September 19, 2009
First Lady: Women "Crushed" by Current Healthcare System
Michelle Obama said women are being "crushed by the current structure of our health care" because they often are responsible for taking care of family illnesses, arranging checkups and monitoring follow-up care."Women are the ones to do it," she said to an audience of 140 people, including representatives from groups such as the Women's Chamber of Commerce and the National Council of Negro Women. "Mothers are the ones that do it. And many women find themselves doing the same thing for their spouses."
I missed the First Fashion Victim's speech yesterday. I took my wife to the doctor after she had been ill with a cold for the past several days. I wanted to have her checked out because she wasn't getting any better and I wanted to make sure she didn't have any of the more serious viruses that seem to be going around. While there, trying to occupy an impatient, cranky, and ill toddler, we also had her foot looked at, as she had been experiencing severe pain since the night before.
Our primary care physician then sent us across the hall to radiology, so that my wife could get her foot x-rayed. We then went back to our primary care doctor, who saw what could be a stress fracture. We'll find out more when the radiologist has a chance to look at it Monday. Until then, we're trying to keep her off her feet as much as possible.
Later in the afternoon I took the baby to her pediatrician. she had a rash on her face and left leg, and had felt warm when we were at the wife's office visit earlier in the day. The pediatrician checked her over, and thinks that the rash could be contact dermatitis or potentially the same virus my wife has; apparently the rash component is a symptom that shows in children, but rarely in adults.
I missed a critical day of work to take care of my family. A major advertising campaign is rolling out and our marketing group is play a key role in meeting an aggressive deployment schedule. I'm the team lead for production, but my family came first. As a result of putting my family, the rest of my team had to readjust their schedules. In addition to this campaign, I'd committed to another time-sensitive project running concurrently, and was unable to meet my obligation there, either.
I love what I do, who I work for, and the team with which I work. They are extremely intelligent, knowledgeable, and hard-working, and I felt very guilty for having to take a personal day right when they needed me the most.
But family comes first.
My wife is feeling a little better this morning. I'm setting up her crutches so that she can go to our older daughter's soccer game. I'm the team's coach as well, so I'm packing two cars, one with my gear for the team, and the other with a folding chair, some toys for the toddler, her stroller, snacks etc. Grandma is going to help watch the baby on the sideline.
When the game is over, I'll take everyone home, unpack the cars, and take care of my family, the healthy and the sick. If I get them to bed at a reasonable hour tonight, I can log in and see how much work I can make up.
But healthcare is just a women's issue, so I'll manage.
Beyond the surface idiocy of her statements, is she trying to tell us that Obamacare will reduce the burdens of "current structure of our healthcare"? So there are no schedules under Obamacare? Someone from the state run clinic will call you to tell you when little Johnny or Little Suzy are to come in for a check up?
Why do I get the feeling that she hasnt ever scheduled a checkup for her kids or REALLY dealt with one of them having the flu?
Mrs. Obama's point, in addressing such a mean country, is merely trying to follow traditional Democrat thinking. She clearly sees all American women as a potential victim group if only she can convince them that they're being cruelly oppressed (by their husbands? Their children? Their doctors?) and that only the loving arms of Michelle Obama, those magnificent, storied arms of song and legend, backed by the federal government, can provide blessed relief.
Imagine a victim group comprising half the population! Get them all on SIEU membership rolls, push their underage little weasels into ACORN financed brothels, assign all women lawyers to sue their oppressors ("your honor, it's only right that my client's children's piggy banks be forfeited to pay for the pain my client has suffered at their runny nosed hands..."), and America can finally be transformed! Yes we can!
Posted by: mikemcdaniel at September 19, 2009 11:58 AMI remember the days when working out the nothing-overlaps-anything schedules for 3 hyperactive children (by our choice, school and doctors visits, by their independent choices some subset of marching band, orchestra, soccer (3 leagues), softball (2 leagues), outdoor environmental (don't really know what to call it) program, church and affiliated activities, out-of-town travel, and a lot of stuff I have forgotten about.
