The Heritage Foundation - Leadership for America

October 8, 2009 David, St. Louis writes:

Encouraging to see all the questions from people who plainly disagree with the conservative position on reform. Dialog is what we need.

I do wish you had been a little more straightforward though Nina. You avoided some pretty plain questions there, like “would you eliminate Medicare.”

Our opponents want to make this debate about the people who can’t get insurance, and almost take it as a given that the only way to help them is a government program. But the debate should be about the fundamental role of government. Freedom almost always means people will fall through the cracks, but that doesn’t mean we give up freedom. It might mean we do need some small government programs to help a few - I’m not sure. But that’s the sort of discussion we need to have, not “don’t you feel sorry for these people, why don’t you want to help them?”

So the Medicare question was really a good one, and it would have been a great excuse to lay out Heritage’s philosophy on government involvement in healthcare. I know it’s hard to think on your feet in these webcasts, but I just feel like it was a wasted opportunity.

October 8, 2009 J.C. Hughes, Texas writes:

Unfortunately I missed the webchat. I’m on board with most of the conversation. One topic that needs emphasis is tax payer assistance with lower income and/or higher risk individuals and families. Such offering never did and does NOT now belong at the federal level. If anything, congress should be working closely with individual states and local governments to help them take over any and all social entitlement and welfare programs. This means the Beltway’s elitist club needs to scrap their unnecessary and improper healthcare legislation. All their misguided efforts can be summed up as an overreaching sales job. Let’s return to our founder’s constitutional design of limited government. It’s the healthy thing to do.

October 9, 2009 Paul Vanderlinden writes:

Dear republicans,The backbone store called and your orders are in!I know this is a huge problem but with a 10% unemloyment rate would it be better to implement funds for getting people back to work so they can maybe afford healthcare?I know that some of you are sympathetic but you really have no idea how bad it is!I have worked hard as a journeyman carpenter for 30 years Im unemployed currently so pardon me if im not sympathetic about lazy americans that live of my tax money!