John Dingell: The True Face of Health Care Reform

Aware of Americans' aversion to socialized medicine, Washington politicians have been carefully dishonest in describing health care reform as a boon to market competition and medical choice. Occasionally the facade drops, however, and the true nature of Washington's plan to nationalize health care is revealed. Rep. Barney Frank, D-Mass., for example, has been blunt that the public option is the best path to a single-payer system.

But there is no better example of Congress' true intentions than one of the co-sponsors on the 1,900-page health monstrosity, Michigan's own John Dingell.

Dingell does not hide his advocacy for socialized medicine. A long-time supporter of a single-payer system, Dingell has unsuccessfully introduced a bill nationalizing health care every year since 1965. The 83-year-old knows that Obamacare is the wolf in sheep's closing that will help realize his dream. Dingell was front and center in the bill's recent passage in the House, banging the gavel to open debate and receiving a standing ovation when it passed.

"And with this historic vote, we will help American business compete in the global marketplace. ... Our actions will earn the respect and appreciation of Americans for generations to come," Dingell claimed.

But while Dingell may be honest about his goal, he is less than straightforward about the consequences of government-run care.

As the Mackinac Center has documented, Canadians suffering under socialism's yolk routinely cross Michigan's border to use American health care for life-saving treatments they are denied at home.

When asked by The Detroit News editorial board Sept. 4 about this indictment of national health right on his doorstep, the Dearborn congressman wryly smiled and said: "You and I are operating with different information, my friend."

Selling government-run medicine is easy as long as you ignore the evidence.

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