TPMDC
GOP: Reformed Health Care System Could Discriminate Against Republicans!
Brian Beutler | August 27, 2009, 12:28PM
RNC chairman Michael Steele
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Recently, the Republican National Committee mailed out a survey to an unknown number of voters--including at least one non-Republican--spreading misinformation about the Democrats' health care reform proposal.
The most egregious question: "It has been suggested that the government could use voter registration to determine a person's political affiliation, prompting fears that GOP voters might be discriminated against for medical treatment in a Democrat-imposed health care rationing system. Does this possibility concern you?"
Of course, this hasn't been suggested except in the minds of the GOP officials who drafted these questions.
Here's another whopper: "The non-partisan Congressional Budget Office has estimated that the Democrats' plan could cost upward of $1.6 trillion dollars [sic]. Do you believe that America can afford this added debt when the deficit has already reached record levels?"
The $1.6 trillion figure, and other, similar figures, come from a number of places, including news outlets like Roll Call and the Associated Press, and the Republican staff of the House Ways and Means Committee. But not from the CBO. And whatever the cost of the bill, Democrats have vowed to pay for it through tax increases and efficiencies wrung from Medicare and Medicaid--meaning it won't be "added debt" at all, and won't impact the 'record deficit' which is largely the result of Republican policies.
No comment yet from the RNC. But at least one puzzling question, remains: People report receiving the survey in the last few days. But the final question on the survey asks, "Does it concern you that the Democrats will try to ram health care legislation through Congress before the August recess to limit the public's opportunity to evaluate it?"
Wonder how many people will answer "yes" to that one.
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The Old Grouch
August 27, 2009 12:36 PM
I'm beginning to think it may be a good idea.
The gene pool needs a bit of chlorine every now and then, after all.
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Chris
August 27, 2009 12:59 PM in reply to The Old Grouch
Own it people. Let's go do this.
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GTFOOH
August 27, 2009 1:41 PM in reply to Chris
Water the tree of liberty,,,and all that!
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Steaming Pile
August 27, 2009 1:46 PM in reply to GTFOOH
Naah. Just round 'em all up and put 'em in camps.
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_jonny_5_
August 27, 2009 3:01 PM in reply to Chris
Enough, we get it.... you have a website. Good for you.
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jerryfatheart
August 27, 2009 12:39 PM
The GOP better be careful. Given their approval ratings, this may in fact increase approval for health care reform!
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CT Voter
August 27, 2009 12:42 PM
From the department of redundancy department.
We should keep a scoreboard of how many times Republicans cite this number. I can hear it already. Elected Republican official: my constituents have been phoning my office because they're concerned about this 1.6 trillion dollar price tag.
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jeffgee
August 27, 2009 2:18 PM in reply to CT Voter
Ah, a Firesign Theatre fan!
Is Steele the next George Tirebiter?
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thomas1
August 27, 2009 2:28 PM in reply to jeffgee
"you boys just fight it out amongst yourselves."
"OK mother!"
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thomas1
August 27, 2009 2:26 PM in reply to CT Voter
Can we turn it into a drinking game? Have to keep it a sips though, no gulps or you'll hit the floor.
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Michael A
August 27, 2009 12:48 PM
Fear and disinformation 24/7. When are we going to get a real opposition party as opposed to this joke? When are we going to break up the media monompolies to get some competition and news to the people? This is nuts. This "poll" should be getting shredded by the media and it is being ignored, as always.
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atticus1104
August 27, 2009 1:14 PM
A bit off topic, but this is such an infuriating video. This is just another example of how the right wins debates.
Must watch!!!
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=2700
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ttarleton
August 27, 2009 1:25 PM
Damn, how did the word leak out? Comrade socialist liberals - do not inform the Republicans of the plans for forced sterilization and organ harvesting!
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TheraP
August 27, 2009 1:57 PM in reply to ttarleton
Oh, dear... was it me? ;)
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ttarleton
August 27, 2009 2:01 PM in reply to TheraP
;-]
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ploeg
August 27, 2009 1:28 PM
How 'bout, if the GOP ever gets back into power, they will use their power to deny health care to Democrats.
