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ObamaCare (artist's conception)

I oppose government health care on ideological grounds, but pragmatic questions are always on the table. I claim my ideology leads to workable structures, and opposing ideologies do not.

Obama knows his budget is a catastrophe. Apparently he doesn’t care. Ideology above all, and damn the real-world consequences.

Obama is aware of growing budgetary concern among his moderate supporters, and he is trying to reassure the public that socialized medicine won’t double-kill the economy. In Friday’s speech he did his “read my lips” thing: “Health insurance reform cannot add to our deficit over the next decade, and I mean it. Let me repeat: Health insurance reform cannot add to our deficit over the next decade and I mean it.”

Wow. Obama said it twice, so how could it be a lie? Never mind that the CBO says it’s another fiscal disaster. Who you going to believe? Obama sounds so darned sincere, so much in command of details. A man that smart couldn’t possibly lead us into the pit.

Among Americans that believe their own eyes, Obama’s rhetoric is starting to wear thin. We remember his campaign promises about he would manage the budget, and we’ve seen him do the opposite of what he said. He promised to battle earmarks, control spending, and not leave a mess for the next guy on line. Also, his predictions about saved jobs and new growth haven’t come true, but that’s somewhat forgivable, since projections are always dicey.

I’m flashing back to the second debate with John McCain. Obama lambasted McCain for unsound finances:

Senator McCain likes to talk about earmarks a lot. And that’s important. I want to go line by line through every item in the federal budget and eliminate programs that don’t work and make sure that those that do work, work better and cheaper.

But understand this: We also have to look at where some of our tax revenues are going. So when Sen. McCain proposes a $300 billion tax cut, a continuation not only of the Bush tax cuts, but an additional $200 billion that he’s going to give to big corporations, including big oil companies, $4 billion worth, that’s money out of the system.

So Obama told us it was a terrible idea to stimulate the economy with a $300 billion tax cut. Then he got elected and rushed a $787 billion stimulus package into law. When challenged, he responded, “What do you think a stimulus is? It’s spending — that’s the whole point! Seriously.”

Obama won’t let you keep a little more of your money, but he says he’s doing you a big fat favor by spending a lot more of your grandkids’ money. That’s his “daddy knows best” ideology at work. This would be well and good, except, as I’ve noted, he beat McCain by telling us he wouldn’t do this.