PALM BEACH, Fla. – Radio giant Rush Limbaugh claims the White House and national news media are “cooking the books” when it comes to reports that more than 7 million Americans were on track to sign up for Obamacare by Monday’s deadline.
“To you and me, these numbers are obviously not believable. They’re obviously cooked! There’s no question,” Limbaugh said on his top-rated program Tuesday. “You can’t tell me that this is real. These people have been known to doctor the numbers. Is there any doubt they were going to do this?”
The Associated Press reported: “Two government officials confirmed the milestone, speaking on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the matter ahead of an official announcement. Seven million was the original target set by the Congressional Budget Office for enrollment in taxpayer-subsidized private health insurance through new online markets created under Obama’s signature legislation.”
Limbaugh said the real numbers are now the subject of Obama’s version of “Don’t ask, don’t tell.”
“We’re not supposed to ask, and we’re not supposed to tell. The numbers are what they are and we’re supposed to live with it,” he explained. “I think these enrollment numbers are about as real as the regime’s unemployment number, meaning it’s totally made up. Or their latest growth projections on the economy. That’s made up.”
He continued: “Every bit of news prior to today was nobody happy, falling apart, premiums doubling and copays and deductibles tripling. Nobody being able to keep their policy. Everybody unhappy. People deciding to choose to pay the penalty. A lot of people being canceled and no replacement policy. And we go from that in one overnight to everybody now – well, a plurality of people love Obamacare. No, it’s not an April Fool’s joke.”
Meanwhile, ABC News and the Washington Post just released a poll saying public support for Obamacare “narrowly notched a new high,” while criticism of Barack Obama’s handling of the law’s rollout – although still substantial – has eased from its peak last fall.
The survey indicated “Americans split on Obamacare, 49 percent in support, 48 percent opposed. But that compares with a 40-57 percent negative rating after the initial failure of the federal enrollment website last November.”
Limbaugh noted, “What’s happening here is the media and the regime are trying to rescue Obamacare. Can I tell you the truth? The truth is, this law is a disaster. Nothing’s changed about that. It’s an absolute bottomless pit. It has made most everything involving health care worse. It is going to end up limiting choice. It’s nothing more than a very exaggerated transfer of income. It is not about health care.
“It is in such a dismal state, that ABC News and the Washington Post got together to do their poll and they’re trying to rescue Obama and Obamacare. This is all about the November elections and they’re doing everything they can … to bail Obama out and bail Obamacare out. …
“If it is so popular, if people now can’t wait to use Obamacare, if they can’t wait to sign up and after they sign up, they’re so happy, then why has Obama continued to move all of the most devastating aspects of the law until after the election?”
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Limbaugh said the national media are “as happy as I’ve seen them in a year. They can’t contain themselves. All over, no matter where you look, they’re just thrilled, they’re excited. The Obamacare number has been reached, no matter how much they had to cook the books.”
The radio host played a montage of many national news reporters all mentioning the 7 million sign-up figure as part of a White House-orchestrated swarm to convince the populace the Affordable Care Act is a success.
“So suddenly no matter where they looked, everybody in the media said it was 7 million. ‘You’re saying they’re all lying to me Mr. Limbaugh?’ Yeah, I am, but you’re not gonna believe that.”