One of the reasons Republicans are often so successful at framing national debates is the cooperation of particular media figures who possess an undeserved reputation as "centrists" or "nonpartisans." John Harwood, of CNBC and the New York Times, represents the epitome of this kind of punditry. Harwood was in fine form today on MSNBC's The Ed Show, repeating and reinforcing lies about healthcare reform. And nobody challenged him.
MSNBC needs to hear from us. They need to know that providing a platform for conservative propagandists like Harwood is unacceptable.
Lawrence O'Donnell, who was guest hosting on today's Ed Show, is usually an asset to progressive causes. But today he sat back and allowed John Harwood to perpetuate dangerous Republican memes.
First off, here's what Harwood said about the public option (sorry, no link -- MSNBC has not posted video of this part of the show):
What is one of the most unpopular things that Democrats are trying to defend right now against attacks from the right? That's the public option.
This, of course, is simply untrue. Polling about the public option as part of healthcare reform consistently shows that Americans strongly support it. And NBC/Wall Street Journal poll found 76% of Americans favor a public option. Quinnipiac pegged support at 69%. Hell, even a majority of Republicans support a public option.
But Harwood wants people to believe that the public option is very unpopular. And he used The Ed Show to disseminate the lie. But he wasn't finished yet.
Here's what Harwood had to say about the absurd GOP lie that Obama wants to kill old people:
I think the toughest thing they got to deal with is...the end of life care. And the concerns that people have about being told to die. And the reason is that there's a grain of truth to it. If anybody's serious about controlling cost in the long run, something's got to be done about curbing end of life care that has only marginal impact on people's lives.
Harwood knows this is bullshit. Republican scare tactics about killing old people have nothing to do with Democratic plans to reimburse doctors when patients want to talk about drafting a living will.
Let's face it -- liars like John Harwood are never going to disappear. But we can try to limit the damage they do. Let Harwood spew his Republican propaganda on CNBC and FOX. But there is absolutely no excuse for allowing him to lie on The Ed Show, with no challenge from the host or other guests -- like Bill Press, who sat silently as Harwood lied.
Please contact MSNBC and tell them not to book John Harwood in the future. At the very least, maybe somebody will call him out the next time he lies.
Contact The Ed Show
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Submit a correction request to MSNBC.
I haven't been able to find any contact information for John Harwood, either at CNBC or the New York Times. If you have his email address, please post it in comments and I'll add it.