Join the Debate!
Login in to Post Your Comments
"Choice, competition, reducing costs -- those are the things that I want to see accomplished in this health reform bill," President Obama told talk-show host Michael Smerconish last week.
Choice and competition would be good. They would indeed reduce costs. If only the president meant it. Or understood it.
In a free market, a business that is complacent about costs learns that its prices are too high when it sees lower-cost competitors winning over its customers. The market -- actually, the consumer -- holds businesses accountable and keeps them honest. No "public option" is needed.
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Giles: Don’t Forward This Breitbart Painting to the Occupiers or Media Matters
- Hunter: Race Matters...To Racists
- Ransom: The O'pocalypse Now
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
- Ransom: Soros Says: Print More Money, Please- But I Propose the Soros Rule
- Hill: The Immorality of Obamanomics
- Chapman: Elizabeth Warren's Tribe, and Mine
- Zito: Class Warfare's Losing Record
- Saunders: Romney Follows Obama's Footsteps to Solyndra
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Giles: Don’t Forward This Breitbart Painting to the Occupiers or Media Matters
- Hunter: Race Matters...To Racists
- Ransom: The O'pocalypse Now
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
- Ransom: Soros Says: Print More Money, Please- But I Propose the Soros Rule
- Hill: The Immorality of Obamanomics
- Chapman: Elizabeth Warren's Tribe, and Mine
- Zito: Class Warfare's Losing Record
- Saunders: Romney Follows Obama's Footsteps to Solyndra
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Giles: Don’t Forward This Breitbart Painting to the Occupiers or Media Matters
- Hunter: Race Matters...To Racists
- O'Reilly: Justice for Justin
- Sowell: Holder's Chutzpah
- Ransom: The O'pocalypse Now
- Deace: What Happens to Democrats If Obama Loses
- Ransom: Anti-Job Lobbying Job Catching Up with Obama
- Hewitt: Team Romney Invades The Chicago Gang's OODA Loop, With An Assist From New Media
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Sowell: Holder's Chutzpah
- Coulter: GOP Whistling Past the End of America
- Sowell: Meaningful Work
- Malkin: Michelle Obama's "Civilian" Act Is Hard To Swallow
- Adams: Amarillo By Morning (Smith and Wesson on My Mind)
- Giles: Don’t Forward This Breitbart Painting to the Occupiers or Media Matters
- Hawkins: The 25 Best Quotes From American Soldiers
- Williams: Our Nation's Future
- Ransom: Does Anyone Still Like Obama?
- Hunter: Race Matters...To Racists
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Hunter: Race Matters...To Racists
- Giles: Don’t Forward This Breitbart Painting to the Occupiers or Media Matters
- Ransom: The O'pocalypse Now
- Parker: America Now a “Pro-Life” Nation
- Noon: Where Will You Be When the Lights Go Out?
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Ransom: Soros Says: Print More Money, Please- But I Propose the Soros Rule
- Mitchell: You Be the Judge: Should Executive Pay Be Capped at Government-Owned Companies?
- Kieffer: Catholics! Fight! Fight! Fight!
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Parker: America Now a “Pro-Life” Nation
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Ransom: Soros Says: Print More Money, Please- But I Propose the Soros Rule
- Kieffer: Catholics! Fight! Fight! Fight!
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
- Zito: As Catholics Go, So Goes the Nation
- Bialosky: How Steve Jobs Jobbed The Left
- Shedlock: City Council of North Las Vegas Unanimously Suspends Collectively Bargaining of Public Unions
- Doan: Friends of Obama Allowed to Opt Out
- Mitchell: Bloomberg, the Limousine Liberal
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Hunter: Race Matters...To Racists
- Giles: Don’t Forward This Breitbart Painting to the Occupiers or Media Matters
- Ransom: The O'pocalypse Now
- Parker: America Now a “Pro-Life” Nation
- Noon: Where Will You Be When the Lights Go Out?
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Ransom: Soros Says: Print More Money, Please- But I Propose the Soros Rule
- Mitchell: You Be the Judge: Should Executive Pay Be Capped at Government-Owned Companies?
- Kieffer: Catholics! Fight! Fight! Fight!
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
Monday, June 04 | 11:35 AM ET
- Parker: America Now a “Pro-Life” Nation
- Adams: Mixed Doubles: Our New Civil Rights Struggle
- Ransom: Soros Says: Print More Money, Please- But I Propose the Soros Rule
- Kieffer: Catholics! Fight! Fight! Fight!
- Barone: Are We at a Demographic Inflection Point?
- Zito: As Catholics Go, So Goes the Nation
- Bialosky: How Steve Jobs Jobbed The Left
- Shedlock: City Council of North Las Vegas Unanimously Suspends Collectively Bargaining of Public Unions
- Doan: Friends of Obama Allowed to Opt Out
- Mitchell: Bloomberg, the Limousine Liberal
- Yes: Billions in agriculture subsidies could face the chopping block Erika Johnsen 25 minutes ago
- Factory orders drop in April across the board Ed Morrissey 1 hour ago
- New GOP ad hits Obama campaign for Wintour ad, jobs report Ed Morrissey 1 hour ago
- Venezuela bans civilians from private gun ownership Erika Johnsen 2 hours ago
- PPP poll shows Walker up 3 in WI Ed Morrissey 3 hours ago
- Welcome Erika Johnsen, Jazz Shaw to Hot Air! Ed Morrissey 3 hours ago
Competition
Here's a simple example about competition and freedom to choose that even liberals should be able to understand. Why should a gay married couple have to pay for a policy that includes maternity benefits? Why shouldn 't they be FREE to choose a less expensive policy without those benfits?