HEALTH CARE Swiftboating Health Care Reform Yesterday, immediately following NBC's Meet the Press, the right-wing group Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR) aired a 30-minute paid advertisement titled "The End of Patients' Rights: The Human Consequences of Government Run Health Care." Hosted by former CNN reporter Gene Randall, the program featured "horror stories" aimed at chipping away public support for reforming the U.S. health care system. As Fox News explained, "the new infomercial, despite the 'paid programming' label in the upper-left hand corner of the screen, had the appearance of a '60 Minutes' special" -- without the credibility, of course. The disgraced former CEO of Columbia/HCA Healthcare and now chairman of CPR, Rick Scott, appeared multiple times in the program warning that health care reform would result in the rationing of care, long waiting lists, and diminished quality. CPR's ad was premised on the false notion that "certain nefarious Democrats want to import British and Canadian health care into the United States." But as Wonk Room health care blogger Igor Volsky has noted, "CPR conflates deficiencies of the foreign health care systems with American reform efforts, but fails to cite a single Democrat who would want to copy-and-paste the British or Canadian examples." CPR's infomercial "presents the Democrats' reforms not as they are, but as conservatives wish for them to be," and as such, spends time warning Americans about the so-called "horror stories" of foreign health care system on which they will never have to rely. A HISTORY OF FRAUD: If CPR wants to appear credible, it is indeed strange that Scott is such a prominent feature of its campaign against health care reform. As Progressive Media documented in a video report on Scott's history (view the short video here), Scott is "credited with transforming the American health care system into the profit above-all-else culture that is currently plaguing America." In his zealous attempt to turn his former company Columbia/HCA into the "McDonald's" of the health care industry, Scott's company "increased Medicare billings by exaggerating the seriousness of the illnesses they were treating," "granted doctors partnerships in company hospitals as a kickback for the doctors referring patients to HCA," and "gave doctors 'loans' that were never expected to be paid back, free rent, free office furniture, and free drugs from hospital pharmacies." The government pursued Scott's company in a seven-year fraud investigation that resulted in Columbia/HCA being fined $1.7 billion. While the fraud was illegal, the real horror stories came out of the abusive and negligent ways in which Columbia/HCA hospitals treated patients. ABC News reported in 1993 that nursing staffs were reduced in size to save costs, but resulted in newborns being "attended as infrequently as every three hours. Once, the only nurse caring for seven ill infants was so busy she failed to hear an alarm when a baby stopped breathing." In a hospital run by Columbia/HCA in California, employees protested "filthy conditions," while hospital staffers in Florida complained that "gloves come in only one size, and rip easily." Despite this, CPR's documentary touted Scott's background as CEO of Columbia/HCA saying, "under his leadership...Columbia had the lowest cost per patient of any category of hospital." Scott's tenure as head of Columbia/HCA is a prime example of what Americans can expect from their health care system in the future of so-called "free market" health care advocates win out. SWIFTBOATING HEALTH CARE REFORM: To coordinate its attack on health care reform, CPR hired CRC Public Relations, the group "that masterminded the 'Swift Boat' attacks against 2004 Democratic presidential candidate John F. Kerry." CRC is reportedly using as a model the "'Harry and Louise' ads that helped torpedo health-care reform during the Clinton administration." As in the Swift Boat campaign, CPR's anti-reform campaign is well-financed and is misleading the public. Indeed, in March and April, the group spent $1.2 million on ads, with another $1 million spent in May alone. In all, the group has been seeded with millions from Scott's personal fortune. As for the group's apparent distaste for honest debate, their campaign is rife with warnings that health care reformers are determined to emulate the health care systems of Great Britain and Canada for use in the U.S. But as Volsky notes, "Most policy makers are looking for a 'uniquely American solution' that preserves the employer-sponsored system and creates a hybrid public-private partnership." The system would leave the "provision of health care...in private hands" and create a marketplace within which public and private insurers can compete on price while insuring the sickest patients. Fundamentally, however, CPR's fear mongering about single-payer health care systems is dishonest. As Jonathan Cohn explains in his book Sick, "The stories about Canada are wildly exaggerated. And the pinched access to services in Britain, at least, isn't a product of universal health care. It's a product of universal health care on the cheap." "The British spend just 7 percent of their national wealth on health care, less than half of what Americans spend. It's possible to spend more than that--and get more--while still spending less than the United States does. A perfect example is Japan. Relative to the United States, Japan spends about 60 percent as much of its wealth on health care. But the Japanese don't wait for medical services. ... Japan leads the world in the availability of technology such as CT scanners and MRI machines," Cohn writes. As Washington Post blogger Ezra Klein notes, despite there being wait times for non-essential care in Britain, the outcomes for care do not appear to be worse. EMBRACED BY THE RIGHT WING: Klein recently remarked that Scott's high-profile defense of the health care status quo was akin to former President Bush "tasking Donald Rumsfeld with a comprehensive defense of his administration's legacy." Indeed, despite Scott's well-known history as a health care fraudster, the right wing appears to be wholeheartedly embracing him, his organization, and his message. In recent weeks, Scott has been hosted at an "influential weekly breakfast organized by anti-tax activist Grover Norquist." The right-wing National Review promoted CPR's ad campaign and interviewed Scott at length without ever noting his background. Fox News hosted Scott multiple times in recent months before they disclosed his controversial past. Rep. Michael Burgess (R-TX) "invited Mr. Scott to meet with him on Tuesday because he liked what Mr. Scott had been saying." It's clear why the right has embraced Scott. While he's yet to use such language in his current attempt to scuttle reform, in 1993 he vowed to do "everything I can" to defeat Clinton's health care proposal. But while conservatives are getting on board with Scott, the Washington Post explains that, "for the moment," his campaign is relatively independent of "major insurers, hospitals and other health-care providers" because such stake holders have hopes of working with President Obama and the Congress to constructively "shap[e] the outcome of a final reform package." Indeed, a senior executive with the insurance industry organization that ran the "Harry and Louise" ads which helped stop former President Clinton's attempts at health care reform told the New York Times, "I just don't understand why he would be a messenger people would listen to. I don't think people are waiting to hear from him." 
