in passing

I was dumb-founded when I hear some politican called Boehner say repeatedly that
the USA has the "best healthcare system in the world."

This is not true according to any reasonable interpretation of "best".
Short argument: There is a chart in "The Spirit Level" which compares expenditures against life expectancy. The USA spends more per citizen on health care, but the citizens of countries which spend much less live longer (on average) than do citizens of the USA...

Possible explanations:
a. Boehner does not know what the word "best" means.....
b. When Boehner says "best" he means the USA pays more per capita...
c. Boehner doesn't know what he is saying.
d. Boeher is dishonest or craven or a liar, or possibly a demagogue....

Well, strictly speaking Boehner did not say the USA has the best system.. He only said that Ob ama was threatening to destroy the best system... maybe he was thinking of another country's health care system...(Sweden or France or Germany.... )

Source: I heard Boehner say this more than once on "Democracy Now". Presumably they re-played it because they were themselves amused/surprised/ or possibly even outraged....
November 4 2010
Democracy Now: http://www.democracynow.org/2010/11/4/headlines