Truthiness quiz: Gibbs versus Dean

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

(In WH press briefing today...) Gibbs strongly took issue with Howard Dean's charge that the Senate health care bill is an insurance company giveaway.

"If this is an insurance company's dream, I think the insurance companies have yet to get the memo," he says. "They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against this legislation ... If this is such a good deal for them, I’m not entirely sure why they're fighting."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/wbarchive/whiteboard12162009.html

Howard Dean was commenting on the Senate bill post-Lieberman with both public option and medicare buy-in removed. That legislation didn't exist until two days ago and features the removal of two items the Insurance industry most assuredly did not want in any bill.


POLL QUESTION:

OPTION 1) Has the insurance industry spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against the specific legislation Dean was referring to, or...

OPTION 2) Is the Liebermanized no-PO, no-medicare buy-in legislation Dean was referring to actually the result of that hundreds of millions of dollars of lobbying?

[Larkspur]

1. The Health Ins Cos are getting what they want so they can screw us

The fact that the White House is going after Dean harder than they did Lieberman, proves that the White House is owned by the Health Ins Cos.

[girl_interrupted]

7. Sad but True

[rudy23]

2. Gibbs' is speaking fallacese---are insurance companies spending $$ to kill THIS bill?

Look at what their stocks are doing--that's the truthteller here.

[ashling]

5. They have spent money to change the original bill into a

dead letter - looks like they are getting their moneys worth

[jenmito]

6. Their ads are still running, the teabaggers are still complaining, and the Repubs. in Congress are

still trying to kill the bill.

[freddie mertz]

3. The fix was in from day one.

That's what I think now, anyway.

We were just dupes.

[AndyA]

4. The insurance companies have spent hundreds of millions of dollars to remove

everything that's been removed from health care reform. And they're not done yet.

I'm sure they'll find something else if they can get away with it.

[jenmito]

8. Let us know when you start seeing ads in SUPPORT of the current form of the bill. n/t

[grantcart]

9. I think Gibbs is realizing that he wasn't promised a Rose garden

[VMI Dem]

10. Stock is going up. Nuff said.

[HuckleB]

11. Even I go with Option 2.

And I'm frustrated that Dean has pushed the envelope in terms of accuracy, on this matter. I don't know why he doesn't just stick with the facts. There are enough of them, as it is.

[janx]

12. The result, unfortunately.

I support our president, but the administration is handling these provocative Dean questions from the media very badly!

[Popular Front]

13. Gibbs. He has information that has-been Dean doesn't have

Obama needs to get the bill passed. Dean has the luxury of just running his mouth. Personally, I need health insurance NOW. I cannot wait any longer.

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

14. self delete

[Popular Front]

15. Was never banned. Was never a member. But a lurker. n/t

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. Well, welcome to DU then

[IndianaGreen]

18. Gibbs speaks directly to GAWD, is that it?

Jerry terHorst resigned as Jerry Ford's press secretary rather than spin some bullshit justifying the Nixon pardon.

[MrCoffee]

16. The best hundreds of millions they ever spent

They'll get a hell of a return on their investment.

[MadBadger]

19. Option 3

They are spending hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against any legislation. Theyd rather have this then the Public Option. But they arent happy.