Category: Health care
Posted by Libby Spencer on Fri, Oct 30, 2009 at 4:55 PMSpinning health care reform
The GOP's spinmeister Frank Luntz met with Republican lawmakers this week to unveil his "new plan for undermining Democrats' health-reform without making the GOP look bad." Or as I like to call it, "How to pretend you're for reform without actually reforming anything." Luntz's leaked memo is fascinating reading. You can sure you'll be hearing these talking points from every Republican and right wing think tank for the foreseeable future. I especially liked the vague "tell them what you're for" instructions. They basically make some broad points that are already included in the Democratic party's proposed bill right now.
What you won't be hearing from the GOP is a very good reason why Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh have joined the ranks against including a meaningful public option in the package, while ignoring the fact that it would save more money. You might want to ask their wives how much money they made from their gigs within the industry. In Mrs. Bayh's case, she's received at least a cool $2 million for sitting on the board of Wellpoint. Meanwhile, polling continues to show a majority of Americans support the public option and they don't really care at all whether the bill passes with bi-partisan support.
And on another note, Chris Hayes wonders if anyone noticed President Obama signed a $680 billion defense appropriation bill in the midst of our heated debates about $90 billion a year for the reform bill? He brings up the very good point that the media reports defense spending on a yearly basis, while most of the coverage on the health care bill reports the ten year price without noting the yearly breakdown. That's one way to make defense spending look smaller and health care reform look more expensive. For all those who are obsessing about the deficit, add up the ten year total for defense spending and then tell me why we can't afford to spend a small fraction of that amount to protect the health of our citizens?
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Spinning a Public Option
Libby Spencer wrote in part "And I don't take any pleasure in p*ssing you guys off. I'm trying to convince you folks to see it my way. Don't really understand why you guys get so mad at me for having a different POV of the world."
Ms Spencer..rest assured that you are not "p*ssing me off" There is nothing in this forum worth getting that upset about (imo)
However if you wish to convince folks like me to "see it my way", You would need to change your MO to such a degree that I do not believe its possible. Credible facts, evidence, and consistency are not your strong suit (imo)
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"A little fact is worth a whole limbo of dreams."
Ralph Waldo Emerson
Spinning a Public Option
Public opinion only counts after a law has passed the constitutionality test.
I want to see an amendment requiring a SCOTUS opinion on all federal laws BEFORE hitting the POTUS' desk.
Spinning a Public Option
Eh, only occassionally do you get a truly emotional reaction...
We're trying to get folks to see it our way too. They're just different ways...
I've had a virus for a week that I just can't seem to shake myself. Think it's just a cold...
Hope you feel better. Have a good Halloween!
Spinning a Public Option
Chris, admit I didn't cut & paste the link. Too lazy and think I'm coming down a cold or something. Don't feel well.
And I don't take any pleasure in p*ssing you guys off. I'm trying to convince you folks to see it my way. Don't really understand why you guys get so mad at me for having a different POV of the world.
Spinning a Public Option
Libby - Glad you found my response to the "zombie" post entertaining.
If it is gratifying for you, I actually started to get wound-up a bit while the page loaded, as I was expecting some rip on a conservsative protest in Grand Rapids (which also happens to be Gerald Ford's hometown).
So imagine my surprise when it was about a Halloween parade...
Anyway, actually if you visit the Rasmussen page I included below, the URL says "Sept.", but the page's data was actually update earlier this week. Just wanted to clarify...
Spinning a Public Option
Chris, polling depends on the question and your link says it's from Sept. Opinion has changed since then. The overall polling I've seen lately shows majority support. Not that important anyway.
BTW, great punchline to my Zombie post. I LOLed too.
Spinning a Public Option
Well, ABC can poll anyone they want to for their numbers, including excessive numbers of either party, children and those not registered to vote.
According to their survey own methodology, there are no porcedures in place to make sure the sample is "representative" of the voting population as a whole. For all we know, half of the polling calls were to the DNC and children under the age of 18...
Here are the latest numbers from Rasmussen, who polls likely voters and uses statistical mechanisms to ensure that their sample mirrors the US voting population:
Health Care Reform (with Public Option)
Favor: 45% (23% strongly favor)
Oppose: 51% (40% strongly oppose)
Source: http://www.rasmussenreports.com/public_content/politics/current_events/healthcare/september_2009/health_care_reform
FYI - Rasmussen was also the most accurate pollster out of the top 20 in the 2008 and 2004 elections. Libby's pollster, ABC News, was 14th out of 20.
Source: http://www.fordham.edu/images/academics/graduate_schools/gsas/elections_and_campaign_/poll%20accuracy%20in%20the%202008%20presidential%20election.pdf
So believe who you want...
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