Grim Milestone: Obamacare Signed One Year Ago Today

Guy Benson | March 23, 2011 4:39 PM

One year ago today, President Obama signed a wretched healthcare "reform" bill into law. We were told it would improve care, lower premiums, reduce overall federal healthcare expenditures

, cut the deficit, avoid rationing, and allow people to retain their satisfactory plans -- all while preserving the president's famous tax pledge.

It does none of those things.*

Congressional Democrats used a barrage of shady legislative maneuvers, arm-twisting, and backroom deals to secure passage for their fatally flawed legislation. They proved themselves totally undeterred by their own (admitted) ignorance on its specifics. They rammed it through despite broad public opposition, and without a single Republican vote in the House or Senate.

We were then assured that Obamacare's popularity would soar after it passed -- and would continue to rise after its defenders executed a slick, multimillion dollar PR campaign to correct public "misconceptions" about the law. Instead, the Obamacare brand has been gutted by the November elections, a stable repeal movement, a thorough state-level repudiation, an ever-expanding roster of waivers, and a series of hostile court rulings. And according to the latest CNN poll, the overall legislation is as unpopular as it was on the day it passed:

One year after President Barack Obama signed the health care reform bill into law, a new national poll indicates that attitudes toward the plan have not budged.

Thirty-seven percent of Americans support the measure, with 59 percent opposed. That's basically unchanged from last March, when 39 percent supported the law and 59 percent opposed the measure.

And that doesn't even mention the $700 Billion in new taxes called for in Obamacare, hundreds of billions of which will be shouldered by middle class families. Which brings us to the cold reality of this unhappy anniversary: If Obamacare's implementation continues apace, and is not repealed and replaced, the worst is yet to come.

*(I urge you to set aside 30 minutes and follow the link. I'd submit that it's well worth your time).