But perhaps the speaker also would note that the Pharisees were deaf to the teachings of Jesus. After all, "throughout His ministry Jesus violated many of their oral laws. He mixed freely with tax collectors and sinners, making Him ceremonially unclean" (Luke 7:39). "He also freely criticized the Pharisees for their hypocrisy and self righteousness" (Luke 11:37-52).
Obviously, the health care legislation being developed by the president's Democratic allies in Congress all comes down to faith.
While Republicans speak of their faith, the speaker might say, when it comes to providing health care for all the American people, all they can talk about are taxes and costs; they are of little faith.
There is fairness in that charge. They have no faith in miracles to do man's work. (Miracles are for God's work.) And they have no faith in bureaucrats to do a doctor's work. Nor have they faith in government to make decisions for free men. They reserve their faith for God. For the works of man, they measure twice before cutting once.
Of course, when the Lord comes back, should he wish to draft a health care bill for America, I am sure the Republicans would be glad to waive the CBO scoring requirement. Mind you, so much else will be happening at the time -- and there will be no need for out-year cost considerations.
But until that blessed day, neither Republicans nor Democrats may rely on miracles to fund our health care costs. And as to legislation that is premised on the proposition that benefits will be permitted to rise without restraint while costs will not go up at all -- well, that must be submitted to the faithful counters of non-miraculous loaves and fishes at the CBO.
Tony Blankley
Tony Blankley, a conservative author and commentator who served as press secretary to Newt Gingrich during the 1990s, when Republicans took control of Congress, died Sunday January 8, 2012. He was 63.
Blankley, who had been suffering from stomach cancer, died Saturday night at Sibley Memorial Hospital in Washington, his wife, Lynda Davis, said Sunday.
In his long career as a political operative and pundit, his most visible role was as a spokesman for and adviser to Gingrich from 1990 to 1997. Gingrich became House Speaker when Republicans took control of the U.S. House of Representatives following the 1994 midterm elections.
©Creators Syndicate