Conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer says that President Barack Obama makes stuff up with "brazenness" when he says that Obamacare is working.
Obama said Thursday while appearing in the White House briefing room about the Affordable Care Act that
"this thing is working."
Krauthammer challenged the president's assertion during an appearance Thursday on Fox News'
"Special Report."
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"Look, it's working in that it exists. It breathes," Krauthammer said. "But if it's hurting the doctor, it's hurting the hospital, it's hurting the patient, it's hurting the economy, it's going to cost a fortune.
"I love the way the president says healthcare costs are reduced, as if there is any relationship between a reduction, which occurred during a recession, and a healthcare implementation, which occurs today," Krauthammer added.
"So it couldn't possibly have retroactively affected last year's numbers. I mean, he makes this stuff up with brazenness that is almost admirable," The Washington Post columnist said.
"Everybody is getting a worse deal," Krauthammer said. "If the providers are, that means the doctors aren't getting their usual payments, which means they have to see much more patients, which means they spend less time, which means the care is inferior, that means they are reimbursed at a lower rate, which means some of them will go out of business."
Krauthammer added that Republicans shouldn't back down from going after Obamacare in their midterm election campaigns, even if the president is now praising the new healthcare law.
"I think it's an organ worth playing day and night," he said. "Which is going to have more effect on the voter — Obama in a press conference in a holiday week throwing out a number, 8 million, which means nothing? Or knowing someone in your family, or you, losing health insurance, having your hours reduced so your employer can call you part-time — losing your job, losing hours — all of this stuff affecting you personally?
"Even if the numbers between the approvers and disapprovers narrows, the intensity of those who oppose it because of real life effects — higher premiums, higher deductibles, narrower networks — that is real stuff," he said.
"All the other stuff, that is theoretical stuff."
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