White House Responds To Drudge On Health Care
The White House is now directly taking on Matt Drudge, who hyped a YouTube using edited clips of Obama appearing to say he wanted to eventually disestablish private health insurance.
Here's the new video from Linda Douglass, the White House spokesperson on health care, saying that other videos give a greater context to Obama's policy, with him saying quite the opposite:
"You know, the people who always try to scare people whenever you try to bring them health insurance reform, are at it again," said Douglass. "And they're taking sentences and phrases out of context, and cobbling them together to leave a false impression."
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Josh
Matt
Eric
Brian
This is good information to know; but I still would prefer to see the whole video of what President Obama said during that --which Republicans claim he said -- that he wants to get rid of the private insurance industry.
August 4, 2009 10:02 AM | Reply | Permalink
So look up the video yourself.
August 4, 2009 11:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
All I mean is why bother responding in excessive detail to ridiculous claims?
August 4, 2009 11:10 AM | Reply | Permalink
1) Obama's plan proposes no such thing
2) He's said numerous times he would choose single payer if starting from scratch, but we're not
3) I wish Obama had said that. Who cares about the private health industry. Fuck em. And fuck the GOP which want us to continue to be robbed by these scoundrels. Everybody else is suffering in this economy. Let the crooks bleed a little too.
August 4, 2009 10:49 AM | Reply | Permalink
I forgot.
4) Drudge = yaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwwwwnnnnn
I don't even check it anymore. So passe. Not giving that freak a dime in banner ads.
August 4, 2009 12:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
This is why the President needs to stick to the goals, rather than get entangled in the debate on how to reach those goals. Drudge says his goal is to kill private insurers. Obama should respond that his goal is to ensure access to health care to all Americans. To help American get more bang for there buck with more efficient and effective health care. To create a health care systems that helps Americans stay healthy.
They should be relentlessly hammering away on their goals/principles and building a national consensus around them.
I am not seeing it.
I hate to say this but this was one thing that GWB was really skilled: selling the goals.
August 4, 2009 11:08 AM | Reply | Permalink
Linda Douglas is a complete train wreck. Anybody who watched the compilation from Drudge could not be too impressed with this retort. It is difficult to believe that Douglas could have less impact as a flack than as a journo--but she is getting it done.
Public option as stalking horse for single-payer is a concept that has been sold to the right AND the left. My most progressive friends and colleagues in the LA area all seem to believe that getting the PO is so important because for-profit companies won't be able to compete and will go away eventually.
By showing a recent clip of the President at the AARP town meeting and not dealing directly with the allegations at hand, Douglas garners more attention for Drudge while making the White House look like it is avoiding something:
Great Job Linda!!
August 4, 2009 11:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Good lord. First Limbaugh, now Drudge? Why doesn't the admin spend a bit more time speaking to the people instead of wetting their pants whenever these blow-hards preach to their own rapt congregations?
So WHAT if Drudge has a video up? So WHAT if some clown makes a Joker poster of the President? SO WHAT!?!?!
Make the case to the people based on facts. When you respond directly to the Drudges, Limbaughs and Hannitys of the world, you sound like you are scared of them. Keep doing this and you will always appear to be on the defensive. This admin needs to grow up a little bit.
August 4, 2009 11:27 AM | Reply | Permalink
Responding to lies is not being scared of them. Accepting their lies without response is giving them standing.
August 4, 2009 11:56 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed. Kerry ignored the swiftboaters, see where that got him.
August 4, 2009 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
Amen, brother.
August 4, 2009 12:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
I think it's important, if done effectively, to point out the chasm between the facts and the things people are being told by Limbaugh, Drudge, etc.
Actually, I'd like to see a TV show dedicated to that. Olbermann and Maddow do it to an extent, but I'd like to see MediaMatters put up a nightly show that shows the facts and the BS side-by-side. They'd have enough material to do an hour show every night.
August 4, 2009 12:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
...Yeah let's find out the facts first... BUT our goal still should be to cover all individuals through private health insurance. We need to be advocates for greater transparency in both quality and price information - place both the decision making ability and healthcare dollars in the hands of the consumer. http://www.friendsoftheuschamber.com/takeaction/index.cfm?ID=40 .
August 5, 2009 4:34 PM | Reply | Permalink