Not that such things have happened before or anything.
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Maritza
August 27, 2009 1:41 PM
This has got to be dumber than "death panels".
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GTFOOH
August 27, 2009 1:43 PM in reply to Maritza
If you think they have hit their stupidest idea, just wait until the next one!
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CT Voter
August 27, 2009 1:45 PM in reply to GTFOOH
If you don't like their stupid ideas, just wait a minute. Another one will be be along in no time.
But is the font of stupidity endless?
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TheraP
August 27, 2009 1:58 PM in reply to CT Voter
Da font is endless... yez!
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jeffgee
August 27, 2009 2:25 PM in reply to CT Voter
StupidSans Bold Italic Condensed
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thomas1
August 27, 2009 2:31 PM in reply to jeffgee
they call it 'wizdumb', morans!
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par4
August 27, 2009 2:13 PM
Free lobotomies for repugs
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brianm0122
August 27, 2009 2:51 PM in reply to par4
Too late for that!!
But it brings up an interesting question,
Are they Republican because they had a lobotomy, or did they have a lobotomy because they were Republican?
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Skybolt
August 27, 2009 2:13 PM
The Democrats have never tried to deny Republicans access to Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, police protection, the roads, municipal water supplies, or parks and recreation stickers. I guess they were very slowly drawing Republicans into complacency so they could kill them with health care reform.
One of the many malfunctions of the conservative brain is the inability to understand that people often do things for reasons other than greed or the desire to dominate others.
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thomas1
August 27, 2009 2:39 PM in reply to Skybolt
One of the many malfunctions of the (conservative) lizard brain is the inability to understand that people often do things for reasons other than greed or the desire to dominate others.
I tried to fix it but I'm a bit of a Luddite so the skills are lacking. Strike thru didn't work right.
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jeffgee
August 27, 2009 2:22 PM
He sure handed his head to himself on NPR this AM. Any time Inskeep asked him to clarify his contradictions, he went on the offensive.
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Schmed
August 27, 2009 2:36 PM in reply to jeffgee
with each attack starting, "No, no, I'm being clear here!" I actually tuned in 2 hours later to hear it all over again. It was breathtaking!
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Schmed
August 27, 2009 2:37 PM in reply to Schmed
BTW, it was pretty clear from that interview that "nuance" is not in the GOP lexicon.
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Official A
August 27, 2009 3:12 PM in reply to Schmed
Let's get Mikey. He'll try anything!
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twoviragos
August 27, 2009 2:37 PM
I read that survey question and I am stunned at the inanity, but even more so, I'm stunned that I'm stunned at the inanity. I really should know better by now, but the cockeyed optimist in me keeps hoping against hope for a semblance of rationality. Clearly, I need a god damn intervention -- a twelve step program for people addicted to the need for sane dialgoue.
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ivy22
August 27, 2009 2:51 PM
Under the public plan, I understand that GOP voters will be farmed for organ transplants. Kidneys? Yes. Livers? Yes. Brains? Not so much. Hearts? What hearts?
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Official A
August 27, 2009 3:10 PM
"If healthcare for Republicans is outlawed then only Republican outlaws will have healthcare." Sounds like universal coverage to me.
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GTFOOH
August 27, 2009 3:36 PM
It's the fault of liberals that Republicans are the way they are. If we had not forced them to integrate the South, the inbreeding would have pushed their gene pool back to newts by now.
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nellieh
August 27, 2009 5:16 PM
It is almost to the point of a tragedy that he was made Chairman on the RNC. He has become a bufoon with his cartoonish behavior contradicting himself and making outlandish comments. He has to pulling most of his crap out of the blue (trying to not to be base) with no facts whatsoever and I doubt if the 30% are believing him now. I even bet he is an embarrassment even to them. Of course when he gets rebutted on his goofyisms he stammers. He spends most of his time on the air with friendlies where they will even agree with him.What a nutso! Thank goodness he is the Republican Party LEADER!! What a plus for us!
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