Republicans mislead the American public … again
May 12th, 2009 by Web Editor in News
From MoveOn.org:
Last week Republicans on Capitol Hill held a strategy summit on how to defeat key parts of the president’s health care plan.
At one point, Republican pollster Frank Luntz declared, “You’re not going to get what you want, but you can kill what they’re trying to do.”1
Luntz wrote a confidential memo that laid out the Republican strategy: Pretend to support reform. Mislead Americans about the heart of Obama’s plan, the public health insurance option. Scare enough people to doom real reform.
Since most people don’t know much about the public health care option, these lies could take root if we don’t fight back. Can you send this out to all your friends and neighbors?
5 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT OBAMA’S PUBLIC HEALTH INSURANCE OPTION
The choice of a public health insurance plan is crucial to real health care reform. But right now, it’s being smeared by conservatives and insurance-industry front groups. Here’s what you really need to know:
1. Choice, choice, choice. If the public health insurance option passes, Americans will be able to choose between their current insurance and a high-quality, government-run plan similar to Medicare. If you like your current care, you can keep it. If you don’t—or don’t have any—you can get the public insurance plan.2
2. It will be high-quality coverage with a choice of doctors. Government-run plans have a track record of innovating to improve quality, because they’re not just focused on short-term profits. And if you choose the public plan, you’ll still get to choose your doctor and hospital.3
3. We’ll all save a bunch of money. The public health insurance option won’t have to spend money on things like CEO bonuses, shareholder dividends, or excessive advertising, so it’ll cost a lot less. Plus, the private plans will have to lower their rates and provide better value to compete, so people who keep their current insurance will save, too.4
4. It will always be there for you and your family. A for-profit insurer can close, move out of the area, or just kick you off their insurance rolls. The public health insurance option will always be available to provide you with the health security you need.5
5. And it’s a key part of universal health care. No longer will sick people or folks in rural communities, or low-income Americans be forced to go without coverage. The public health insurance plan will be available and accessible to everyone. And for those struggling to make ends meet, the premiums will be subsidized by the government.6
We all need to speak out to make sure we get real health reform. Please pass this email on, then call your senators and ask them to support the choice of a public health insurance plan. Here’s the info for your state:
Senator Richard Burr
Phone: 202-224-3154
Senator Kay Hagan
Phone: 202-224-6342
The public health insurance option is a big part of the change we fought so hard for last fall. We didn’t let the smears beat Obama then. And we can’t let new lies beat us now. Please forward this to everyone you know.
Sources:
1. “Words Designed to Kill Health Care Reform,” Huffington Post, May 7, 2009
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51414&id=16121-3563042-IIhWhex&t=4
2, 3, 4, 5, 6. “The Case for Public Plan Choice in National Health Reform,” Institute for America’s Future
http://www.moveon.org/r?r=51396&id=16121-3563042-IIhWhex&t=5
May 12th, 2009 at 5:34 pm
It appears the only smear I see is coming from the CL web editor. You provided one quote from Luntz.
“You’re not going to get what you want, but you can kill what they’re trying to do.”
Where does he say anything about lying to the public here? Where is the republican smear? Web editors accusation is the real smear.
If there is such a document telling people to mislead where is the link to it? Until you have proof you are no better than Dan Rather.
Now let me point out the problems with your 5 praises of this health care idea.
1. MISLEADING The health care plan will be like private schools. We will all pay into the public version of this health plan but if we want something else we will be essentially paying twice for our health care because we will still have to pay into the general health fund thru taxes. This will under cut private health insurance which will result is few choices.
2. MISLEADING and LIE Removing profits will reduce that cost to zero. The only problem is that when profits are removed all other costs begin to rise since there is no incentive of profits to drive improved performance and innovation. Communism removed profits and look where it got them. Look to other government health care systems for proof of this. Government is not known for good service or performance.
3. LIE Most of the things listed here are just an illusion. We will trade CEO’s for massive bureaucracies so it will cost a whole lot more not less. The private plans will go out of biz since they cannot compete with government control over everything and the government plan being subsidized by tax payers. The private insurance companies could compete if government didn’t mandate that they cover everything under the sun from sex changes to alcohol abuse. Most people just need a vanilla policy to keep them healthy but the government will not permit this.
4. MISLEADING The government care will always be there but you might have to wait in line or worse yet you might be denied service due to old age or the medication is too expensive. Keep in mind if denied you have still paid into the system and now you don’t have those extra funds to go else where. Under some health systems it is against the law to even pay for a service that is provided by the state so you will have no where to turn.
5. MISLEADING Similar to #4. We may all be covered but we might not get medical treatment.
All universal health care systems universally ration care which could result in a treatable case becoming a death sentence.
This whole health care nonsense is just foolish. It is a solution in search of a problem. They say 47 million people are without health care. The definition of this is that you went one day without coverage during that year. 25% of the people that have this happen get covered again soon after. Another chunk are young people that do not need it since they are young the odds of getting sick are very remote. Another chunk are people that have plenty of money and just choose not to get it. In the end only 8 million people are without health care out of 300 million. The next problem with this situation is that many of these are illegal aliens draining money from the system when they should not even be in this country. It seems the main push for this health care stuff is to cover illegal aliens. If the government just covered citizens that fell thru the cracks there would be absolutely no need for all this nonsense.
