The Healthcare Lie Machine

The Most Dubious Doctor in the Jackson Saga by Diane Dimond

Hot Topics: Skip Gates Arrest, Health Care, Art Beast, Hungry Beast, Fashion Beast

Enter your email address:

Enter the recipients' email addresses, separated by commas:

Message:

GOP House members are claiming that government-mandated euthanasia is part of the Democrats’ health-care plan. Michelle Goldberg tracks down the source of the most outrageous myths.

If you are a connoisseur of conservative media, then you’ve probably heard that health-care reform threatens to lead us toward a totalitarian dystopia in which the government kills off the old and unfit.

The revelations began two weeks ago, when Betsy McCaughey, the former New York lieutenant governor, spoke on Fred Thompson’s radio show about the “vicious assault on elderly people and the boomer generation” in the House health-care bill. Congress, she said, would make it “mandatory, absolutely required, that every five years, people in Medicare have a required counseling session that will tell them how to end their life sooner. How to decline nutrition, how to decline being hydrated, how to go into hospice care. And by the way, the bill expressly says that if you get sick somewhere in that five-year period… you have to go through that session again, all to do what’s in society’s best interests or your family’s best interests and cut your life short.”

One congressman said of his GOP colleagues, “Do they have somebody crank out the talking points for them, and they’re so marinated in them that they can’t separate truth from fiction?”

Soon, news of the impending systematic euthanasia of the aged was ricocheting around the right wing. On July 23, House Republican Leader John Boehner and his colleague Thaddeus McCotter released a statement charging that a provision in the health-care bill “may start us down a treacherous path toward government-encouraged euthanasia if enacted into law.” Speaking with Sean Hannity on Fox News last week, Dick Morris called the plan “creeping euthanasia.” The next day, Republican Congresswoman Virginia Foxx stood on the floor of the House and said that the GOP’s plan was “pro-life because it will not put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government.” On July 29, The Washington Times editorialized, “Back on May 1, we warned you that President Obama's health-care proposals could lead to bureaucrats deciding when to ‘pull the plug’ on an individual's medical treatment. That awful day is drawing nearer.”

Given this nightmare vision, it’s not surprising that opponents of a health-care overhaul are far more energized than supporters. All over the country, angry crowds are shouting down congressional Democrats who are believed to support Obama’s health-care push. In Long Island, New York, Rep. Tim Bishop had to be escorted to his car by police after screaming protesters disrupted a community meeting. Right-wingers hung Rep. Frank Kratovil in effigy outside his Maryland office. Video of protesters swarming Rep. Lloyd Doggett at an Austin, Texas, grocery store on Sunday is all over the Internet.

Obviously, these protests aren’t exactly spontaneous. As Talking Points Memo and others have reported, they’re being orchestrated by Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks, the same lobbyist-run groups behind the Tea Parties earlier this year. The Think Progress site has even obtained a memo from a volunteer with Tea Party Patriots, a group set up by FreedomWorks, on how to disrupt Democrats’ town-hall meetings and challenge their “socialist agenda.” “You need to rock-the-boat early in the Rep’s presentation,” it says. “Watch for an opportunity to yell out and challenge the Rep’s statements early. … The purpose is to make him uneasy early on and set the tone for the hall as clearly informal, and free-wheeling.”

The fact that there’s central planning doesn’t mean, though, that there isn’t also real grassroots rage and paranoia. Almost all successful protests, after all, are orchestrated by someone. An organizer, corporate or otherwise, can provide the plan and the infrastructure, but unless they’re actually paying demonstrators, people have to supply the passion themselves. And right now, the passion is with those who consider health-care reform to be a slippery slope toward Stalinism.

Heather Liggitt, a stay-at-home mother of two, helped mobilize the protest against Doggett. A member of Tea Party Patriots, Liggett said she heard that her congressman was going to be talking to people at the grocery store, and then sent out an email alerting others. No one instructed her to do so—the effort, she says, was truly grassroots. “I’ve never been politically active,” she says. “What spurred me was when I started to see the constitutional freedom and the chance of a future prosperity for my children going down the drain by the liberal agenda, I had to get involved.”

View as Single Page 12 Back to Top August 4, 2009 | 10:54pm Facebook | Twitter | |   | Emails | print Health Care, Politics, Frank Kratovil, Tim Bishop, Health Care Lies, Lloyd Doggett, Betsy Mccaughey, Tea Party, Euthanasia, Memo, Health Care Reform, House, Dick Morris, Abortion, Republicans, Barack Obama, Fox News  (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies Sort Up Sort Down sort by date: 1234 JDK-JDK

The GOP is a relic... as is its base. They have become shadows of their former selves. Please leave... and take your ignorant religion(s) with you.

Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 1:02 am, Aug 5, 2009 Cleareyed08

I thought, prior to 2006 mid-term election, there were talks about Dems being ready to close down shop for good after electoral defeat 6 years in a row. The way of the politics is just like anything and everything in this world, there is wax and wane, peak and valley, coming and going. So it's really wise to cool your jets, but in the meantime count your blessings while you still have them before the tide inevitably turns against you. Just have a little perspective is all I am saying. BTW, does one also take that newly found ignorant religion of Global Warming along w/ other religions and leave? Also, I dare you to go up to a Muslim, any Muslim for that matter, and tell him to take his ignorant religion w/ him. Just make sure to say a final good-bye to your loved ones before you sum up your cowards' courage to make your one-way trip down to a mosque near you.

Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 3:46 am, Aug 5, 2009 itstrue

so you're saying I would be killed if I insulted religion to a Muslim's face? wow... maybe in Iran or Pakistan, but not at the "mosque near me" Also - science isn't religion. Science is based on facts, which have to be empirically proven via extremely rigorous testing. Global Warming isn't religion. I think the greenhouse effect was explained to me pretty clearly back in 6th grade and it made sense to me then - it doesn't take a leap of faith.

Flag It | Permalink 4:31 am, Aug 5, 2009 ElLamer

Ok I asked a muslim to "take his ignorant religion and leave". He just laughed and asked me what I was talking about so I asked him if he felt inclined to kill me *grinn* He, being a pretty witty guy responded "there are two groups who are ignorant twards my religion: Americans and Al Qaida". For those of you who are not so in the material on this there are man disagreements between the Muslim faith and the radicalized version used by Al Asida which he was referring to. The vast majority of Muslims and the Muslim faith its self are/is arguably just as moderate as Christianity. The problem as I see it is that now that I have gone to all the trouble to take up Cleareyed08 on his dare and proved his point wrong, I doubt he will rethink his views. I hope however he will. Does that count as a religion? *grinn*

Flag It | Permalink 5:45 am, Aug 5, 2009 Noreaster

You're a riot cleareyed08 - first you say, "Just have a little perspective is all I am saying." Well, that sounds reasonable. Then this, " I dare you to go up to a Muslim...and tell him to take his ignorant religion w/ him." Whew, what a stinker you must be. Where's your perspective? Then this statement, which lacks logic, never mind perspective, " say a final good-bye to your loved ones before you sum up your cowards' courage to make your one-way trip down to a mosque near you." Coward's courage? Take a look in the mirror and repeat endlessly, " it's really wise to cool MY jets"

Flag It | Permalink 7:48 am, Aug 5, 2009 Ritarita

El Lamer- Al Qaida is to Islam What the KKK is to Christianity. I agree Clearyeyed will not rethink.

Flag It | Permalink 9:14 am, Aug 5, 2009 oldpunk

WTF has this got to do with Health Care? How about you learn to read and post on the correct page.

Flag It | Permalink 9:52 am, Aug 5, 2009 Ritarita

Oldpunk- Excuuuuuuse me.

Flag It | Permalink 10:24 am, Aug 5, 2009 tarryh

By your use of English I can tell you are not an American by birth. If you are a citizen, tho, then you should know our constitution permits viewpoints of all sorts...... that is if you were paying attention during citizenship class. You may well come from a country where dissent is not permitted, everyone is the same religion and political activism is not allowed. That would explain your narrow mindedness. Either way your fear of one of the world's great religions is clear. Your fear of change, the new century, also stands out. I am sorry for you. May the Peace of Allah be Upon You!

Flag It | Permalink 11:05 am, Aug 5, 2009 Uncommonsense

The only people talking about "the Dems being ready to close down shop for good" were Karl Rove and his minions. It is a shame Ms. Legitt is so ill informed. Reading must be out of the question in her home, just listen to college dropouts Limbaugh, Hannity and Beck and then MARCH. Did you know these idiots prevented Congressman Doggett from getting to his car? They should have had their sorry azzes arrested, on the spot.

Flag It | Permalink 12:46 pm, Aug 5, 2009 crashtextDummy

clear eye gee zuss watta maroon if i had your myopia i'd stab myself in the eyes with a pencil

Flag It | Permalink 1:55 pm, Aug 5, 2009 wolfboi1970

This is a HEALTHCARE board.. keep this trash off this board, I dont care about your feelings on muslims and christians

