There are white lies, black lies, and now, Brown lies. In his response to President Obama’s weekly radio address, Senator Scott Brown jettisoned any semblance of independence and revved up the Republican talking points, almost every one of them untrue.
Lie #1. The legislation before the Congress would “completely transform America’s health care system,” and create “federally controlled health care.” Actually, it makes incremental changes in health insurance, principally by covering millions of presently uninsured Americans. Health insurance and health care are not the same things. Health care would, as at present, be principally provided by the same private parties. In fact, Medicare, Medicaid, the Veteran’s Administration, and other government programs already pay for half of health care costs.
Lie #2. Health care reform has been ‘bitter” and “destructive.” True only because of implacable Republican opposition, to which Brown adheres. So, a lie.
Lie #3 The bill before the Congress “raises taxes by a half trillion dollars and costs a trillion dollars or more to implement.” It will “leave America trillions of dollars deeper in debt.” The Congressional Budget Office documents that the bill will substantially reduce the deficit. It’s not passing the bill that will leave America deeper in debt.
Lie #4. “Americans aren’t buying it, and for good reason.” National surveys have consistently shown support for health reform along the lines of the bill before Congress. Indeed, many Americans support more vigorous reforms, such as a robust public option. If some Americans are scared or confused about what’s at stake, it is indeed “for good reason.” It’s because of the relentless campaign of disinformation of which Scott Brown’s radio address is a perfect example.
Lie #5. “…they have resorted to bending the rules, and they now intend to seize control of health care in America on a strict party line vote.” No, it won’t be a strict party line vote. All Republicans will vote “no” and most Democrats will vote yes. And, as we all know, majority rule is the slippery slope to dictatorship.
Of course, Scott Brown, as spokesman for his party, had to follow the party line and lie about health care reform, didn’t he? Well, no. He really didn’t need more face time. He’s had a ton lately. But in this address, Brown is throwing in his lot with the far right. He could have sought another forum where he would have had the chance to make a nuanced critique. Instead he chose the low road. Some independence.
is an old and useful device. It’s done to win fights.
They both gave extended airtime to clips of Brown reciting these falsehoods with no fact-checking or analysis. Very disturbing.
has been completely neutered. He is Mitch McConnell’s Cabana Boy.
Yeah. I could look them up. But the applicable saying is, “You want someone to do something? Make it as easy as possible!” Like Tony P. did with Scott’s phone numbers. I do plan to call Scott on his lies…umn…opinions…
See poll here
It’s best to take Rasmussen polls with a huge grain of salt.
Senator Scott Brown, R-MA, won the election to fill Ted Kennedy’s unexpired term in the Senate. It’s possible that he’s the first United States Senator in the history of the Republic whose main goal is NOT to get re-elected. But I would not bet on it. I’m almost certain he hopes that “we” will vote him a 6-year term of his very own.
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p>Well, “we” can let him know what he needs to do for that to happen. Like any Senator, he has offices both in DC and back home. The phone numbers appear to be (202) 224-4543 and (617) 565-3170. I have no doubt that Teabaggers are calling those numbers. I suggest that maybe BlueMassGroupies ought to call them as well.
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p>I have not called Kerry’s or Kennedy’s office much in the past, because it seemed superfluous. I have never called a non-Massachusetts Senator’s office, because it seemed futile. But thanks to my fellow citizens, I am now a bona-fide constituent of an honest-to-god Republican Senator! I look forward to many happy chats with his staffers. How about you?
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p>–TP
Don’t waste anyone’s time. We elect Senators every six years, and then let them legislate. If they want to take a poll of their state’s residents, let them do it themselves. Don’t burden the staff with useless wankery.
And have been hearing that Brown’s aides are telling people that “the people don’t want it”.
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p>When confronted with, “But I want it; I am a voter; I am people”… the response is, “There are better ways to reform health care”
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p>When asked, “What are the better ways? What are Brown’s suggestions?”
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p>…Nothing.
You know what “representative democracy” means, Senator Brown? It means if the people have voted in as their representatives a majority from one party, those representatives can then pass legislation without any votes from the other party. That’s not “bending the rules,” that is the rules.
Dems had a super majority in both chambers, and STILL couldn’t get it done. That make blaming anything on “implacable Republican opposition” moot.
smadin could be so kind as to revise his comment so that your clever retort would make sense.
anything to make bostonshepherd look better – but woe! the lack of an edit feature.
For example,
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p>#4 … most polls (here are 8 recent ones, averaged) show more folks disapproving than approving of the current health care “reform.” You may disagree with the polling technique, attack the pollster, or cherrypick polls on specific features, but the bottom line is Brown isn’t lying.
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p>There’s worse news (unfortunately, WSJ behind subscription) of a poll of 1,200 registered voters across the 35 swing districts held by Dems. Let me excerp some:
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Why didn’t they hurry to support Health Care Reform in the summer, WITH a public option, which had almost 80% approval rating?
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p>The “What the people want” thing is BS.
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p>Smear, lies and advertising campaigns work, and health insurance reform has been under a relentless campaign of attack, with a NATIONAL cable network almost devoted to its ruin.
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p>Of course it’s become increasingly unpopular.
Strict party line vote in the Senate is TRUE, isn’t it? Wasn’t it 60 Dems “Yea”, and 40 Repubs “No”?
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p>And in the House all the “Yea’s” are Dems. I would call this voting along strict party lines, no? Or does it have to be all Dems “Yea’s” and all Repub “No’s” to use the word “strict”?
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p>And what’s this mean?
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p>
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p>Are you saying Obama, Pelosi and Reid are pushing down that slippery slope? I agree!
Uh, it’s sarcasm, i.e., our diarist thinks that position so absurd that no rational person would hold it.
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p>Oops! Just read your last line. Sorry ’bout that.