TERRORISM -- RIGHT-WING RADICALS CELEBRATE KILLING OF ABORTION DOCTOR: Yesterday, Dr. George Tiller, one of the last doctors who performed mid- to late-term abortions, was shot and killed "as he stood in the foyer of his church." The 51-year-old suspect, Scott Roeder, who is likely to be charged with murder and aggravated assault today, was reportedly a member of the anti-government "Freemen" group. In 2007, "someone posting to the website of the antiabortion group Operation Rescue used the name 'Scott Roeder'" and suggested organizing "as many people as possible to attend Tillers [sic] church (inside, not just outside)" and question his practices. While many pro-life groups were quick to denounce Tiller's murder, other right wingers were less concerned. "George Tiller was a mass-murderer. We grieve for him that he did not have time to properly prepare his soul to face God," wrote Operation Rescue founder Randall Terry. Operation Save America's Rev. Rusty Thomas wrote, "He died the way he lived." Tiller has long been demonized by the mainstream conservative movement. "But there's no other person who bears as much responsibility for the characterization of Tiller as a savage on the loose, killing babies willy-nilly" as Fox News's Bill O'Reilly, writes Salon's Gabriel Winant. Since O'Reilly first denounced Tiller on air in 2005, O'Reilly and his guests have discussed the doctor on more than 28 episodes. "Almost invariably," Winant notes, "Tiller is described as 'Tiller the Baby Killer.'" (Watch a compilation of O'Reilly's attacks here.) Laura Ingraham compared Tiller to Hitler. RH Reality Check reminds readers that six abortion providers and clinic staff were murdered during President Clinton's two terms and links the killings to the dangerous, escalating rhetoric of the far right. | 
The Republican 2012 presidential campaign is already underway, with potential nominees making various visits to Iowa, the site of the first primary caucuses. "Potential Republican candidates who have visited the state include Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal and former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee." Sen. John Ensign (R-NV) is visiting on Monday, followed by Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour and another appearance by Huckabee. Eleven progressive groups are planning to spend at least $82 million to push health care reform that includes a public health insurance plan option. The announcement of the progressive push, which is being billed as their largest health reform campaign ever, is being timed to coincide with the kick off the America's Future Now conference. Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) is no longer opposed to including a public option in health care reform, saying, "I have not closed my mind to any option." However, he told the Journal-Star newspaper that he does not want it to "'destabilize or adversely affect' the private health insurance coverage now in place for most Americans." Nevada is legalizing domestic partnerships. The state Assembly voted Sunday to override Gov. Jim Gibbons' veto of a domestic partner bill. "The move makes Nevada the 17th state to recognize the relationships of gay men and lesbians, creating the registry with the secretary of state by which couples receive legal protections associated with marriage." Yesterday's "slaying of Dr. George Tiller in his Kansas church" was "part of a decades-long history of domestic terrorism aimed at abortion providers," which has included bombings, butyric acid attacks, sniper shootings and letters filled with fake anthrax. The National Abortion Federation "has documented more than 6,100 acts of violence against abortion providers in the United States and Canada since 1977."
Forty-five former law clerks of Judge Sonia Sotomayor signed a letter praising her "indisputably stellar" credentials for the Supreme Court. "We are united in our strong belief that Judge Sotomayor is a brilliant and first-rate judge who is an ideal selection for our nation's highest court," wrote the group. All but four of Sotomayor's former clerks signed the letter. General Motors filed for bankruptcy this morning, and now "American taxpayers will invest an additional $30 billion in the company, atop $20 billion already spent." GM will be firing 21,000 union workers and closing 12 to 20 factories, and "the workers' union will be forced to finance half of its $20 billion health care fund with stock of uncertain value." Shortly before Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's arrival in El Salvador yesterday, the Cuban government informed the State Department that "it was ready to resume talks on migration issues" and "negotiate direct postal service between the countries for the first time in decades." Cuba also agreed to cooperate with the U.S. "on counterterrorism, drug interdiction and hurricane relief efforts." Israel is conducting its biggest emergency drill in the nation's history to prepare civilians, soldiers and rescue crews for the possibility of war. "Officials said the drill will include simulated rockets, air raids and other attacks on infrastructure and essential facilities, and use of weapons on civilians." And finally: Last week, Vice President Biden -- who has Irish ancestry -- received the Sons of Italy Foundation's highest honor. During his remarks at the event, Biden -- whose wife has an Italian heritage -- quipped, "My self-consciousness about not being Italian goes all the way back to my childhood." He also named his friends in grade school, quickly listing off "10 boys all with names that could've come straight from a Martin Scorsese script. His football team in high school allowed him to rattle off eight more. 'And that was just the offense. You think I'm kidding. I'm not kidding. I'm not kidding,' he said." |
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"I know that a lot of folks want to do the knee jerk, you know, "Let's start slammin' and rammin'." But I think we really need to take a step back from this and deal with two things: One the historic aspect of it, okay, acknowledge it. But then move on to the substance of the conversation about what his woman believes."
-- RNC Chair Michael Steele, 5/29/09, on Judge Sonia Sotomayor's Supreme Court nomination
VERSUS
"[Sotomayor is] not a bell ringer...the word on the street is that she is rather abrasive. And that's the one thing the Supreme Court is not. Is a place for abrasive personalities."
-- Steele, 5/08/09 | |
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