Then my wife got breast cancer, tore a rotator cuff or two, got two knees replaced, and I developed eye and heart issues that require visits to a number of places.
Feller could get bitter about some of this denigration.
Posted by: Larry Sheldon at September 19, 2009 12:04 PM>Why do I get the feeling that she hasnt ever scheduled a checkup for her kids or REALLY dealt with one of them having the flu?
Of course she hasn't. Her mother took care of all that.
Why, just having one baby kept her and BO from attending church for years as he explained missing Reverend Wright's comments. "Everyone knows how difficult taking a baby to church is."
Posted by: History Chaser at September 19, 2009 12:13 PMPlaying the race card didn't make us want government run health care, so now they will try the sex card.
The case has been made and we have decided that this plan stinks. The only question is if the Democrats can ram it through anyways.
Why they want to continue to insult us in the process beyond me.
-Bri
Posted by: Bri at September 19, 2009 12:13 PMNot mentioned was the money quote wherein Michelle denounces the fact that young women, sub-30, incur premiums 25% higher than young gents. Of course, as a former medical professional, Michelle may recall that females, human and otherwise, are the ones that bear the babries. That is covered and therefore must be paid for. It seems that the Obamas are ignorant of the simple facts of insurance as they are ignorant of so, so much. But if Michelle is weighing in I suppose it is only proper and fair game that her career in the healing arts is scrutinized. Hey, she was making $300k doing PR for a hospital, of course only AFTER Barry became a bonafide Senator so obviously she is an expert to whom attention should be paid.
Posted by: megapotamus at September 19, 2009 04:38 PMCrazy stuff. I hope your family is feeling better.
Posted by: Lipiwitz at September 19, 2009 09:32 PM>>"Michelle denounces the fact that young women, sub-30, incur premiums 25% higher than young gents."
I'm sure she'll next denounce the fact that young man pay auto insurance rates which are much higher then those for young women.
Just think, under Obamacare you would have to spend about 18 hours getting your wife seen much less another day for the child. Forget the X-Ray the same day or week. Why do I know? Because Louisiana has the socialist system for its lower income citizens. All doctors who train here are very familar with it. If you want to see what is coming, I will gladly show you what to expect, it will definitely make you sick.
As to Black mothers taking care of their kids, I haven't seen that in over 30 years in the business. It is always the grandmother.
Posted by: David at September 19, 2009 10:09 PMI find it hard to sympathize with Mrs. Obama. She seems so angry and insincere that she makes my teeth itch. And David is right, at least it's this way here in Houston. The black grandmothers do all the schlepping of kids to doctors, taking them to baseball practice, shopping, etc. Of course, now Mrs. Obama has the skilled and infinitely patient White House staff to handle these and other emergencies. They are the real "pros" here. They have my sympathies, since Mrs. Obama seems to be as short-tempered as Mrs. Clinton.
As for you CY, you seem to be the paradigm of a good modern husband. Your wife is a lucky woman.
Marianne
Posted by: Marianne Matthews at September 19, 2009 11:32 PMBRAVO to you!! you are a fantastic husband and father so it goes w/o saying you are Conservative. I as a woman DO NOT want to spend a WHOLE day waiting to see a doctor for myself or my children and if this monstrosity of a bill goes through the level of care will be horrendous. I work very hard for the insurance I have and if every low level lazy welfare queen gets to have the same insurance as I do I will be FORCED to have my care lowered to their expectations. Mrs. I Won is a LIAR just like her husband, now where is Joe Wilson?
Posted by: Jaded at September 20, 2009 10:41 AMHow dare you give such a beautiful example of the sacrifices inherent in family life? Don't you know that people like yourself are ruining the public debate over health care by injecting it with reality? /scarcasm
Ditto to what Mick Kraut and History Chaser said; the Obamas don't live in the real world. Every time Michelle opens her mouth we're reminded of that fact.
Posted by: RandomThoughts at September 20, 2009 06:31 PM
