Comments on: Steven Pearlstein on Republican Lies

By: Paul Krugman Sees Racism Among Town Hall ‘Mob’ Protesters | linkthe.com

Thu, 13 Aug 2009 22:05:39 +0000

[...] Steven Pearlstein on Republican Lies (themoderatevoice.com) [...]

By: stourleykracklite

stourleykracklite — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 21:00:14 +0000

Of course, you provide no corroboration to your claim that Obama supporters have behaved in a “thug-like” manner. And if you think town hall meetings are a waste of time (and I can see that I am wasting your time as well) then stay away from them. And invite your thuggish friends over to your house for a cross-roasting, or whatever it is you call that thing you find meaningful and a good use of your time.

By: RememebrNovember

RememebrNovember — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 13:12:09 +0000

AR,
and what was Medicare/Medicaid then? You're chugging the Kool Aid too fast to stop and read the details amigo. Also, what about Gov't run healthcare for veterans? Should they turn in their benefit cards? Where have you been for the past 30 yrs? Seriously, you haven't been paying attention.

Fully Nationalized means Gov't ownership,outright- and nothing in either Bill or or proposal suggests that. I'd worry more about Uncle Sam listening in on your conversations than I would worrying about the cost of an MRI. What impinges freedom more?

I think you've been swallowing the Beck juice too long, imho.

By: Jim_Satterfield

Jim_Satterfield — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 01:53:28 +0000

Miss the second statement, AR? One of the Politifact people was on NPR and admitted that it seemed the most outrageous representations were on the opponents' side.

By: DaGoat

DaGoat — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 15:20:24 +0000

I suggest that it might be a good idea to check out some facts.

Your link shows how prevalent lying is on both sides.

By: Jim_Satterfield

Jim_Satterfield — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:21:08 +0000

Notice that the pants on fire rating for falsehood ratio is 3 to 1 “in favor” of the opponents even when you go back and look at statements from the primary campaigns.

By: Jim_Satterfield

Jim_Satterfield — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 04:13:29 +0000

I suggest that it might be a good idea to check out some facts.

By: elrod

elrod — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 03:13:44 +0000

AR,
As a supporter of single-payer health care I WISH you were right. But I don't think this bill will lead in that direction – with or without a public option. I know there are many people who see the public option as the Trojan Horse for single payer – and I mean proponents of single payer (including possibly Obama in 2007), but I don't hold that view. There are too many powerful interests at work to keep the private sector out of health care delivery.

What I think WILL happen is that a reform bill will pass and it will have incremental effects on health care – some predicted and others not foreseen. Some services will become surprisingly cheap and others will become surprisingly expensive. Health insurers will adjust to the new reality and continue to be profitable. The public option will take on a fairly small number of people – mostly the young and poor – and medicine will continue as before. And politicians will congratulate themselves with health care reform and leave it alone for a long time – excepting the agitators on the left and right of course.

By: AustinRoth

AustinRoth — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 02:26:43 +0000

RN – if you do not believe that ObamaCare is the first step in creating a fully nationalized health care industry, you are just not paying attention.

By: markg8

markg8 — Sat, 08 Aug 2009 01:25:50 +0000

Obama's dingo ate my baby!

By: RememebrNovember

RememebrNovember — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 23:07:05 +0000

AR-
had you read Mikkel's blog post previous, I think you'd agree it's not about a "takeover", and there are a number of plans in the offing. However,imho and by much of the tenor of your posts, far right rhetoric obviously forbids you from considering other definitions. Chicken Little cries "Socialism oh mah lawds theyz gonna make us Socialists and takes away my already too expensive-not covering enough healthcares!"
I understand concern about paying too much for not enough give-back, that's what we have already. Has an insurance co. posted a significant loss recently? Anyone? I'll bet statistically there are more medical bankruptcies ( which by the way cost taxpayer money in Judges' docket time) than there are Aetna expected earnings shortfalls. Who wins? Who's already won? The fact that we are bickering amongst ourselves is proof positive their diversionist lobbying has won.

Ronald Reagan, the "Gipper" didn't exactly follow through on his much lobbied plan from Operation Coffee cup ( gotta love the pseudo militarized jargon, eh wot?) to kill Medicare. Granted, I think Medicare itself needs retooling, but without it you wouldn't be able to get $4 generics at Walmart.

By: DaGoat

DaGoat — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:57:51 +0000

I had read Pearlstein's article today and although he makes some good points, I think he pushes too far by including points that are reasonable debates and framing them as outrageous. The end-of-life issues are way overblown by the GOP, and I think they are deliberately misinforming the public. On that issue Pearlstein is right on the money. On the other hand debates about whether it's going to cost an outrageous amount of money or just a hell of a lot of money are reasonable discussion points.

So in a way Pearlstein falls victim to that which he is criticizing – in an attempt to strengthen his case he misrepresents points on which reasonable people can disagree.

By: Lit3Bolt

Lit3Bolt — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:22:18 +0000

This is getting redonkulous. Of course the public is misinformed. They're ALWAYS misinformed, on almost every single issue. The media makes it really really EASY to be misinformed and hard to sort the wheat from the chaff. That's not really news.

Right now both parties are just pushing for political advantage in a leadership vacuum, because Obama wants to be able to blame Congress if healthcare goes bellyup. The press is just cheering it on too.

By: casualobserver

casualobserver — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 22:20:21 +0000

@@Fifty-five percent (55%) of Democrats have an unfavorable view of those opposing the health care reform plan proposed by President Obama and the leaders of their party. Sixty-three percent (63%) of Republicans and the plurality (48%) of voters not affiliated with either party view the protesters favorably.

Senior Democrats charge that many of the protests at the town hall meetings are orchestrated by special interests, but 49% of voters believe, generally speaking, that the protesting citizens are reflecting the concerns of their neighbors.@@

Liberal talking points show divergence from reality……again.

By: AustinRoth

AustinRoth — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:49:39 +0000

RN – no, actually the takeover of health care by the government is more important.

By: RememebrNovember

RememebrNovember — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:42:31 +0000

It's August, ppl should be shopping at Staples or Walmart for Back to School not engaging in hysterical hyperbole fomented by PR flacks.

By: shannonlee

shannonlee — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:40:48 +0000

“They’ve become political terrorists”

LOL….talk about constructive critizism. Did Pearlstein go on to call them Nazies? Sounds like Pearlstein is just as good at poisoning the well than anyone on the right. Or maybe he just poisons every once in a while?

What I find the most interesting about this whole THUG talk is that Clinton supporters talked about being “screamed down” at caucuses during the dom nomination process. If anyone has a recent history of being thug-like…it's Obama supporters.

As I stated once before…these town hall meetings are pointless and a waste of time. Dems need to get their people in line and pass the bill they want…not the bill that gives them some political cover. Have some courage and follow their convictions.

By: ModDemMD

ModDemMD — Fri, 07 Aug 2009 21:27:22 +0000

The sad part is that there is a legitimate discussion to be held and very legimate concerns about some of the facets of the various proposed bill. However – driven by some of the more vocal right – they focus on disinegenous arguments and overstatements. The truly sad part, however, is that wiht many people it works.