Posted on 08/23/2009 7:01:07 PM PDT by Al B.
For once, mainstream journalists did not retreat to the studied neutrality of quoting dueling antagonists.
They tried to perform last rites on the ludicrous claim about President Obama's death panels, telling Sarah Palin, in effect, you've got to quit making things up.
But it didn't matter. The story refused to die.
The crackling, often angry debate over health-care reform has severely tested the media's ability to untangle a story of immense complexity. In many ways, news organizations have risen to the occasion; in others they have become agents of distortion. But even when they report the facts, they have had trouble influencing public opinion.
In the 10 days after Palin warned on Facebook of an America "in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's 'death panel,' " The Washington Post mentioned the phrase 18 times, the New York Times 16 times, and network and cable news at least 154 times (many daytime news shows are not transcribed).
While there is legitimate debate about the legislation's funding for voluntary end-of-life counseling sessions, the former Alaska governor's claim that government panels would make euthanasia decisions was clearly debunked.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonpost.com ...
Dry me a lizard, you totalitarian shill.
Not you, Al — the alleged human Kurtz.
That's because the public is becoming more and more aware that you and your ilk are nothing but a bunch of newsholes.
Yeah, that's why they took it off.
LOL...gotcha.
The MSM certainly thinks it can spread its propaganda far and wide, with the sheeple following meekly behind it. Sometimes it works - the last election was their triumph - but it’s good to see that sometimes they can fail as well.
Howie will be disappointed to learn that McCain today backed Palin’s death panel criticisms.
Fry me a gizzard, Kurtz.
Howard you are a whore. A Democrat whore. There isn’t any journalism in anything you do.
it ain't 'perhaps' and it ain't 'these days.' It's been that way for quite a while, but health care just brought it out. They know some of what the bill says, and they don't buy it, no matter what you say. They know the hidden message in the bill, and denying it won't work. There is no 'death panel' but the whole bill is the equivalent. Just cut back care for those last months of life and there is the solution. Don't need no stinkin panel.
As long as they don’t do anything but parrot the Dem talking points, who needs them? We’ve already heard everything they have to say.
Sarah Palin never said anything about euthanasia. She never used the word. She talked about rationing.
Howard Kurtz still hasn’t stop MAKING THINGS UP!
We aren’t as stupid AS YOU THINK, Howard! And we are proving you to be a liar on so many things. We know how you twist words to make them fit your agenda. We know how you crop photos to fit your story (ask MSNBC what color that guy was holding the gun - the photo was cropped as not to show that).
When you lose the trust of the people, Howard, you don’t usually get it back! Just remember that the next time you MAKE SOMETHING UP! Remember that the next time you want to trash SARAH PALIN!
And, if you were intellectually honest you would report that Sarah Palin was also talking about the GOVERNMENT OPTION that would have rationed care which would choose who gets care and who doesn’t. What do you call that, Howard?!
Many of us READ THE BILL, Howard. How about you? Did you READ THE BILL, Howard?! If not, then SHUT UP! You don’t know what you are talking about!
The only thing being debunked is the author's claim to intellectual honesty, fair dealing, and credibility. The only way to control the cost of health care is to ration it. That's what socialism does: rations the available goods and services. And when a service is rationed by government, decisions regarding who gets what become politicized. Again, that's what always happens. And in case after case, when health care is rationed based on political considerations, the primary basis of that rationing is a patient's age, health, past history, and current life expectancy. You won't be able to find a single counterexample. The author knows this full well. That's why we know he's deliberately trying to decieve.
Good. Let’s leave Howard Kurtz out of some more debates. Then people might actually learn the truth about the Marxists he so loves to serve.
They’ve got nothing useful to say.
Dang... I sure hope that word sticks - it is so appropriate.
NEWSHOLES! Exactly what they are...
Yeah, it severely tested the media's ability to cover-up and hide the facts from the American public. The internet will be the death of the Wa. Post yet! Hurry up and fold Washington Post! And take Howard with you!
Good. You don't BELONG in the debate. You are supposed to rport both sides accurately. Start doing that first. Remember the old days? Too dang many 'pundits' and 'columnists' trying to tell us what to think, not enough old-fashioned reporters.
Few urinalists seem to hear the truth; they only want to wee wee on it.
They killed the death panel provision?
But one was especially juicy:
Beck's charge (of racism) was so incendiary -- and bizarre, considering that Obama's mother was white...
Has Howie not heard? Obama dissed his own grandmother for being white. His recitation on his audio books takes on a different, more menacing tone when he speaks of white people. Recall the obvious rush to judgment against a white policeman. Not to mention, Howie, that Obama's mother hated white people, too.
The liberal media is not just biased. They're terminally stupid.
Yep, and she only used the phrase 'death panels' twice in her various postings. As Kurtz said, the media used it at least 198 times in the first 10 days.
Thanks media. PWNED by the 'Wasilla chillbilly'...LMAO.
Heh, heh. I took a liking to it right away my own self. I wish I could take credit for coming up with it. The credit goes to a radio guy named Joe Getty who co-hosts The Armstrong & Getty Show here in Sacramento.
If conservatives want to win, then we need to start being passionate and inject some emotion in the debate.
