Sunday, August 18, 2013

Perhaps the most blatantly disingenuous anti-Obamacare ad EVER!

Courtesy of the Washington Post:

The conservative group Americans for Prosperity is up with a new radio ad that decries the law as an impending disaster. Yet when you unpack the ad it’s actually more revealing about the strategic game plan behind this sort of political attack than it is about the law itself. 

The ad features a worried mother who says the following: “Two years ago, my son Caleb began having seizures…if we can’t pick our own doctor, how do I know my family is going to get the care they need?” 

FactCheck.org took a look at a previous version of this ad, and pronounced the claim that “we can’t pick our own doctor” under Obamacare to be false. What’s more, the invocation of a preexisting condition is a particularly audacious move in an ad that attacks a law that bans discrimination against people with preexisting conditions. 

But perhaps the most revealing thing of all is the ad’s warning of public confusion about the law. To buttress the impression that the ad is a catastrophe, the ad claims: “ABC News says confusion and doubt are prognosis for Obamcare.” 

And it’s true: The ABC News article in question does bear that headline. But the article actually presents this not as a sign that the law itself is flawed, but as a sign that the public remains ignorant about what’s actually in it. The article is about how many Americans, even those who stand to gain from the law, are not yet aware of its benefits. 

This neatly underscores the game plan behind ads like these: spread confusion about the law — in a deliberate effort to prevent folks from learning what’s actually in it — while simultaneously citing confusion about the law as evidence that it’s a disaster in hopes that folks will give up on it.

This is the kind of thing that we, as progressives, have to make our responsibility to refute at EVERY opportunity. 

The real flaw in the Affordable Care Act is not that it won't work, the flaw is that it won't work if not enough people believe in it and sign up for insurance, ESPECIALLY young people.

The conservatives are going to do EVERYTHING in their power to misinform the public and it is the duty of those of us who understand the incredible potential of the program to correct that misinformation.

As you know I do that quite often here at IM but we need to get it onto Facebook, Twitter, and every social media outlet there is in order to help make the plan a success.

Our success translates into lower insurance costs, lower medical future medical costs, and a healthier environment for our children. I cannot think of a more worthy cause right now.

P.S. Here is a resource for more information to help you access the program and also to provide information to help you shut down that Right Wing talk radio listener in the family.

20 comments:

  1. WakeUpAmerica10:12 AM

    They should be named "Liars for Prosperity" because they are trying to cash in on their lies.

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    1. AFP = Koch Brothers-sponsored propaganda.

      It's a damn shame that more folks don't look behind these front groups to see who bankrolls them so they'd realize who actually benefits from the seeds of doubt these disinfo campaigns plant in the minds of the low-information groups. When it's all said and done, the people who will suffer most in the end will do so because of their own ignorance and their trust placed in the shills like Sarah Palin & Co., who are doing nothing for others, and only enriching themselves.

      Delete
  2. Anonymous10:24 AM

    I have something I have been very hesitant to share but I would if it would help some on the Right face reality. My daughter, who has no healthcare removes excess fluid from her sinus cavity daily with a needle and syringe. It sounds like no big deal when I describe it in writing but it's a HUGE deal. She is basically forced to perform surgery on herself five or six times a day. It's disturbing and it feels like we are living in a Third World country when I see her do it. Since its not killing her at this moment, there is no help. In Texas, the ER will treat you if you are dying. Or if you are pregnant. That's it. She can't get Medicaid and there is nothing else until the Affordable Care Act gets going. We have photos and video of her doing the "surgery." Thoughts?

    TexasMel

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    1. Anonymous10:52 AM

      You tube

      Delete
    2. A couple of thoughts here, Mel.

