Sep 2, 2009

Even state Republicans are lying about health care reform


Michigan Republican Chair Ron Weiser is, not surprisingly, lying about health care reform.

In a fundraising letter to supporters, he claims, “Some Democrats in Congress, including members from Michigan, are trying to pass laws to cancel your private health insurance and put your family on Medicare. This is not a scare tactic; it’s the truth.” Sorry Mr. Weiser, it’s the former, and that makes you a liar, and it’s just one of a number of scare tactics the Republicans are rolling out.

According to Factcheck.org: “The legislation wouldn’t require anyone to switch health insurance – though, in most cases, plans would eventually have to meet minimum benefit standards. The bills don’t require anyone to join the federal plan.”

My favorite false scare tactic is the one that claims illegal aliens will be provided free health care at taxpayer’s expense. It seems anytime it wants to fire up the base, Republicans roll out the specter of Mexicans. As the majority of Americans know, it’s just another rightwing lie. According to Factcheck: “That’s simply not what the bill says at all. The bill does explicitly say that illegal immigrants can’t get any government money to pay for health care. Page 143 states: "Nothing in this subtitle shall allow Federal payments for affordability credits on behalf of individuals who are not lawfully present in the United States."

I also find it very ironic that Weiser chooses to quote my Congressman, U.S. Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Brighton, in his letter who says: “I believe we can do better. The American people deserve real bipartisan health care reform that will lower costs and keep the federal government out of personal health care decisions.” Rogers plan is the status quo that is seeing 11,000 people a day lose their health care, premiums for employer-sponsored coverage have increased 119 percent in just 10 years and health care premiums for family plans have increased 78 percent in Michigan since 2000.
Plus, he’s using the false scare tactic that the government will be involved in health care choices. That’s a lie. According to Factcheck: An advisory committee “would have only the power “to recommend” what benefits are included in basic, enhanced and premium insurance plans. It would have no power to decide what treatments anybody will get. Its recommendations on benefits might or might not be adopted.”

Clearly the system is broken, and all we get from Republicans is kill reform at all costs just to hand President Obama a defeat so they can control something they claim to hate. To make the claim of bipartisanship is also at best disingenuous. Not only am I waiting for Rogers to propose a real plan, but I’m still waiting for him to hold a health care townhall meeting.

All the Democrats have held them, I believe, and Rogers knows there is no Washington, D.C. lobbying groups sending out scripts on how to disrupt Republican townhall meetings, so what is he scared of?

11 comments:

Not Anonymous said...

What you've written is so chock full of lies it's hard to know where to begin.

It is true that their aim is to put everyone on government health care similar to a medicare system. If the government is allowed to put out a public option, the employers will have no incentive to provide access to health care for their employees. They would get off easier paying the fine than to pay for all their employees health insurance. Once your employer no longer offers health care, the only place you'll be able to get it will be the government. So in effect, the government is forcing everyone to government care.

In the beginning the government plan will only "recommend". But then they will order. I'm not interested in some government employee or airhead legislative assistant tell me what to put in my living will. I'll see my attorney about legal matters. Not some poor slob that works for the government and refuses to buy health care for his own family.

It is nice to see that you're now admitting that the Republicans do have a plan, even if you do lie and call it the status quo. There is a plan out there, but the Republicans have no power to introduce it because the Socialist Democrats block them from doing their jobs. Although, later you say that their only plan is to block Obama. You really need to make up your mind. Or maybe learn to think for yourself rather than spewing socialist talking points.

All the Democrats have not held town hall meetings. There is currently a radio station in Battle Creek that is running their daily count on their invitation to Mark Schauer to come on their program and it's been reported in the Lansing paper that he has refused to hold a town hall. The closest he came was a telephone conference, where the questioners and questions were cherry picked by him and where they didn't take many people that called to take part in the "telephone conference."

2010 is looking like it's going to be a banner year for Republicans. Maybe the two governors races coming up in the next couple of months will be a precursor to those elections.

Motor City Liberal Returns said...

Sorry to break it to you Not even the Republicans on the health care issue are rated worst. On top of being view poorly on the issue, President Obama is still trusted more over the Republicans.

People support the public option by 77% the problem is we have Democrats that are either brought and paid for by the health insurance and big pharm or they're from right leaning districts where nuts like yourself reside and voting for something President Obama wants might get you clowns out to vote next fall.

And what the Republicans are doing is just damn shameful and hypocritical when Bush was spending like a teenage girl with her new credit card I didn't hear one Republican or anyone in the right wing media scream about the debt.

The amazing thing about these town halls is that these people are showing sane America what kinds of people the Republican party attract "I don't want government touching my medicare" or the guys standing outside President Obama events with guns strapped to them.

liberalshateusa said...

Guru, Is a government-dominated health-care system constitutional?

Does a American citizen have a "right to privacy"?

The Supreme Court explained in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (1992), "these matters, involving the most intimate and personal choices a person may make in a lifetime, choices central to personal dignity and autonomy, are central to the liberty protected by the Fourteenth Amendment. At the heart of liberty is the right to define one's own concept of existence, of meaning, of the universe, and the mystery of human life."

Would this also not be applied to Universal Health Care in The United States?

Guru, I will look for you @ the Tea party. You will be easy to spot as you will be the guy with a head to big to fit in The Mill Pond area.

liberalshateusa said...

