This will be a short diary, but I want to expose the hit job that Fox News did on a potential swing voter for health insurance reform. This particular target was Jason Altmire of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He voted "no" for H.R. 3962 back in November, but this year he was a potential "yes." The agenda of Fox News wouldn't hear of it of course. So they zeroed in on him with their Bill Hemmers, their Sean Hannities, and their Dick Morrises.
More below the fold.
Greg Sargent broke the news that Jason Altmire was seriously considering changing his vote to "yes":
A bit more health care movement: Rep Jason Altmire of Pennsylvania, who voted No the first time, strongly suggested on Fox News today that he’s leaning towards Yes on the Senate bill.
"I need to see the reconciliation package, but there’s no question in my mind the Senate bill was much stronger than House bill on cost containment," Altmire said. He insisted he wasn’t leaning towards Yes, but added: "I think we have a much better product to work with."
Jason Altmire was considered a vulnerable Democrat and was one of the congressmen targeted by Dick Morris, who frequently pimped his campaign on Fox News:
Now, after Jason Altmire sounded open to voting on it, Fox News went in for the kill and pressured him to vote "no." Even supposed news anchor Bill Hemmer put the screws to him by pushing an irrelevant poll on him and giving him the third degree instead of just, you know, reporting the news.
Sean Hannity went one step further by saying that Jason Altmire would be a "Pittsburgh pirate" if he voted "yes":
Fox News' relentless political campaign to kill reform managed to get enough people harassing Jason Altmire that he switched back to "no" and voted against final passage of H.R. 3590 and the reconciliation sidecar as well. However, despite this small victory for Fox News, their overall war to kill reform failed and for that, I am thankful.