      Send an email along with a video clip that you described to your state representative and/or state Senator, your Texas District's Congressperson, both of your US senators, Sen. John Cornyn and Sen. Ted Cruz; also, send copies to columnists in your local paper, the Austin American-Statesman, The Washington Post, The New York Times, Governor Rick Perry's office, Wendy Davis' office, and President Obama. In doing so, ask for their assistance in identifying the proper agency to help your daughter receive the proper care. Be sure to include your names and contact information so they can easily follow-up with you.

      In your e-mail correspondence, identify all the parties that you have cc'ed with that particular communication. All of these politicians (with the exception of Wendy Davis, unless you are lucky enough to actually live in her district) are supposed to be working for you and your family, so requesting their assistance is really only asking them to do their job---what you, your family, friends, neighbors and fellow citizens are already paying them to do--- to be a resource for helping those who need their assistance. It's called constituent services, and if they don't do it, folks need to hear about it!

      Perhaps it will shame some of those parties that can help you into action by them realizing that they will be identified and called out if they choose to do nothing other than sending a form letter. Keep track of your correspondence and let us know what kind of feedback you get.

      Best wishes to you and your daughter, TexasMel. Let us hear from you again!

      Delete
    3. Anonymous2:22 PM

      That is very good advice and I sincerely thank you! I guess I better get busy writing. I can't even imagine sharing such things with John Cornyn and Ted Cruz. I don't think they will care one bit but maybe they will surprise me!

      TexasMel

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    4. Youre welcome, and I do hope you will be pleasantly surprised. It's not selfish of you to make a little noise and ruffle a few feathers, because you're not asking for a handout for yourself. If you were a physician, I have no doubt that you would take care of your daughter's condition yourself, or know another healthcare professional better qualified to do the procedure. But you're advocating for your daughter, so if the only way to get someone's attention is with a (polite, metaphorical) ice cold bucket of water on their head, so be it.

      I know that I've been surprised more than once to learn just how many people actually care about me and my loved ones, once they realized there was a real need that was not being met. It's not always the people I would've expected to take action (I guess that was part of the surprise), but giving people a chance to help has changed my opinion of many I might have pre-judged. Likewise, since I've tried to be pro-active in helping others, I'd assume it might've changed someone's preconceived notion about me as well somewhere along the way.

      Regarding Mr Cornyn and Mr Cruz, all you can do is give them a chance. You ARE a constituent of theirs, and they are each politicians trying to win favor (and votes) from people just like you. So please don't be bashful about confronting them with your daughter's situation.

      Something to keep in mind:
      If neither of your powerful US Senstors are able and willing to direct you to someone who can help your daughter, it doesn't say a whole lot about their ability to help create an alternative to the Affordable Care Act (in my opinion), or ObamaCare as it's been labeled.

      Your daughter is fortunate to have you fighting for her. Best of luck to both of you.

      Delete
  3. Anonymous10:47 AM

    10:24 So sorry to hear about your daughter's problem, and understand your concern. If only we had a REAL media in this country, going on TV daily to explain this healthcare act, instead of trying to defeat it. Maybe someone from the BBC would consider explaining it to the talking heads, so we can shed some light on this. I wish your daughter well, hopefully she can hang on until the Obamacare becomes law. Why do Texans vote republican?The red states vote against their own interests every time. I am sure you do not, but a lot of your neighbors must.

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    1. Anonymous12:53 PM

      I wish I could answer your question. Why DO Texans vote the Lunacy ticket every time? I just don't know. I really don't know any Republicans other than a few cousins who I never see. I do know one woman in Houston who posted on her Facebook page last night that ObamaCare will "Shut Down Catholic Hospitals." I tried to explain to her that Catholic hospitals receive huge amounts of government money. In funding and Medicare/Medicaid payments but I don't think she believes me. If I was forced to guess I would say they vote against their own interests out of fear. I would leave if I had anywhere to go. Thanks for the kind words. I really appreciate them.

      TexasMel

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  4. Anonymous10:50 AM

    The ad features a worried mother who says the following: “Two years ago, my son Caleb began having seizures…if we can’t pick our own doctor, how do I know my family is going to get the care they need?”

