reform.
Last week the conservatives' argument is being proven - by Obama.
A cut in rates at which doctors are reimbursed by the Medicare program was to have taken effect last week. Had it been implemented, physicians would have had their reimbursements for treatment of Medicare patients slashed by 21 percent.
Obviously, that would prompt some doctors to refuse to treat elderly patients who rely on Medicare.
During debate over the health care package, conservatives were well aware that Congress has acted in the past to forestall such Medicare cuts.
That is why doubt was cast on the Obama administration's claim of "savings" in the Medicare program.
But liberals knew their history, too. Even as they claimed Medicare "savings" would be allowed to stand, they knew there was virtually no likelihood of that happening.
Obama urged Congress to pump billions of dollars in new spending into the Medicare program, in order to avoid cutting payments to doctors.
Fine, conservatives reacted.
Show us where spending will be cut in the federal budget to provide the additional Medicare money.
There are no plans for such reductions, of course.
It is likely the bill recommended by Obama will pass.
Conservatives don't want to hurt the millions of Medicare patients who would be affected if additional funding is not provided.
Obama and his liberal cronies have the conservatives in a no-win situation - as they planned all along.
The episode is another reminder that Obama and liberal lawmakers cannot be trusted to tell the truth about government spending - much less attempt to reduce it.
