Pearlstein: Republicans Propagating Falsehoods in Attacks on Health-Care Reform

I was surprised at the use of the term "political terrorists" pretty sharp words.

Republicans Propagating Falsehoods in Attacks on Health-Care Reform

By Steven Pearlstein
Friday, August 7, 2009

As a columnist who regularly dishes out sharp criticism, I try not to question the motives of people with whom I don't agree. Today, I'm going to step over that line.

The recent attacks by Republican leaders and their ideological fellow-travelers on the effort to reform the health-care system have been so misleading, so disingenuous, that they could only spring from a cynical effort to gain partisan political advantage. By poisoning the political well, they've given up any pretense of being the loyal opposition. They've become political terrorists, willing to say or do anything to prevent the country from reaching a consensus on one of its most serious domestic problems.

There are lots of valid criticisms that can be made against the health reform plans moving through Congress -- I've made a few myself. But there is no credible way to look at what has been proposed by the president or any congressional committee and conclude that these will result in a government takeover of the health-care system. That is a flat-out lie whose only purpose is to scare the public and stop political conversation.

Under any plan likely to emerge from Congress, the vast majority of Americans who are not old or poor will continue to buy health insurance from private companies, continue to get their health care from doctors in private practice and continue to be treated at privately owned hospitals.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/06/AR2009080603854.html?hpid=topnews

They wouldn't lie. That would be naughty.










Do I really need this :sarcasm: ?

:)

eom

Just depends. I know my editor at a much smaller paper used to change my column title's all the time. Also I remember years ago the NY Times got mad at Krugman for using the word "lie" about Bush all the time, so the Post might feel that same way about calling the GOP "liars" like that.

for the morning crew.

Health Insurance Reform.."poisoning the well"..so nobody gets to drink and by cracky they'll cut their own damn nose off.

It's illogical. I used to kind of believe people all basically wanted to do the right thing. But nope, not really. It's not even good for Repubs to do this stuff politically. Not in the long run. Which demographic does this even reach out to? None that matters. It's bizarre.

I remember when no Republican in the House or Senate voted for Bill Clintons Deficit Reduction plan in 1993, which ended up being hugely successful. So much so that when the economy and everything went haywire with the Bush administration that people remembered just how good they had it when Dems were in charge so they started voting the GOP bums out. It might take time, but if Dems pass a good bill with a public option and no GOP members of Congress vote for it, then there will come a time when it puts them in a deeper hole politically. They might be able to lambaste it at first, but when it works, it'll bury them just like the economy and their lack of competence in governing has in the last two elections.

brought on the mobs again..because if the Obama admin is successful then they think nobody will ever pay attention to their collective shit Ever in this lifetime.

Just think if there was no corporatemedia with the 24/7 bully pulpit.