    Response (because all patient attempts at civil response have fallen on willfully deaf ears)Hey stoopid-conservo-bitch-so- dumb-you-shouldn't-have-been-allowed-to-breed:
    1. You couldn't choose your own doc with whatever your private insurance company was unless you wanted to pay out of network/uncovered costs yourself.
    2. If you weren't poor enough for Medicaid or lucky enough to have employer insurance or rich enough to have your own- widdle cCaleb wouldn't get any fucking care - and if you lost that care, he would never be covered or covered affordably because he would have a pre-existing condition.
    3) Obamacare doesn't choose your doc anyway.

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  5. Anonymous11:47 AM

    The new Civil Rights drama Lee Daniels’ The Butler is a smash hit, but according to some Regal Cinemas patrons in Silver Spring, Maryland, the theater’s security for the film was a colossal bomb. A Twitter user named Tiffany Flowers reported that patrons of the Silver Spring Regal Cinemas had their tickets to The Butler checked twice, and were greeted in the theater by armed policemen. Managers at the theater have been directed not to comment, referring media inquiries to a phone number that’s unmanned on weekends, but Washington ABC affiliate WJLA will air a report on the story this evening.

    Lee Daniels’ The Butler took an unexpectedly decisive victory at the box office this weekend, opening at an estimated $25 million, well ahead of fellow new release Kick Ass 2‘s $13 million estimated gross. The film traces the Civil Rights movement through the eyes of a White House butler played by Forest Whitaker, whose Cecil Gaines character is based on late real-life White House butler Eugene Allen. The publicity tour for the film has, naturally, featured heavy discussion of race, and the film’s relevance to current events like the killing of Trayvon Martin, racial profiling in general, and the gutting of the Voting Rights Act.

    But racial profiling is exactly what Regal Cinemas is being accused of over their deployment of armed police and extra security steps at an 8:05 pm showing of The Butler. Thirty-five year-old Tiffany Flowers and her husband, 38 year-old Alan Hanson, were shocked by what happened at the theater. Ms. Flowers tweets:

    http://www.mediaite.com/online/patrons-report-armed-police-at-silver-spring-maryland-screening-of-lee-daniels-the-butler/

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  6. Anonymous11:49 AM

    Well, Americans for Prosperity = the Koch Brothers. it is the front group they began a few years ago that funded the "Tea Party." This is how the Koch Brothers are undertaking their coup to take over the country. They now control the House of Representatives and many state governments as well.

    What I want to know from them, that is, from the Koch Brothers, is why they are opposed to Americans having access to decent and affordable health care. Because they are seemingly faceless they will never have to answer for the damage they have done to the country. And that is really scary.
    Beaglemom

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    1. Anonymous3:03 PM

      When health insurance for oneself and on'es family is tied to employment, it makes for very scared employees, unlikely to speak up against wage cuts, or illegal working conditions.

      Delete
  7. The plutocrats and corporatists are very good at using lies and fear to control the minds of the non thinking folks in this country, of course. The misinformation is almost impossible to eradicate because they implicitly trust the sources of 'information' they rely on. If you try to counter with facts more often than not you are accused of being some type of 'socialist' layabout taker. Their masters have been very effective. It is odious. These dupes are a terrible drag on this country.

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  8. Anonymous12:26 PM

    Let this be a lesson for the rest of the country.

    Gov Brown Leads CA to a Turnaround...

    When Jerry Brown became governor of California again, three years ago, this state was on a steep decline, crushed by budget deficits, deep spending cuts, governmental paralysis, high unemployment and a collapsing housing market. California, a place that once symbolized promise and opportunity, seemed caught in an intractable reversal of fortune.

    But these days, Mr. Brown — who at 75 is the oldest governor in the nation and about to become the longest-serving governor in the history of California — is enjoying a degree of success and authority he and his opponents could scarcely have imagined when he returned to Sacramento to begin a second tour as governor in 2010.

