Macon Phillips, a blogger on whitehouse.gov, blogged on Tuesday
“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.”
I don’t know that there is any sinister plot by the White House to develop an enemy’s list as has been suggested. But there is an element, real or unintended, of intimidation. When coupled with the Democratic National Committee’s charge that “that mobs are being transported to rallies by “well- funded, highly organized groups run by Republican operatives” and the far-left blogs labeling essentially calling the contentious townhalls as “mob scenes,” we are seeing the Obama Administration throwing hardball politics not only at other politicians but at the electorate as a whole. Let’s not forget that the Democrats, IF THEY HAD CONSENSUS IN THEIR OWN PARTY, could have passed healthcare reform almost by fiat. The fact is that the healthcare reform currently on the table has a smell all it’s own; so much so that even some reasonable-thinking Democrats have problems with it.
I suggest we take Mr. Phillips up on his offer by sending the White House our own “fishy” notes regarding healthcare reform. Let the President now just how much his “reform” “STINKS…”
kab
Sources:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/
http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/08/05/town.halls/index.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/04/cbs-reports-on-town-hall_n_250836.html
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2009/8/5/134012/4532
We first heard from the birthers, with their fake “birth certificate” in hand and with their fake outrage. These are the same under tones that you saw from Republicans during the confirmation hearings for Sonia Sotomayor, “you are not like us” or “you are too different”, “you are not main stream”. And then they act surprised when people do not vote with them, they are lost, no core beliefs, too bad.
In my opinion the Republican Party has been taken over the most extreme religious right (people who love to push their beliefs on others while at the same time trying to take away their rights) and that’s who they need to focus on if they real want to win. Good Luck, because as they said in WACO, “We Ain’t Coming Out”.
It’s funny we hear Republicans say that they do not want “faceless bureaucrats” making medical decisions but they have no problem with “private sector” “faceless bureaucrats” daily declining medical coverage and financially ruining good hard working people. And who says that the “private sector” is always right, do we forget failures like Long-Term Capital, WorldCom, Global Crossing, Enron, Tyco, AIG and Lehman Brothers. Of course the federal government will destroy heathcare by getting involved, Oh but wait our military men and women and the Senate and Congress get the best heathcare in the world, and oh, that’s right, its run by our federal government. I can understand why some may think that the federal government will fail, if you look at the past eight years as a current history, with failures like the financial meltdown, Katrina, and the Walter Reed Scandal but the facts is they can and if we support them they will succeed.
By: Paul on Thursday, August 6, 2009
at 12:27:57
Wow.
First, no one’s right to free speech is being impugned in this debate. Everyone is having their say.
Why would the White House say something like that? Not as an attempt to track individuals, but lobbyists. The problems are old.
In 1935, a bill that busted up Public Utility trusts came up in the Senate. Over 4,000 Western Union telegrams were sent to Senators from constituents saying “oppose the bill.” At the time, public utility companies were turning exorbitant profits at the expense of Depression America.
Except it turned out later that the overwhelming majority of those telegrams were really sent and paid for by a secretive lobby of utility executives.
What they’re looking for is systemic abuse (though Constitutionally protected) by lobbyists for the Healthcare industry, who like most industries are willing to do just about anything to keep their profits.
By the way, the Senator who spearheaded the investigation in 1935 later went on to become one of the greatest advocates of the 1st Amendment in the history of this country – Supreme Court Justice Hugo Black.
Chapter 12 here http://tinyurl.com/lzxknr.
By: warriorpoetx on Thursday, August 6, 2009
at 13:01:54
Paul,
I fear you’ve drunk the kool-aid regarding the Republican Party. There are ideological zealots on both sides. The reality is most Republicans would agree that changes are needed in healthcare. What they disagree with is the scope and magnitude of the changes on the table at the moment and the speed at which the President is pushing for it to take place. A couple of platitudes apply here – first anything worth doing is worth doing right and second, you can normally doing something fast or do it right but NOT “fast and right!”
I also think Republicans look as the prime drivers in both the House and senate (Pelosi and Reid) and have a hard time stomaching the partisanship that come from both. Look at my blog regarding Sotomayor’s confirmation (http://andthepointis.wordpress.com/2009/05/27/advice-and-consent/) to see the partisanship of the Democrats on Supreme Court nominees over the years.
It’s hard to come to the table when you know the food came from last week’s toss-outs!
kab
By: kenblair on Thursday, August 6, 2009
at 13:03:01
Warrior,
We don’t KNOW what they are looking for. That’s the problem.
kab
PS Thanks to both you and Paul for reading and commenting!
By: kenblair on Thursday, August 6, 2009
at 13:08:04