It looks like the opponents of liberty on the left want to join the health care battle. This came to my e-mailbox from “Organizing for America” (yep, I’m on their e-mail list):
For one month, the fight for health insurance reform leaves the backrooms of Washington, D.C., and returns to communities across America. Throughout August, members of Congress are back home, where the hands they shake and the voices they hear will not belong to lobbyists, but to people like you.
Home is where we’re strongest. We didn’t win last year’s election together at a committee hearing in D.C. We won it on the doorsteps and the phone lines, at the softball games and the town meetings, and in every part of this great country where people gather to talk about what matters most. And if you’re willing to step up once again, that’s exactly where we’re going to win this historic campaign for the guaranteed, affordable health insurance that every American deserves.
There are those who profit from the status quo, or see this debate as a political game, and they will stop at nothing to block reform. They are filling the airwaves and the internet with outrageous falsehoods to scare people into opposing change. And some people, not surprisingly, are getting pretty nervous. So we’ve got to get out there, fight lies with truth, and set the record straight.
That’s why Organizing for America is putting together thousands of events this month where you can reach out to neighbors, show your support, and make certain your members of Congress know that you’re counting on them to act.
But these canvasses, town halls, and gatherings only make a difference if you turn up to knock on doors, share your views, and show your support. So here’s what I need from you:
Can you commit to join at least one event in your community this month?
In politics, there’s a rule that says when you ask people to get involved, always tell them it’ll be easy. Well, let’s be honest here: Passing comprehensive health insurance reform will not be easy. Every President since Harry Truman has talked about it, and the most powerful and experienced lobbyists in Washington stand in the way.
But every day we don’t act, Americans watch their premiums rise three times faster than wages, small businesses and families are pushed towards bankruptcy, and 14,000 people lose their coverage entirely. The cost of inaction is simply too much for the people of this nation to bear.
So yes, fixing this crisis will not be easy. Our opponents will attack us every day for daring to try. It will require time, and hard work, and there will be days when we don’t know if we have anything more to give. But there comes a moment when we all have to choose between doing what’s easy, and doing what’s right.
This is one of those times. And moments like this are what this movement was built for. So, are you ready?
Please commit now to taking at least one action in your community this month to build support for health insurance reform:
http://my.barackobama.com/CommitAugust
Let’s seize this moment and win this historic victory for our economy, our health and our families.
Thank you,
President Barack Obama
(Emphasis in original.)
Despite the fact I’m going on vacation in a week or so and have a thousand other things on my plate, I think I can commit to attending an event. They may not like what I have to say, but I can attend an event – you betcha.
And if enough like-minded people who oppose items like mandatory end-of-life counseling or losing their private insurance if they wish to change policies (oops, I better be careful because I’m spreading “outrageous falsehoods” by relating what’s really in the bill – someone may narc on me) show up at these events then perhaps the powers that be will realize that Obama’s is a losing cause – after all, most are generally happy with their health coverage most of the time.
So those of you on the left feel free to report me. From the whitehouse.gov blog:
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Last time I checked there is a First Amendment and if Obama can’t handle the truth, tough toenails.
I can’t wait to see what events are in my area, this ought to be fun. Who’s in with me?
So it’s “astroturf” when conservatives do this but when Organizing for America does it it’s grassroots? Interesting.
However, while I agree with what you’re saying, I do have to point out that “mandatory end-of-life counseling or losing their private insurance if they wish to change policies” isn’t in the House legislation or any legislation I’m aware of. Both of these things are, indeed, falsehoods. The end-of-life stuff is simply the government saying that Medicare will reimburse physicians if they wish to offer end-of-life counseling to patients once every five years (or sooner under some circumstances). It’s not mandatory that Medicare recipients take it nor is it about doctors trying to get old people to kill themselves.
The losing your insurance bit is a little more complicated. From what I understand, under the House bill there would be a variety of new federal regulations placed on private insurance. If you have private insurance, it would be grandfathered in and not have to comply with these new regulations. But if you changed policies the new policies would have to comply. There are a lot of problems with this, but it’s not as if you’d be forced to go into the government health insurance if you wanted to switch policies. However, the regulations would hurt private insurers so that it would be less likely people could get private insurance.
There are a lot of bad things about the health care proposals out there. There are also a lot of misinformed things floating around out there about these proposals. Let’s oppose this legislation for what it actually does, not for any other reason.
Marc,
Don’t confuse matters by pointing out where Michael is wrong–the certitude comes right from Limbaugh, who is never wrong. Until Michael disassociates himself clearly from the birthers, this blog has lost all credibility. It has been sad to watch an otherwise intelligent blog give way to the crazies.