Journalists have long since proved themselves to be nothing but biased shills.
Lower than used-car salesmen and congresscritters. (I have one example of each of these categories as trustworthy folks.)
If they end up unemployed, I will cheer. They spent decades trashing their professionalism -- let the liars rot. In government Projects.
There they will be among their own ilk.
Will Obamacare pay for a lobotomy for Kurtz?
No kidding! And what is wrong with that?! YOU (media) shouldn't be able to INFLUENCE PUBLIC OPINION. You should REPORT THE FACTS and let people decide!
One heck of a good start!
We all hope and prey that Kurz gets his eyesight back in time to read the bill someday.
Exactly!
How do you remove something if it wasn't there?!
Howard is obviously not taking his own advice. STOP MAKING THINGS UP, Howard!
Another one? I think he’s used up his lifetime cap on lobotomies.
they were NOT debunked...you slimy bug.
In honor of your post, I'll roll out my alternate tagline...LOL.
Don’t any of the so called journalists have families? Don’t they have babies, grandparents, special needs relatives? They must be able to at least realize that they themselves and their spouses will one day fall under Emmanuel’s quota system for health care. Good Lord. Wake up people!
Do you believe this guy...?
Howard Kurtz obviously doesn’t read his own paper.
Washington Post article...
Undue Influence
The House Bill Skews End-of-Life Counsel
By Charles Lane
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Section 1233 of the health-care bill drafted in the Democratic-led House, which would pay doctors to give Medicare patients end-of-life counseling every five years — or sooner if the patient gets a terminal diagnosis.
Until now, federal law has encouraged end-of-life planning — gently. In 1990, Congress required health-care institutions (not individual doctors) to give new patients written notice of their rights to make living wills, advance directives and the like — but also required them to treat patients regardless of whether they have such documents.
The 1997 ban on assisted-suicide support specifically allowed doctors to honor advance directives. And last year, Congress told doctors to offer a brief chat on end-of-life documents to consenting patients during their initial “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. That mandate took effect this year.
Section 1233, however, addresses compassionate goals in disconcerting proximity to fiscal ones.
Section 1233, however, lets doctors initiate the chat and gives them an incentive — money — to do so. Indeed, that’s an incentive to insist.
Patients may refuse without penalty, but many will bow to white-coated authority. Once they’re in the meeting, the bill does permit “formulation” of a plug-pulling order right then and there. So when Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) denies that Section 1233 would “place senior citizens in situations where they feel pressured to sign end-of-life directives that they would not otherwise sign,” I don’t think he’s being realistic.
What’s more, Section 1233 dictates, at some length, the content of the consultation. The doctor “shall” discuss “advanced care planning, including key questions and considerations, important steps, and suggested people to talk to”; “an explanation of . . . living wills and durable powers of attorney, and their uses” (even though these are legal, not medical, instruments); and “a list of national and State-specific resources to assist consumers and their families.” The doctor “shall” explain that Medicare pays for hospice care (hint, hint).
Admittedly, this script is vague and possibly unenforceable. What are “key questions”? Who belongs on “a list” of helpful “resources”? The Roman Catholic Church? Jack Kevorkian?
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/07/AR2009080703043.html
When a bunch of us decided to protest Rep. Lois Capps office when she refused to hold a Town Hall meeting about health care legislation, we were greeted by thugs wearing matching T-Shirts and carrying mostly matching printed signs. We were just a bunch of folks who met during the Tax Day Tea Party and we circulated an email about our plans to meet in front of Rep. Capps office. The America Works folks, PUEBLO, SEUI folks, SB Action group, etc showed up early and took the corners and tried to intimidate average citizens from coming to ask questions about the bill. We still had a great showing and I was especially impressed by the young people who showed up in support of Freedom. Here is my favorite video from the Freedom Rally but there were many people who read from the bill and asked intelligent questions while the ACORNERS chanted "What do we want?" and then "When do we want it?". It was absolutely ignorant and childish.
Here is my favorite clip from a young man named Justin Tevis who is running for Santa Barbara City Council. He is a very well educated young man with a degree in International Studies and History from Claremont. He has also studied abroad in Chile and Israel. He is a very bright and passionate young man.
Twenty-Something Justin Tevis passionately expresses his love of the Free Market
Senators exclude end-of-life provision from bill
Thu Aug 13, 1:55 pm ET
WASHINGTON – Key senators are excluding a provision on end-of-life care from health overhaul legislation after language in a House bill caused a furor.
Senator Chuck Grassley of Iowa, top Republican on the Senate Finance Committee, said in a statement Thursday that the provision had been dropped from consideration because it could be misinterpreted or implemented incorrectly.
A health care bill passed by three House committees allows Medicare to reimburse doctors for voluntary counseling sessions about end-of-life decisions. But critics have claimed the provision could lead to death panels and euthanasia for seniors.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090813/ap_on_go_co/us_health_care_end_of_life_2
Heh...well, thanks for the information. It does have a nice ring to it! Keep spreading it around and it will become the norm..ha...
Great read, thanks.
And there we have it. The MSM has lost control...and they know it.
Our so-called journalists are inept. What else is new?
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