It’s a cliche, I know. But when it comes to the health care debate, the motto of Republicans and conservatives truly should be “Never let a fact get in the way of a good story.”
Oh, those pesky facts, as Glenn Beck might say (although Beck hasn’t used a real fact in so many years he probably forgets what they look like.)
The latest example of this conservative use of B.S. over brilliance is the “controversy” over the recommendation of a quasi-government medical panel that women should have fewer mammograms.
Well, the right-wing went off like a rocket when they heard that. See, see, they said, proof that the government will ration us all to death under health care reform. The government is just trying to kill people rather than pay for their treatment.
“Seeing a government panel coming out with a recommendation that is so personal to people really focuses attention on what these changes would mean for patient care,” Phil Kerpen, director of policy at Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group opposed to Democratic reform plans, told the Washington Post.
To be honest, the panel’s report is tailored made for the conservative argument, because it allows them to exaggerate the story without actually dealing with any of the facts.
But the truth is like an onion. Too often these days you have to peel away the layers of conservative misstatements, half-truths, wild inventions or out-and-out lies to get to the real story.
So let’s do some peeling, shall we?
First, the report itself. The group that issued the report, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, has no power to affect anything. It doesn’t determine what the government does, nor does it affect decisions that are made by health care companies.
Second, the composition of the group. It’s mostly composed of “primary-care doctors and nurses who serve four-year terms and are appointed by the director of the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality,” as the Post reported. Every single member of the panel was appointed under the Bush administration, none under the Obama administration. And knowing the way the Bush administration appointed people for things like, oh, districts attorney or important scientific posts dealing with climate change, it’s a pretty safe bet that most, if not all, of these people are Republicans.
Third, the timing of the report. The Obama administration knew the report was coming, they even knew the timing of the release might harm them. But they couldn’t stop it because they have no control over the report’s findings, the timing of its release or its distribution. So they just went ahead with more important stuff, like getting the bill through the Senate.
The fact that the Oval Office has no control over the report wouldn’t have stopped the Bush administration, of course, who were experts in “disappearing” unfavorable information. The panel would have been told not so politely (probably by Karl Rove) that maybe they should lose the report for a while, maybe for good. Or else. That’s just they way the Bushies did business.
And the fourth and best fact. While the Republicans were so busy denouncing the report for recommending a reduction in mammograms for women, they failed to mention (or just didn’t want to mention) that the health care plan they offered – you know, the one that covered fewer people and cost more money at the same time than plans offered by the Democrats — would have not covered mammograms OR ANY OTHER PREVENTATIVE SERVICE at all. Nothing. Nada, Zippo. Zilch. Now, how many “pesky people,” as Glenn Beck put it, would that have gotten rid of?
Now, tell me again which party’s health care plan is likely to kill more Americans as a result of bad decisions? But the answer to that question is one of those nasty facts that conservatives and Republicans work hard to ignore or twist. (If you want to see a real example of this philosophy at work, read Sarah Palin’s “Going Rogue.”)
So be prepared. Once the Senate approves the health care bill to debate on Saturday night, it’s going to sound like the Glenn Beck-Rush Limbaugh-Michael Savage-Sean Hannity shows all rolled into one. The sight of a true fact coming our of the mouth of a Republican during this debate will be as rare as the sight of a dodo bird.
Which means, of course, there won’t be any at all.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
Tom lets not forget as you pointed out that the committee was made up of Bush nominees and anyone who believes in conspiracies might be inclined to think that the results and timing of the report, just as the HC bill is coming out of Congress, might be more than controversial and coincidence. It might be a plant to discredit public healthcare and provide fire for the Glen Becks. Especially if Karl Rove had contact with these nominees.
This “issue” is just another death panel issue for nut cases. It has the same credibility. We will hear Palin singing this tune for a while. (When she’s not stiffing her book buyers in the cold and quitting on them after they waited 9 hours in line)
Also its important to remember that this report can now be cited by the insurance companies as evidence that they can deny mammogram reimbursement or at a minimum reduce the coverage to one per two years or only after a certain age or even raise the copay, gthey have lots of devices at their disposal to extract profit from the sick. I expect that to happen as sure as the sun will come up tomorrow.
Well researched piece Tom. Your journalistic background shows.
Noone seems to mention the number of cancers that are CAUSED by excessive mammograms and particularly CT Scans. These tests use radiation and radiation can cause cancer as well a other diseases, particularly blood diseases. CT scans in particular use 500 times the radiation of a conventional Xray. Excessive numbers of mammograms probably is a factor in causing many cases of breast cancer as well as causeing some to be diagnosed.