The American Spectator : The President's Nun: Obamacare Scranton Scandal Explodes

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The President's Nun: Obamacare Scranton Scandal Explodes

By Jeffrey Lord on 10.11.10 @ 6:10AM

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In other words, Mr. Cook -- he the CEO of the hospitals who said flatly that ObamaCare was in fact "absolutely" and yet again "absolutely" playing a role in the sale of the three hospitals -- was, in the polite language of a Catholic nun, in essence being called a liar.

By Sunday, there was a third Cook statement, this one posted on the website of Mercy Health Partners. Cook statement # 3 was no longer as benign as statement # 2. The third Cook statement used some of the original language from statement #2, but its lead paragraph was now saying something else entirely. I have marked the change in bold print:

Mercy Health Partners recently announced our intention to explore the sale of our facilities in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The rationale for our initiative has been mischaracterized by certain politicized media outlets and severely distorted by some special interest groups.

In other words, Cook statement #3 has picked up a flavor of the statement from Sister Carol. Now saying without saying it that Cook's original WNEP answer about the role ObamaCare "absolutely…absolutely" played in the decision to sell the hospitals has been "severely distorted."

Curious, no? Very.

WHY IN THE WORLD would a Catholic nun be so revved up as to denounce in such strong language what Mr. Cook insisted was a fact -- that ObamaCare was "absolutely" and yet again "absolutely" playing a role in the hospital sale? Why the hair-trigger fire-breathing response. From a simple Catholic nun named Sister Carol?

And why in the world would Mr. Cook feel compelled to issue not one but two re-statements of the rationale behind the sale of the three Mercy hospitals?

One doctor in Scranton -- who was deeply disturbed by the announcement -- is certain he knows the answer. That answer? Mr. Cook was absolutely right the very first time he spoke to WNEP on camera. Hospitals, said this doctor -- frequently run a debt. "What's different? Why now?" he said in terms of the rationale for selling the Mercy hospitals. The reason is exactly as CEO Cook originally said it was. ObamaCare cuts in Medicare reimbursement have changed the rules so drastically for hospitals "you [Mercy Health Partners] are in an untenable situation," said this physician. Most hospitals have accumulating debt because of capital investments, says the doctor. But they can't deal with that debt if in fact their ability to earn money is cut off or drastically reduced over time.

Alarmingly, the doctor, with a lifetime of practice in hand, says that "hospitals close in clusters where there is decreased income in terms of relatively low Medicare reimbursement…because they are the most vulnerable." He adds that what is happening in Scranton, Nanticoke, and Tunkhannock with the Mercy hospitals "is just the beginning. It will happen everywhere because reimbursements will be reduced" under ObamaCare. Particularly, he adds, in areas where you have a high elderly population.

If the doctor is right, and he is not alone in saying this, the proposed sale of the three Mercy hospitals becomes a harbinger of what will happen nationally as a result of ObamaCare slowly tightening its government tentacles over the private health care system. Which means the sale of the three Mercy hospitals has added Scranton to what the Wall Street Journal has already called ObamaCare's "trail of destruction."

Ahhhh. But who is Sister Carol Keehan? What's the big deal here with her? Why would a statement from simple Catholic nun appear to cause so much consternation with Mercy Health Partner CEO Kevin Cook in Scranton, Pennsylvania?

LET'S GO BACK to that presidential signing of the health care reform law. There were 21 very powerful people in that little group who received signing pens from the President. As mentioned that included the Vice President, Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi, Ted Kennedy's widow Victoria Reggie Kennedy. And someone else.

That would be Sister Carol Keehan.

Impressive, no? The Catholic News Agency thought so, and prominently noted the story here. It also noted that Sister Carol was receiving her presidential pen from the President himself because she had been "supporting health care despite bishops' objections." The story even pictured the pen itself alongside the presidential seal on the box in which it came, with "Barack Obama" clearly visible scrawled along the side. Meaning, Sister Carol had enough clout to take on the Catholic Bishops on the President's behalf -- and win.

Does the name Bart Stupak ring a bell? The much ballyhooed pro-life Democrat Congressman from Michigan? The Catholic Congressman Bart Stupak who was said to be such a sturdy obstacle to passage of ObamaCare because it would allow abortions? In the aftermath of the ObamaCare passage, Slate came forward to note that a letter signed by "representatives" of Catholic nuns finally swayed Stupak to break his staunch anti-abortion pledge and sign on for ObamaCare with a simple promise of an executive order on abortion, executive orders being overturned by successor presidents with the rapidity of rabbits doing the breeding thing. Wait! Stupak was persuaded by Catholic nuns? Isn't Sister Carol a …nun? How about that? What a coincidence? Yes indeed, the letter in question was signed -- solo -- by Sister Carol.

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Letter to the Editor

Jeffrey Lord is a former Reagan White House political director and author. He writes from Pennsylvania at jlpa1@aol.com.

Comments

PaulD| 10.11.10 @ 6:30AM

Wow. Just think how much other crap is going on in Obama's world that we don't know about!

sky| 10.11.10 @ 8:53AM

Its all about mob wants to rule everything,it is a part of big goverment,their members the unions, big banks.

mike carroll| 10.14.10 @ 10:46AM

u are absolultely correct,obmiee is under direct mob influence

Vernon| 10.14.10 @ 11:03PM

yeah, riiiiiight.

zek| 10.11.10 @ 10:46AM

The media controls the stories and without the media Obama is nothing. Will this story get legs? No. Until people start going after the media for their unbelievable liberalism and bias then nothing will change. Start holding the professional left wing media accountable and work your way down to the weakest link - the Administration.

gearjammer| 10.11.10 @ 1:04PM

Find ways to shut off their endless money supplies. If, 20 million drop their cable etc it will bankrupt them over time. Cable etc dollars do flow heavily into the networks and offending media conglomerates. Did you see the CEO of Time Warner on Cavuto ? He is chomping at the bit to have his programming 24/7 at a variety of receiving devices put upon every consumer possible. They are in particular targeting your kids and compelling you to pay. He explicitly said on Cavuto forget about pay as you go and a la carte programming . He wants one big monthly check sent to him to distribute as he sees fit. He will see to that financially weak Time mag survives. Thus, a mag alot of you have said no to you still pay for. This is all very complicated. I do not have all answers but if ever a subject deserves a true congressional investigation and oversight this is it.

Margie| 10.11.10 @ 1:13PM

We cut off our cable about 10 years ago. Gives you a lot more time to do more meaningful things. Like taking on the anti-Semites at Amspec, for example. LOL.
(And before one of them tries to say I meant that toward you, gearjammer, I do NOT!)

And I think your idea is an excellent one.

God bless.

Roadrunner| 10.11.10 @ 2:21PM

I have four TV sets, but haven't had cable, satellite or even an antenna in 10-15 years. I got disgusted with it. I've cancelled my subscriptions to Time, Newsweek and U.S. News. I get my news from the internet and newspapers. 'Bye MSM!

gearjammer| 10.11.10 @ 5:15PM

We need more like you and Margie. Thanks Margie-I do not think those evil Jews own the media. But, sadly that sorta stuff is still out there.