David A. Bell is the dean of faculty and Mellon Professor in the Humanities at John Hopkins University's Krieger School of Arts and Sciences.
Conservative talk radio often feels like a strange alternate universe, and never more than when the guest of honor is Doctor Betsy McCaughey, who fielded respectful questions from my local Baltimore Limbaugh-wannabes for fifteen minutes this morning (they neglected to mention that her doctorate is in American History, not medicine). According to McCaughey, the House health care bill will require all Americans to change their health care plan and purchase government-designed insurance that will cost families of four 20% of their pre-tax income. It will also slash Medicare, and use the savings to fund radical community organizations. It will enroll illegal immigrants in Medicaid, and destroy doctor-patient confidentiality. Any member of Congress who votes for the bill will be violating their oath of office to uphold the Constitution. McCaughey did not claim that Nancy Pelosi and Barack Obama are green-skinned aliens from planet Zargon who eat small American children for breakfast. But stay tuned.
Click here to see the TNR Slideshow on Betsy McCaughey.