The RNC is going full steam ahead, hoping beyond hope that their radio ad buys in North Carolina containing their usual misinformation and outright lies regarding the not-even-yet-fully-proposed healthcare plan from Congress will reach moderate voters in rural North Carolina districts and sway them over to once again working against their own interests. The culture of fear and smear that the Republican party has created is seemingly becoming less and less persuasive to the voting public, yet being the Party of No ideas or morals, it's all they've got.
From the Fayetteville Observer:
http://www.fayobserver.com/...
The debate over health care reform intensified last week when national Republicans aired ads targeting three North Carolina congressmen.
Two of them represent parts of Cumberland County: Mike McIntyre of Lumberton and Larry Kissell of Biscoe.
The third targeted representative is Heath Shuler, who is from Haywood County near Asheville.
All three are Democrats.
Last week, the Republican National Committee announced it was running the radio ads. According to a script provided by the committee, President Obama's plan is called "a dangerous experiment." The ad says the three congressmen supported the federal stimulus bill, which will grow U.S. debt.
"If Barack Obama and the Democrats get their way," the ad says, "the federal government will make the decisions about your health care. And, their plan costs a trillion dollars we don't have. You have to pay a new tax to keep your private insurance. It's too much, too fast."
Dean Mitchell, McIntyre's chief of staff, said in an e-mail that his boss believes the ads are a waste of money. He said voters across the district have contacted McIntyre's office to raise their concerns about the president's health plan.
My bolding
What a charade! If Barack Obama gets his way? The Federal Government will make decisions about your health care? Let's take those two issues and discuss them, one at a time.
If Barack Obama gets his way.
When it comes to healthcare, IF Barack Obama doesn't get US what WE, the American people have been asking begging for in the way of healthcare reform, the people who live in these rural areas will continue to receive sub-par or NO healthcare benefits for themselves and their children. In these areas that have been hardest hit in our State due to unemployment, low wages and lack of health insurance offered by many small businesses, these should be the people the Democratic Party are targeting. By explaining to these citizens what great good would come of having the ability to seek affordable preventative medical and dental care, one would think that old Republican boogyman would be vanquished quite easily.
The Federal Government will make decisions about your health care.
Here is some news for anyone that might not have been paying attention the last 40 years or so. The Federal Government already makes quite a few decisions about your health care, especially if you are on MediCare or are receiving MediCaid. Let me just add, that since the Federal Government is not in the business to make a profit on healthcare, they are more likely to stay the hell out of the decion making between you and your Doctor when it comes to procedures your Doctor prescribes as necessary to facilitate your good health. This, unlike the Insurance Companies who are making decisions regarding the doling out of health care to you on a profit for shareholders basis, no matter what you and your Doctor have decided would be the best course of action. I'm pretty sure if explained correctly, that little tidbit would also go a long way towards alleviating some of the misconseptions being spewed by the right wing regarding "Government Healthcare!!!!"
The obligitory discussion of you having to pay a new tax of course made it into the sputum. Sigh. One trick ponies, each and every one of them. The too fast canard has also popped up, so you can't say they didn't get in almost every wingnut talking point on one issue (actually you can use the same wingnut talking points for most any issue, since that's all they have).
Hey, DNC? You want to win some peoples hearts and minds? Run a radio ad in the same districts that doesn't defend against the RNC's ad, but spells out the realities of what the President's hope for the people and their healthcare coverage will be and why. In fact, take that radio ad buy National! Be sure to hit the points that highlight how Insurance Companies are making life and death decisions due to profit and that a public option will be a non-profit insurance that will leave the decisions to a person and their Doctor regarding what procedures should be done and what medications should be prescribed.
Instead of playing defense, how about we go on offense?