Dems push back on GOP 'scare tactics'

[babylonsister]

http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/60213-senate-dems-push-back-on-gop-scare-tactics


Dems push back on GOP 'scare tactics'
By J. Taylor Rushing - 09/24/09 02:31 PM ET


Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) led a coordinated effort by Democratic leaders on Thursday to push back Republican “scare tactics” on health reform, saying the GOP has no credibility because it has continually tried to gut public health programs.

The top five Senate Democrats — Reid, Majority Whip Dick Durbin of Illinois, Democratic Conference Vice Chairman Charles Schumer of New York, Conference Secretary Patty Murray of Washington and Policy Committee Chairman Byron Dorgan of North Dakota — said Republicans voted 59 times in the past decade against Medicare and are now “disingenuous” for claiming to protect it.

Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele and other top Republicans have recently cut ads and spoken out against Democratic healthcare efforts by highlighting cuts they say would be necessary to programs like Medicare Advantage.

But Reid said, “Our opponents’ claims this time around are disingenuous at best and phony at worst. Disingenuous, because they have a long track record of standing in the way of giving America’s seniors what they need. Phony, because they completely and willfully misrepresent what the bills we are considering will actually do for our seniors … When it comes to Republicans attacks on Medicare, the messenger has no credibility and the message is nothing more than an excuse.”

The Democratic attack did nothing to slow Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who repeated the central assertion that is quickly taking center stage in the health reform debate.

“Seniors take a serious hit from this legislation — either through cuts in services that millions of them currently enjoy, or by being forced off the plans they have,” McConnell said. “All told, this bill calls for nearly $140 billion in cuts to Medicare Advantage; nearly $120 billion in Medicare cuts for hospitals that care for seniors; more than $40 billion in cuts to home health agencies; and nearly $8 billion in cuts to Hospice care.”

[Happyhippychick]

1. Gee Harry, it's about fucking time. Keep going.

[chaplainM]

2. I don't think it's proper to say that the GOP are liars

After all, lying is just the beginning of their strategy. They also punish anyone who tells the truth.

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=NDYwNWY0NTM4NWViOWIyOTU2OWExOTBjY2IwMzBkMjg=

"I felt a very strong responsibility on behalf of the public not to withhold technical information that could be useful in this debate," Foster testified before the House Ways and Means Committee on March 24. "I had a difficult choice," he added. "I could ignore the orders. I knew I would get fired...I considered that inappropriate and, in fact, unethical."

Scully's administrative assistant pressured Foster even further. In an e-mail the Wall Street Journal published March 18, Jeffrey Flick told Foster: "Work up the numbers and share them with Tom Scully only. NO ONE ELSE." He continued in bold face: "The consequences for insubordination are extremely severe."

[bluedeminredstate]

3. Another example of stenography by the press

Mitch McConnell states all the horrible, scary things the Democrats are going to do to seniors and his assertions are quoted, end of story. How about taking it a step further and doing a little research to see if Senator McConnell is actually telling the truth? Is what he's saying about the Democrats' proposals accurate? I guess that's too much to expect from reporting these days.
The way it works now is the Dems say one thing and the repugs say something completely opposite. Both statements are given equal weight and the public is not informed as to what the actual FACTS are. It's gotten ridiculous the way the press bends over backwards to be seen as "fair" to both sides of an issue even if one side is completely ridiculous - Death Panels anyone?
If Harry Reid said the earth is round and then Mitch McConnell said no, the earth is flat, the story would read something like this: Democrats and republicans disagree on planetary properties.

It would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous to our country which needs an informed public in order to have a civilized society.

[babylonsister]

5. You're right, it's horrible. The Hill can be really bad and usually sounds

partisan imo. Case in point, huh.

[bluedeminredstate]

4. Another example of stenography by the press

Mitch McConnell states all the horrible, scary things the Democrats are going to do to seniors and his assertions are quoted, end of story. How about taking it a step further and doing a little research to see if Senator McConnell is actually telling the truth? Is what he's saying about the Democrats' proposals accurate? I guess that's too much to expect from reporting these days.
The way it works now is the Dems say one thing and the repugs say something completely opposite. Both statements are given equal weight and the public is not informed as to what the actual FACTS are. It's gotten ridiculous the way the press bends over backwards to be seen as "fair" to both sides of an issue even if one side is completely ridiculous - Death Panels anyone?
If Harry Reid said the earth is round and then Mitch McConnell said no, the earth is flat, the story would read something like this: Democrats and republicans disagree on planetary properties.

It would be laughable if it wasn't so dangerous to our country which needs an informed public in order to have a civilized society.