    The state’s budget problems are largely resolved, at least for the short term. Mr. Brown is the dominant figure in Sacramento, strengthened by overwhelming Democratic control of the Legislature and the decline of the Republican Party. He has pushed through major initiatives on education financing and prison reorganization. Even Republicans say his re-election next year seems considerably more than likely.

    “Some people were ridiculing California, and some were calling it a failed state,” Mr. Brown, a Democrat, said in an interview. “The unemployment came down from 12.2 to 8.5. Real estate is rebounding. There’s a lot of confidence out there. That’s what happened.”

    “We have a weak Republican Party that is not challenging (aka obstructing) him,” said Abel Maldonado, the former lieutenant governor who is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge Mr. Brown...

    http://www.nytimes.com/2013/08/17/us/brown-cheered-in-second-act-at-least-so-far.html?ref=politics

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  9. Anonymous12:47 PM

    On ABC’s This Week, David Plouffe shot down the Republican arguments for their resurgence in 2016 by calmly pointing out that no matter how many field offices they open, “They (Republicans) don’t have a product to sell.”

    http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/18/david-ploufe-nails-priebus-fact-republicans-dont-product-sell.html

    GOP Tries to Convince Women That Having Their Rights Taken Away is a Good Thing

    Carly Fiorina is one of the Republican Party’s few female standard bearers and so she keeps getting booked on TV to sell Republicanism. On ABC’s This Week today, she pretended that the Republican Party is really not-so-extreme on women’s issues and thus, you single ladies should vote Republican.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/18/fiorina-mainstream-rick-perrys-extreme-anti-personal-liberty-abortion-law.html

    Obama Rips Republicans For Intentionally Misleading People About Obamacare

    President Obama broke out the whooping stick today, and ripped Republicans for their intentional campaign to mislead people about Obamcare.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/17/obama-rips-republicans-intentionally-misleading-people-obamacare.html

    Village Idiot Rand Paul Screws Up The Separation of Powers While Criticizing Obama

    I like to think of Rand Paul as a village idiot who runs roams the streets screaming about the constitution, but in reality the Kentucky senator has developed a heavily self-serving and very narrow knowledge of constitutional power.

    It isn’t Obama that is misunderstanding the constitutional separation of powers. It’s Rand Paul, because he refuses to take any responsibility for fixing the legislation that led to these privacy concerns.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/18/villiage-idiot-rand-paul-screws-separation-powers-criticize-obama.html

    Reince Priebus Admits the CNN and NBC Ban Is a Scam Because Republicans Fear Debates

    RNC Chairman Reince Preibus admitted on ABC’s This Week that the threat to ban CNN and NBC from the Republican primary debates is a scam, because Republicans are afraid of debates.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2013/08/18/reince-priebus-admits-cnn-nbc-ban-scam-republicans-fear-debates.html

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    1. Anonymous5:28 PM

      It's not the number of boots on the ground; it's just the GOP's stupid support of Bad Policies and your lack of support for Good Policies, Mr Preibus.

      P.S. Michael Steele never looked so good as RNC Chairman as he does now, huh GOP?

      Delete
  10. Anonymous1:33 PM

    All it takes in response to an ad that stupid, or a question from family, friend or neighbor, is to say, "Hey, take 5 minutes while you're surfing the 'net to check out the new law."
    It is really that simple. So I will look at ads like this as an opportunity to answer that stupid mom with the epileptic kid as it should be answered. With a look it up stupid!

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  11. Anonymous3:21 PM

    Just send everyone you know the link to this week’s Presidential Weekly Address that Gryphen posted on his blog yesterday. Obama did a great job talking about the program, plus mentioning what some Republicans are trying to do to wreck the program. Here is the link from the youtube website:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CGmh1R1s_Hc

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  12. Sandy M.4:55 AM

    There was a good response to this propaganda:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gpbLlnX1ra8

    ReplyDelete

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