PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: Sarah Palin's "Death Panels"

[mod mom]

PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: 'Death panels'
By Angie Drobnic Holan
Published on Friday, December 18th, 2009 at 5:15 p.m

Of all the falsehoods and distortions in the political discourse this year, one stood out from the rest.

"Death panels."

The claim set political debate afire when it was made in August, raising issues from the role of government in health care to the bounds of acceptable political discussion. In a nod to the way technology has transformed politics, the statement wasn't made in an interview or a television ad. Sarah Palin posted it on her Facebook page.

Her assertion — that the government would set up boards to determine whether seniors and the disabled were worthy of care — spread through newscasts, talk shows, blogs and town hall meetings. Opponents of health care legislation said it revealed the real goals of the Democratic proposals. Advocates for health reform said it showed the depths to which their opponents would sink. Still others scratched their heads and said, "Death panels? Really?"

The editors of PolitiFact.com, the fact-checking Web site of the St. Petersburg Times, have chosen it as our inaugural "Lie of the Year."

-snip

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2009/dec/18/politifact-lie-year-death-panels/

NPR carried this announcement on All Things Considered last evening.

[roseBudd]

1. That is the lie I voted for, I am so pleased that carabou barbie is liar of the year

[mod mom]

2. PoliFact is based in Tampa Bay so let's hope this resonates w all those republicans

down there that support her and other GOP fabricators.

[HopeHoops]

3. The REAL "death panels" are the insurance companies.