Microcosm of all that's wrong with Demcare: Former Impeached Judge Alcee Hastings (D-FL) Defends New Taxes on Medical Devices and Innovation

Here's an example of everything that's wrong with Democrat Health Care Reform: the Chairman of the Rules Committee's Subcommittee on Legislative and Budget Process -- Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) -- just debated Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-MN) over a 2.9% "medical innovation tax" introduced by the Demcare bill (streaming video on C-Span). So let me make sure I understand: a former impeached judge (Hastings) is going to decide the ramifications on medical innovation through the introduction of new taxes on health care manufacturers?

Democrats believe that central planning -- a la the Soviet Union -- can somehow work for one-sixth of the American economy when we all know it can't work... and has never worked. This ludicrous excuse for a political party is not simply a polar opposite to the American founding and experience; its leadership is a poisonous pack of economic illiterates who ruin everything they touch. But I suppose that goes without saying, given everything this Congress has accomplished since November of 2006.