Posted on 09/23/2009 3:19:24 AM PDT by chuck_the_tv_out
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's decision to go to the Senate floor on Tuesday to call out the Obama administration for using the full power of a federal regulatory agency to suppress free speech -- specifically, to silence Humana's predictions about the impact of proposed ObamaCare cuts to the Medicare Advantage program -- led ABC, but not CBS or NBC, to air a story on the “gag order.”
ABC's story began with a McConnell soundbite (“'Shut up,' the government says, 'don't communicate with your customers. Be quiet and get in line,'”), before reporter Jonathan Karl explained McConnell was referring to the “Department of Health and Human Services, telling insurance companies who serve Medicare recipients, to stop 'misleading' and 'confusing' mailings, saying, quote: 'We are instructing you to immediately discontinue all such mailings, and remove any related materials from your Web sites.'”
Karl continued: “The extraordinary order comes in response to a mailing the Humana insurance company sent to customers in the Medicare Advantage program. The Humana mailing warned that because of Medicare cuts in the health care reform bills, quote, 'millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many important benefits and services.'”
On Monday, HHS offered “guidance” to silence criticism: “MEDICARE ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE TO INSURANCE COMPANIES ON MEDICARE MAILINGS.”
So far, the government's power play has succeeded. “Humana backed down, stopping the mailing and announcing that it would cooperate with the investigation,” James Taranto noted in his Monday “Best of the Web,” lamenting: “Corporations may provide lots of useful goods and services, but never count on them to take a stand for freedom.”
Now the question is, will the media champion free speech and be outraged by the abuse of power to suppress it, or will most journalists not mind the government hushing voices which go against Obama?
The story on the Tuesday, September 22 World News on ABC (transcript provided by the MRC's Brad Wilmouth):
| CHARLES GIBSON: In Washington, the Senate Finance Committee today began voting on amendments to the health care reform bill, and the bill that comes out of that committee will become the centerpiece for the health care debate. But even before the amendment process began, a war of words broke out over what one of the nation's largest health insurance companies is saying about the bill. Here's Jonathan Karl. JONATHAN KARL: It's not often you hear language like this on the Senate floor. MITCH MCCONNELL, SENATE MINORITY LEADER: "Shut up," the government says, "don't communicate with your customers. Be quiet and get in line." KARL: He's talking about this order issued last night by the Department of Health and Human Services, telling insurance companies who serve Medicare recipients to stop "misleading" and "confusing" mailings, saying, quote, "We are instructing you to immediately discontinue all such mailings, and remove any related materials from your Web sites." The extraordinary order comes in response to a mailing the Humana insurance company sent to customers in the Medicare Advantage program. The Humana mailing warned that because of Medicare cuts in the health care reform bills, quote, "millions of seniors and disabled individuals could lose many important benefits and services." But Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus says it is misleading to say his bill cuts Medicare benefits and ordered the HHS to investigate, prompting the gag order. Some legal experts say the order is unconstitutional. Senator McConnell agrees. MCCONNELL: We cannot allow government officials to target individuals or companies because they do not like what they say. KARL: And even some Democratic Senators are concerned that the bill now before the Senate Finance Committee reduces spending on Medicare Advantage by $123 billion. SENATOR BILL NELSON (D-FL): I think it would be intolerable to ask the senior citizens on Medicare who have it to give up substantial health benefits that they're enjoying under Medicare. KARL: HHS declined a request for an on-camera interview, but told us that they are investigating whether the mailings illegally give the impression that they are official communications from Medicare. While that investigation goes forward, Charlie, the gag order remains in place. |
Obama’s own words, from his inaugural address, must be stated to his administration and himself:
“To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history, but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.”
Barack/Barry Hussein Obama/Soetoro’s policy of “you vote, I rule”, which only “uses” voters to get elected then makes them inert, will backfire on him and his Democratic (socialist) Party of America politicians. American voters will not be silenced, even if their elected but unrepresentative representatives are silenced. 2010 must and should reflect this truth.
When the voters, across the political spectrum, do become active and demanding not to be merely used at election time, good things can result.
Voters have a great opportunity in 2010 to make their voices be heard in Washington and across America.
This fraudulent POTUS Obama, believed in grassroots politics only to get elected. Now the grassroots effort by active citizens is his and the Democratic (socialist) Party of America's totalitarian authoritarian politicians in Washington's worst nightmare...and the United States of America's saving political power.
The socialists in power now pretended, in their campaign, that the goal is to have a conversation in which people become engaged in political life. Now they has no use for the citizen voters...they believe, in their dark hearts, that these citizen voters are far too ignorant and incapable to have a clue what is good for this republic. A republic that, to these socialists, has always existed in error and in contradiction to their self-serving elitist eugenic and delusional enlightened intellectual superiority.
Get rid of the poison in Washington...get rid of the corruption...get rid of non-representative representatives. Bring on the grassroots political movement that demands to be heard and that refuses to abandon ordered freedom and principled policies of liberty guaranteed by our firmly rooted constitutional laws, both state and federal.
These thugs, in this administration, and their thuggery have deemed the majority of American’s: the enemy; the domestic terrorists; the racists; the opposition.
Always remember the Obama administration's Stalinist-style demand (after his election) that a special prosecutor at the Department of Justice criminally prosecute any candidates, party officials or congressmen who discussed their concerns over voter fraud in their outrageous attempt to use the power of the federal government to intimidate and persecute political opponents. They did this to protect ACORN...their own and Obama’s own corrupt and immoral and anti-American “community organization.” No wonder ACORN’s and SEIU’s corruption is not at all high on Obama’s list of important issues...he depends on the corruption.
When is Obama planning on doing a 4-6 hour show every week extolling the virtues of socialism like his soulmate HUGO CHAVEZ?
MEMO
to: Humana Insurancefrom: DHS Obergruppenführer
To Whom It May Concern,
Be Advised
Unser Führer ist nicht glücklich
Is it time yet for us to pull a Honduras on the Obamessiah?
A nice plane ride to Jakarta or Mombassa just might fix all this. :)
obama can’t get anything done without silencing dissent. Because what they are trying to do is undermine the Constitution on several fronts. All the plans they have require force of the federal governmnet to implement and make us comply. God help us if we are attacked again.
Despite these glimmers of some honest reporting, ABC as well a the other MSM is thoroughly in the tank for Obama. They may have a rude awakening when they are given the same dictate to shut up and say nothing against the Dear Leader.
Just that today any counter rhetoric is “hate speech”. If someone does not take this administration down a few hundred pegs, it is going to be a real nasty run for those who believe in freedom of expression.
Ya know so far this clown is not lighting the world on fire.
He has lost an awful lot of numbers. And no one has challenged him, YET.
When some real bad press finally gets going you will really see his numbers fall.
Obamma lamma ding dong is a liar and folks are starting to see him for what he really is, an antiAmerican marxist
SENATOR BILL NELSON (D-FL): I think it would be intolerable to ask the senior citizens on Medicare who have it to give up substantial health benefits that they're enjoying under Medicare.
No need for costly government death panels for old folks. Just cut coverage and they'll die on their own.
The list, ping
PLease view this congressman’s message on Obama care.
The truth will set us free.
http://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=G44NCvNDLfc
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