Obama said we would have the same health care that he was getting as a senator. Having a plan similar to medicare is far far from what Obama promised.
May 12th, 2009 at 10:43 pm
Thanks for printing the lie first in the article and the truth in the response. There may still be some hope for the ignorance movon.org and those who drank the koolaid promote. Hey, thanks for that response. I don’t think it could be stated more accurately.
May 13th, 2009 at 6:36 am
If you are uninsured and does not have insurance, you should check out the website http://UninsuredAmerica.blogspot.com – John Mayer, California
May 13th, 2009 at 11:10 am
Thank God for moveon.org. That group has done much to counterbalance all the outrageous spin and smear tactics perpetrated by Rove, Cheney, Rush and the rest of those corrupt SOBs. The moveon.org people are the true American patriots, not the mindless zombies who simply reiterate vile Republican chatter.
Anybody who thinks the current health care plan is great can only be a Republican who’s covered himself and cares nothing about his fellow citizens.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:38 am
Russell why not pick one of my chatter points and show everyone how it is wrong or vile. Also I never said our health care plan was great. The government part of our current plan actually sucks. Increasing the size and scope of that government part like Obama wants to do will only make things worse. Obama wants to double down on a failed ponzi scheme.
Whats vile about having a different point of view? If I wanted to be more accurate I would say whats so vile about being correct.
The moveon.org people are the true American idiots.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:48 am
Frank, I never said I was speaking about you personally. I was responding to the article, not you. I think the person on here who previously called you egocentric and self-absorbed was correct. Believe it or not, this site does NOT revolve around you, no matter how many comments you post.
And yes, I personally think Haliburton, the Katrina response, no funds for military armor protection, Rove’s tactics against Cleland, McCain, and others, the bombing of Iraqi women and children, etc., etc. are all vile examples of Republican leadership.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
You may not have been speaking about me personally but I support the republicans on this matter so I was included in the group that “cares nothing for its fellow citizen” so you got a response. Your post was equivalent to all men suck so you would get a response from me since I am a man. No need to thank me for correcting you.
Silly talking points yea got there BTW.
Haliburton was the only company big enough to handle the job so not problem here.
The democrats at the local level dropped the ball and refused inital offers of help from FEMA so not a problem here.
The military armour is a valid point but has little to do with republicans or democrats. This was a government red tape thing so no problem here.
Dont know Cleland.
What about McCain?
Obama has recently bombed innocent women and children in Pakistan so this would appear to be just a militray thing and not a republican or democrat thing so no problem here.
Ok so I have basically completely shut you down so what else have you got? BTW Thanks atleast trying to support your case.
May 13th, 2009 at 12:29 pm
The fact that you don’t know who Max Cleland is says everything about how much you truly follow politics on your own (not at all) versus how much you just parrot what the Republicans tell you to think and say (all the time). So thank YOU.
May 13th, 2009 at 3:00 pm
I hope everyone can see what I am working with here hehe.
Notice how Russell did not defend any of his positions.
Russell proceeded in getting everything wrong and then focuses on some obscure guys name as proof that the universe is on his side somehow.
This reminds me of the Bush doctrine question where the reporter asking the question got it wrong even.
Hey Russell what do you think the problem is with shinto or shay?
Acting like a normal human being just does not seem to be good enough for people like Russell. Thank you Russell for demonstrating yet again how liberals are all full of hot air.
May 13th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Max Cleland, obscure? I’m no political junkie, but even I know who he is!
Excellent post, Russell.
May 13th, 2009 at 3:55 pm
Yep Max Cleland is obscure.
I decided to look him up. This guy was a one term senator and he hasnt been in office for 6 years now. I remember hearing about him after scanning the wiki on him. I remember something about him being paraded around as a war hero until word got out that he injured himself with his own grenade.
If you say everyone knows of Max a few million times to yourself you guys will still be the only one familiar with this dude.
Only a liberal would praise someone who ran away from a debate.
Crappy post Russell and Victor.
May 13th, 2009 at 5:31 pm
Sounds like the death spasms of a wounded weasel backed into a corner and lashing out blindly.
Crappy post Russell and Victor?
Ooh, I bet that hurt those guys!
They showed they’re more educated than you, and you react just like an illiterate Conservative would, by denouncing their posts to the tune of, “Nuh uh, you guys are dumb!” Awesome.
May 13th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Look at what you three are all excited about. Who is Cleland. This is such a major off topic non issue. Heck I am the only one who even told who this little known guy was.
Russell name dropped without explaining who or why it was important. Victor and you are doing nothing more than cheerleading and somehow they are more educated.
I agree with you that their posts are dumb. Their posts are nothing more than empty calories. Add up the information gained from each of our posts and see for yourself. I do not need to insult you guys (I will do it tho hehe). Your posts are proof enough even if I didnt pile on.
Yea know why I answer your posts? Because I like working with the handicapped hehe.
Crappy is as crappy does. I will add yours to the pile.
May 17th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
[...] Republicans mislead the American public … again [...]