We all know that President Barack Obama is the real villain of Obamacare. But, sweet jumpin’ Jehosaphat, we’ll take Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel.
Here’s a guy we barely heard from before–except as the supposed inspiration for the “death panels”–and suddenly, as Obamacare is imploding, the Doc has leapt forward to take credit for the whole thing.
And my goodness, is he a terrible spokesman. By which I mean: more Ezekiel Emanuel, please!
Brother Rahm, Chicago mayor, has learned to dial it back a little. Brother Ari, of Hollywood fame, has been taken down a peg by Entourage. But Ezekiel, the eldest of this unlikeable trio of bullies, has still got all the raw arrogance.
“Don’t talk while he’s interrupting,” said Chris Wallace of Fox News Sunday to Emanuel’s co-panelist, in exasperation. Man, the Doc needs a charm transplant–does Obamacare cover require that?
Emanuel went on Wallace’s program to defend the indefensible–that Obama had not lied about people being able to keep their plans, that it was all the insurance companies’ fault. Watching him, one had the sense that he believed it: that he was saving insurance companies from those fifteen million customers, that he knew best how to protect middle-aged women from the possibility their adult sons would impregnate someone–all of it.
At one time it seemed that Emanuel might confine himself to the op-ed page of the Wall Street Journal, where he could argue in favor of brainwashing young people to join Obamacare despite the exorbitant cost, and few young people would actually notice.
He seemed content to be a behind-the-scenes operator, never letting on just how involved he really was in the legislation and regulations, or just how close he was to Obama.
But now–thank goodness–some genius in the White House has decided to push this character out front.
And there he fulminates, like the Jack Nicholson character in A Few Good Men, too proud not to admit what he’s been up to.
When Wallace asked him why he or President Obama should be able to tell a woman what kind of health insurance she needs, Emanuel shamelessly defended his power over her choice.
More, please!
I’m not going to pick on a guy for his accent–there’s a bit of Chicago in there, together with some kind of a New York twang–but it’s perfect for the role.
He waves his arms around. He doesn’t look at whoever he’s yelling at. He’s a mad scientist without the lab coat.
The Republican Party could never find someone to attack Obamacare as thoroughly as Dr. Emanuel fails to defend it.
Please, please keep Ezekiel Emanuel coming. I love it.
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