McCotter on the Sham-WOW Summit!

In an alarming finding, the Rasmussen Report found only 21% of Americans believe the Democrat-controlled U.S. government has the consent of the governed. Amazingly, this view is held by only 32% of Democrats.

Spurred by the unjust Wall Street Bailout, this crisis of consent is exacerbated by an Obama Administration and its Democratic Congress’ insistence on ramming through a government-run health care scheme in defiance of the sovereign American people’s emphatic opposition.

Now, having already pre-determined its outcome, the Obama Administration will hold a health care summit. The summit’s goal is to persuade the public that the Republican minority is “forcing” the Democrats’ heavy-handed tactics to foist this abominable bill upon Americans.

The truth is otherwise: it is the public and centrist Democrats who have to date stopped this radical proposal, which will raise the cost and lower the quality of Americans’ health care.

Designed to obfuscate this truth and devoid of any attempt to establish a shared, bi-partisan principle for reform, the Obama Administration’s summit constitutes a ShamWoW! infomercial for incrementally socialized medicine that threatens Americans’ health care; imposes double taxation on most Americans who are responsibly trying to save for their future during this painful recession; devolves private health insurance companies into government-dictated utilities; and further erodes the public’s waning faith that their government institutions are truly representative.

Consequently, with due respect for the President and ultimate respect for the American people, the Republican leadership has no choice. It must NOT accept the administration’s disingenuous summit invitation to “negotiate.”

To accept would abet a deceit upon the people; and violate the principle that transparency in government exists to reveal the truth and promote the public’s confidence in their representative institutions, not to foster misperceptions and subvert the public’s confidence in their representative institutions.

Fortunately, a solution exists: an election.

As in other times of great national debate, Democrats must let the competing views of health care – government-run, bureaucrat-centered medicine versus free-market, patient- centered wellness – be submitted to the American people for their sovereign consideration and determination this November.

Nothing could do more to promote Americans’ health care; and restore the public’s confidence they are being governed with their consent.