Guru, 1 more question.

The Apollo Alliance has now ADMITTED that they wrote the Stimulus Bill AND the Cap and Trade Bill.

Who wrote the Health care bill?

Communications guru said...

Everything I have written is true, and I even provided links to the organization to back me up. A single payer system, like Medicare, is not even on the table. It should be, but it’s not. That’s your lie number one.

Of course, the employers will have incentives to provide access to health care for their employees. I have no idea where you got this talking point, but it’s false. The 8 percent tax only comes into play if the employer does not offer any health care. Lie two.

“In the beginning the government plan will only "recommend” what? If you mean treatment that’s lie number three. According to Factcheck a “private-public advisory committee” headed by the U.S. surgeon general and made up of mostly private sector “medical and other experts” selected by the president and the comptroller general would have only the power “to recommend” what benefits are included in basic, enhanced and premium insurance plans. It would have no power to decide what treatments anybody will get. Its recommendations on benefits might or might not be adopted.”

No “government employee or airhead legislative assistant” will tell you what to put in your living will. That’s lie number four. According to Factcheck, “Advance Care Planning Consultation,” as we explained a few weeks ago, "would require Medicare to pay for some end-of-life planning counseling sessions with a health care practitioner."

The Republicans do not have a plan, other than to protect the huge profits the insurance companies are raking in at the expense of our economy and people’s health. First, there is no such thing as a “socialist” Democrat in this country and that is just a fascist Republican talking point. That’s lie number five. There is not a single thing stopping Republican from introducing a bill in Congress. That’s lie number six. The fact is they do not have a plan. More than 80 percent of Americans know health care needs to be reformed, but Republicans do not have a plan.

I said their plan is to defeat Obama at any cost, and that’s their only motivation. They have admitted it, and said if he loses the fight on reforming health care Republicans will do better in the elections. Make no mistake, that is their number one motivation; not helping the uninsured, the underinsured or American companies unable to compete globally because they are saddled with the escalating cost of health care. How sad that the only thing you care about is controlling something you claim you hate.

Mark Schauer has been meeting with small groups of constituents, and that’s far more than Mike Rogers has done. Why is it OK for Rogers to do what you’re giving Schauer a hard time for? Rogers is holding a telephone conference, where the questioners and questions were cherry picked by him and where they didn't take many people that called to take part in the "telephone conference." How about Mad Thad McCotter? He won’t even meet with constituents, but that’s OK with you. Plus, no one is scripting how to disrupt a townhall meeting by Republicans, so they have no excuse.

You keep dreaming that 2010 “is looking like it's going to be a banner year for Republicans.” Hell, you have no where to go but up, and chipping into the Democrats lead would be considered a major victory because the bar is so low.

Not Anonymous said...

Little Johnny. You fit well with guru. You blast out your lies as easily as he does.

There may be 77% of Democrats that support the public option, but not 77% of the American people. The public option is rejected by 53% of the American people. Health care reform Obama style is falling apart. Need proof? Obama is going to address a joint session of congress next week to try to save health care reform.

In modern times, there have been two other addresses by Presidents to a joint session of congress, not including the State of the Union. In 1993 Clinton addressed a joint session of congress. The topic? Health Care.

In 2001 President Bush addressed a joint session of congress. The topic? The war on terror following the attacks on 9/11.

Now we get a third from Obama. The topic? Health care.

So what do we learn? LIberal Presidents worry about social issues, Republican's about national security.

Keep fighting for socialism. Maybe we'll end up with something similar to what's going on in England. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/6127514/Sentenced-to-death-on-the-NHS.html

Communications guru said...

Yes and yes.

What matters are you talking about? Regardless, it’s irreverent.

I won’t be at the fake, Astroturf “tea party” at the Mill Pond; I have to work. “With a head to (sic) big to fit in The Mill Pond area?” I’m not sure what that means, but I could easily find you. You would be the guy with the racist sign like the one you use for your picture. On second thought, it will be impossible to pick you out among all the similar signs.

Communications guru said...

Wow, a Glenn Beck talking point. Who wrote the health care bill? Well, I would imagine a nonpartisan agency similar to the Legislative Serves Bureau in Michigan that writes the bills for the Michigan Legislature. However, I do know that John Dingell had input in writing one version being considered, as he has since 1956. The Senate version, perhaps Ted Kennedy, as he has since 1980.

liberalshateusa said...

Guru, I will be able to spot @ The Tea party. I will be the guy with the MITTENS on. I don't want you to bite my pinky finger off. See you there.

Communications guru said...

Again, hate the USA, I won’t be there because I have to work. Are the mittens to help you hold your racist sign because I did get the pinky ringer reference. What does this have to do with Republicans lying about health care reform?

Motor City Liberal Returns said...

You want to know where I got that 77% it jump over to my blog that has a link to where I got that 77% from.. But I suspect you got that 53% from your ass or Rush's ass it's large enough. The Republicans have no plan other than hoping the stupid virus that infected many of you guys on the right infect sane people.

Hate are you sure you won't be the guy with the white sheet on? Or the mittens help to tell you apart from the other tea party members that's going to be in their sheets and pointy hats?

Now if you're taking about that guy biting that old racist finger off.. Don't worry about that if I run into you guys but you might have to see a doctor to get that 11 1/2 Nike out of your ass.