Associated Press Continues To Insist Dem Health Care Bill Costs $1.5 Trillion
Yesterday, we noticed something strange about the Associated Press' coverage of the House's health care bill unveiling. A preliminary Congressional Budget Office analysis pegged the price of that legislation at about $1 trillion, and by and large, that's how reporters characterized the cost of the bill. But not the AP, which, relying seemingly on the good faith of an anonymous Democratic aide, said the bill would actually cost $1.5 trillion. Soon, Newt Gingrich picked up that ball and ran with it, and Democratic health care leaders and their aides were fuming.
But that hasn't stopped AP, which is at it again. "Votes were planned Thursday in the Education and Labor and Ways and Means committees on a $1.5 trillion plan that majority House Democrats presented this week," reports Erica Werner. As I reported Tuesday, the first part of that sentence is true. The second part, however, is not.
So what's going on over at Ron Fournier's shop?
Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
"So what's going on over at Ron Fournier's shop?"
Well, let's ask Ron Fournier:
"Karl [Rove], you might think the media are liberal, but you can trust me. And give me access and return my emails. Because I'm on your side." - Ron Fournier
July 16, 2009 9:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Does anyone have an e-mail address for the authors of the pieces? It would be helpful if they got pushback.
July 16, 2009 9:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
The usual AP shilling for the GOP.
These are the same a--holes who censored out John McCain's answer to "how do we beat the bitch" as "good question"
Editing out gaffes on behalf of your political friends -- kind of sleazy, ain't it.
July 16, 2009 9:53 AM | Reply | Permalink
I don't see this as AP helping Republicans. I see this as further evidence that the AP is Republican.
July 16, 2009 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
AP is just demonstrating the difference between a news organization and a political advocacy statement distribution organization.
A news organization reports facts that are investigated to be as faithful to reality as the time allows, and corrects the inevitable errors as they appear. A political advocacy organization distributes whatever propaganda statements might best be expected to turn more of the public towards their political patrons. The impact of the advocacy statements is what matters. The issue of faithfulness to some standard of reality is not only unimportant, but is even a barrier to their goals of impacting the public with propaganda.
July 16, 2009 10:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
To be fair to the AP's shilling MSNBC was doing the same thing yesterday. This is what I just don't get. WHO, WHO, WHO rounds up the number 1.042 to 1.5!? Until it ACTUALLY says 1.5 we should..........idk.......act with integrity.
July 16, 2009 10:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
Keep it up, AP. You are the next UPI, Los Angeles Herald-Examiner or New York World.
July 16, 2009 10:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
The AP, c'mon? Should anyone be surprised.
But i would also add Fox, CNN and even C-SPAN, yes, C-SPAN. C-SPAN has given opponents a forum to lie about the health care reform.
July 16, 2009 10:37 AM | Reply | Permalink
Rep Peter Roskam of Illinois responded to callers with one misleading statement after another when he was a guest on C-Span. I faxed off a letter to him yesterday to complain and to suggest he needed to inform his "selected" group of 150 physicians that there would be plents of savings, starting with the Michigan Keystone ICU Project which will be replicated in all states. Just noticed that he's already received $8K from Blue Cross this year, so we know what's behind his vote.
July 16, 2009 12:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
Here's the report on the Keystone Project savings in 100 Michigan hospitals: 1,500 lives and $200 million saved:
http://www.healthreform.gov/reports/success/michigan.html
I suggest that the two reports in the footnotes are excellent further reading. The testimony before Congress points out that the simple changes in the ICUs cost very little and $1 spent on following a checklist results in $200 saved. The Project hasn't received the publicity it deserves because the record-keeping doesn't exist yet. And it's another case of hospitals dragging their feet because it means spending a little to get the procedures in place.
July 16, 2009 12:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
There ought to be a law! ... with consequences.
July 16, 2009 10:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good catch!!!!!!!!!!!!!
July 16, 2009 11:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
ABC's Tapper has changed from saying 2 days ago $1.5 trillion to "more than 1 trillion dollars", which still seems a mischaracterization. Besides, it's hard to peg a real number on it until it's actually completely hashed out. Lots of amendments are forthcoming.
July 16, 2009 11:32 AM | Reply | Permalink
Not the first time AP has taken sides. It's concerning because newspapers, radio and TV across the country and overseas continue to rely heavily on AP, often as a sole source.
http://mediamatters.org/search/tag/associated_press
Push Back via Media Matters
* Associated Press
http://www.ap.org/pages/contact/contact.html
Main Number
+1-212-621-1500
July 16, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
Didn't Rupert Murdoch just join their Board?
http://www.ap.org/pages/about/board.html
Sure, give the writers a hard time but these are the guys running the show.
July 16, 2009 11:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
What they're all leaving out is the part of the Bill and also the report from the CBO that details the funding of the bill. Only the cost of the bill is being talked about, not the payment. Cruddy reporting at its best.
July 16, 2009 11:39 AM | Reply | Permalink
This is a very big concern that I have. The only number being thrown about...pretty much everywhere...is the expense side. What about the revenue and savings side of the equation? We're never going to win this debate if we don't talk about the whole picture.
July 16, 2009 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Faux news did the same yesterday. You could see what look like an attempt to cover a lie as the faux news anchor was making her statement. She gulped just before she said "1.5 trillion."
July 16, 2009 11:43 AM | Reply | Permalink
The AP story has now been "updated" and repeats the $1.5 trillion figure TWICE, so they are digging in their heels. Let them know how you feel at info@ap.org
July 16, 2009 11:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
I've noticed bad slanting by AP since before the election. Very very disturbing because so many people have the impression that the AP is non-biased. In truth they have loads of reporters and some are worse than others. And--in my small town whatever the AP says is often front page news, e. g. yesterday: "Sotomayor not asked on abortion" by AP's David Espo. The article was only on the Republicans quizzing her about abortion and her "side-stepping" and ended with that "cute" 'splaining comment (no mention of course of it being tasteless.)
July 16, 2009 11:55 AM | Reply | Permalink
The editor for the AP, is he not rooting for the GOP? I know he came under fire for some of the reporting his paper was doing that was very slated. Like Faux News.
July 16, 2009 12:04 PM | Reply | Permalink