If you can’t argue with the message, kill the messenger. A time-honored lefty trick.
Please tell me where exactly I’m incorrect – or do your talking points not cover that?
Marc may well be correct on end-of-life counseling, but does that not sound a bit ghoulish? Reimbursing doctors for telling their elderly patients about end-of-life care seems like a violation of the Hippocratic Oath.
FF, Mike can defend himself, but I’ve always found him to be reasonable and, when it is warranted, to alter his opinions based on new facts. Don’t lump him in with some in our area (on both the right and left) who prefer only to listen to points of view which reinforce their own opinions.
Mike, there’s nothing ghoulish about it. It’s simply the government paying doctors to have conversations with people that they are likely already doing. We’re not talking about Jack Kevorkian stuff here. We’re talking about doctors and patients coming up with an advance health care directive that spells out that patient’s wishes should he or she not be in a position to make decisions. Everyone should have one. I’m sure you remember the Terry Schiavo case, which would have been avoided had she had an advance directive. Doctors should certainly talk to their patients about end-of-life decisions such as what steps patients wish doctors to take in order to revive them, if they want a do not resuscitate order, etc. Far from being ghoulish, the wider use of advance directives would stop ghoulish situations where you have family members going to court because each has a different opinion about what an incapacitated patient desires.
Well, you already pointed out where Marc proved you wrong, saving me the trouble. End of life counseling is not ghoulish, it is compassionate. It is decidedly NOT euthanasia, which Limbaugh and his pals are trying to make it out to be. It takes place every single day in hospitals, hospices, and private homes, and I have been in the hospital room to see how important it can be. This bill enables poor people to have that same compassionate care. Nice try criticizing leftists when the beginning of your post refers to “opponents of liberty on the left.” Your side is full of freedom fighters who for 8 years yelled “America, love it or leave it,” and now shout down candidates, hang them in effigy, make death threats (see today’s news), and engage in some of the most anti-American behavior possible. So to them I say don’t let the door hit you in the butt on the way out.
You are losing your credibility, Michael, and it isn’t just me who thinks so. You used to have thoughtful discussion even when I disagreed with you, but it looks like you are sliding over into the crazy group. So how about it: want to come out and admit that Obama was born in Hawaii? Still going to cling to that one while the leaders of your party desperately backpedal from it?
Marc,
I used to find Michael a refreshing voice of intelligent conservativism even though we often disagreed. But since he joined in the notion of Obama being Kenyan I have had to question that notion. So I will try one more time to see if he is willing to acknowledge that Obama was born in Hawaii. If not, I will sadly put him in the camp with the other nuts and will haunt this blog no more.
Of course Obama is Kenyan – that’s where his father is from. In truth, (and as I’ve said before) I’m much more concerned about the damage Obama is doing to Constitutional government than whether he was born in Hawaii, Kenya, or Mars.
You are perpetrating a smokescreen issue that I put in a post as a throwaway line on a photo caption, and I thought you were smarter than that.
I remember seeing a poll a couple years ago that had 35% of Democrats believing that G.W. was behind the 9-11 atacks. I don’t remember where I saw that but it probably was pretty accurate just based on the amount of liberals I have talked to that believed that.
I also remember the stories the Libs tried to make up about G.W.’s service records, remember the whole Rather incident. To my knowledge G.W. had signed Form 180(if I remember right) that released all his records.
Why won’t President Obama release all his records and produce his original birth certificate? If he would all this would go away. But I do agree that it really is a non-issue compared to the damage the President is doing, I think our energies would be better directed to putting forth alternative common-sense plans instead of just attacking.
And now I am done with this blog. I thought you were smarter than that, but you have gone over to the birthers. Your failure to clarify what you call a “smokescreen issue” but what I consider to be a litmus test for nuttiness puts you in the nutty camp, whether you want to admit it or not. You did not limit your birther argument to a photo caption, you have repeated it in your comments on several occasions. This is EXACTLY what is wrong with the modern Republican party. People who were (are?) intelligent are giving over to the forces of fear and conspiracy (Obama wants to kill old people!) and it is just sickening to watch. If I wanted nuttiness, I would go to the other local blog, where I can see bizarre rants against Obama every day. Adios, it has been fun.
What, “question authority” only works one way? I’m very disappointed you can’t see the forest for the trees and apparently you blindly believe whatever is told to you by your leftist friends. I’m going to link to a couple videos you should watch. Then ask yourself why they’re not saying this now.
And once again I state that regardless of birthplace Obama is doing much more to subvert Constitutional government than George W. Bush ever dreamed of doing. That’s my main point.