Flag It | Permalink 12:30 am, Aug 6, 2009 Cleareyed08

Wow, didn't I stir up a hornet's nest? Well, allow me to don my Haz-Mat suit before I step into and wade through the venomous bog of these agitated bloggers. Trust me, all of you deserve a rebuttal. Since I couldn't find a "reply" button to your individual comments, I'll just have to do it on a first-come-first-serve basis. Itstrue: If you had bothered to read the original post by JDKx2 who summarily labeled religions(in plural form) as ignorant, the dude was insulting all religions including Islam. So I dared this lib-loon to prove if he(or she) is a truly equal-opportunity offender or a cowardly selective hypocrite. If the sarcasm failed to come through your thick skull, you have my sympathy. By the way, that thing you were taught in 6th grade is called superficial science for dummies. You have to study further along to be able to have an educated opinion. Also, don't you think Global Warming shares quite similar characteristics to the religion, it paints a grusome picture of damnation, it has a self-anointed high priest aka Al Gore, it draws a loyal following of zealots, fanatics and converts, and it does offer a way of salvation. ElLamer: In the age of Youtube, am I supposed to just take your word for it that you indeed took my dare. That was pathetic, anemic, weak and, as your handle aptly shows, LAME. I do agree w/ you on one point that most of the religious people are moderate and peaceable, thus do not deserve the insult from the original poster. Noreaster: Not only should you cool your jets, you'd better not jump the gun. My reply was tailored towards and aimed at the original post of JDKx2. Was it so hard for you to read from the very beginning or you are due or even overdue for a reading capability checkup. Ritarita: just like you had to spell your name twice to help you remember what you go by, you ought to try to read the original post and my reply twice so you can sense my sarcasm towards the former. Tarryh: Can you tell someone sound black over the phone? The old adage is "Never Assume or you will make an *** before u and me". I have to humbly reject "a teaching moment" from you because you so failed to see the "tongue in cheek"-ness in my reply towards the original post which started this insulting of the religion and all religions business. My parting words to you, "Allahu Akbar", which suits your fine and bothers me none. Uncommonsense: I heard the "Dems closing down the shop for good" comments not from Rove or his minions but from several liberal talk show hosts and commentors before 06 mid-term when Iraq war was at its lowest point and Bush's approval ratings in the tank. They said and I paraphrase, if Dems couldn't win in this kind of environment favorable to them, they might as well close down for good. Google them, capice? CrashtextDummy: since you Dummy reduced yourself down to the gutter level, I am of the Old Testament and believe in an eye for an eye. If a Dummy like you has the proclivity of sucking thumbs, chewing nails or better yet using a pencil or any pencil-like objects to poke your own eyes or anywhere, keep it to yourself. BTW, maroon is not my color of choice, but moron is definitely your calling card. Wolfboi: The original poster started this side show, but your point is well taken.

Flag It | Permalink 2:30 am, Aug 6, 2009 BullMoose

Moohamed invented a phoney religion while he lounged at the leisure of his wife's wealth. You can write a lot of bull crap when you wife is your sugar Momma. Must be why he resents women so much. Islam is a gutter religion made up by a Joseph Smith type who invented Mormonism. Islam gutter snipes hide behind their women's Burkas, or just dress in drag in them, then run away. The gutless wonders are cowards and could not beat anything but their wifes, and if they would fight the men back, most of the large sized women would kick some serious booty.

Flag It | Permalink 4:48 pm, Aug 6, 2009 hockeydog

If one is really interested in who, which individual, is the source of this campaign of misinformation, one need look no further than Karl Rove. The "organizers" of the quote-tea-baggers-end-quote thrive on creating falsehoods, and then manipulating public opinion. Karl knows that the more outrageous the accusation, the better the traction of the lie. The hallmarks of this strategy include coming up with a peppy name for the group, tea-baggers, swift-boat veterans, citizens against unneccessary taxation, and so on and so forth. The targets are always the weaker portions of our society. Sometimes, for example the idea is to target a group like "illegal immigrants", and then create hysteria based on xenophobia. Or, in this case their target is a target audience, "the elderly". Does anybody remember "welfare mothers"? Credibility has no part in the equation. Recall, that early in Karl's career he smeared a fine judge, who was running for re-election with his whisper campaign that this man's altruistic interest in helping disadvantaged children stemmed from his "hidden secret" of being a child molester. How does a person respond to a question like, "Well, judge, is it true you are no longer an active child molester?" Karl Rove set the standard for this low water mark, and the mouthpieces like Rush Limbaugh simply parrot the master. Sadly, while this little frenzy is being stirred about socialized medicine, the debate about an individual's free-will choice for euthanisia is being lost. Kind of reminds one of the frenzy, the hysteria that accompanied another big lie, that the United States was under siege by cohorts of Sadaam Hussein. That one gained some traction alright.

Flag It | Permalink | Reply | (–) Show Replies Collapse Replies 4:31 am, Aug 5, 2009 Cymatic

Excellent post. I think Rove does qualify for the term "white collar psychopath". These are people who feel no remorse or guilt about lying or ruining people's lives. Rove's tactics smear campaign against John McCain when he ran Dubya's campaign for the Republican leadership are infamous. I don't think he will ever lose even a wink of sleep for those damaged by his lies.

Read Full Article »