Chris Mathews guest today was Tim Phillips, who is the President of one of the largest "grass roots" organization opposing the bill, American's for Prosperity.
His interview made me wonder who have actually read this bill. I did serious research not only of the two bills, but the reports by the Medicare Actuary and the CBO. I had to, since I was opposing this bill right here, having written a dozen diaries along with my own blog with additional extensive detailed explanations of my reasons.
So, organizations such as this one, Americans for Prosperity, should be my allies. Except they're not.
A few days ago, my right wing source forwarded the latest viral anti-HCR email for my evaluation which I copy here:
** Page 50/section 152: The bill will provide insurance to all non-U.S. residents, even if they are here illegally.
** Page 58 and 59: The government will have real-time access to an individual's bank account and will have the authority to make electronic fund transfers from those accounts.
** Page 65/section 164: The plan will be subsidized (by the government) for all union members, union retirees and for community organizations (such as the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now - ACORN).
** Page 203/line 14-15: The tax imposed under this section will not be treated as a tax. (How could anybody in their right mind come up with that?)
** Page 241 and 253: Doctors will all be paid the same regardless of specialty, and the government will set all doctors' fees.
** Page 272. section 1145: Cancer hospital will ration care according to the patient's age (death panel)
** Page 317 and 321: The government will impose a prohibition on hospital expansion; however, communities may petition for an exception.
** Page 425, line 4-12: The government mandates advance-care planning consultations. Those on Social Security will be required to attend an "end-of-life planning" seminar every five years. (Death counseling.)
** Page 429, line 13-25: The government will specify which doctors can write an end-of-life order (death panels)
I wrote him back first asking him whether he believed them, and then how many of his political persuasion believed them. Bill happens to be a decent fair minded man, whom we share a mutual respect. His response was interesting:
Al,
To your questions below:
- I think the average non-Democrat believes the statements are probably accurate.
Here are the reasons I think so.
a. The statements are usually transmitted by a friend (usually assumed to be like-minded), thereby making points in favor.
b. The average person is looking for shortcuts to get their information, and if received from a trusted source, probably won't look further.
Sorting through today's media abundance of information, positioning, solicitation, persuasion, is overwhelming.
c . The current national mindset is to not trust the other side, or seek dialog (i.e.,reconciliation), having been "burned before" by those holding power.
d. The perception that those responsible for our financial ills are still in power, assuming guilt by association for Democrats.
. The average person doesn't know how to easily check the facts as to the accuracy of the statements. (neither do I.)
- I don't believe I could get anyone's attention enough to respond as to their reasoning. Best bet is to do what you and I are doing, and spread the word that way.
O.K. We all know that the above references to the HCR bill are completely fabricated, no basis in fact....yet as Bill surmises they will be widely accepted. Now let's look at what Chris Mathews has tacitly spread today by allowing this comment by the President of a major political organization to go unrefuted:
Tim Phillips:
Do you really want the government to decide whether, with your condition, you are worth saving. I don't want a bureaucrat deciding that for you or my mom or dad....because they are going to decide. The section in the Senate Law 2713 establishes boards that says which sickness we will cover.
While Mathews cannot be expected to have mastered this legislation, it's not unreasonable that MSNBC could have hired a staffer to have been in the control room, or to have researched what Phillips had said previously, to be prepared for this statement.
It is as false as the items of the viral email that I have copied above.
Here's the link to Section 2713 from Thomas.Gov of the Senate Bill, that has not been revised or will be so by the proposed reconciliation items:
SEC. 2713. COVERAGE OF PREVENTIVE HEALTH SERVICES.
`(a) In General- A group health plan and a health insurance issuer offering group or individual health insurance coverage shall, at a minimum provide coverage for and shall not impose any cost sharing requirements for--
It then lists five categories of Preventive care, and defines the criteria as determined by a board that evaluates efficacy of this treatment. The section continues with:
Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prohibit a plan or issuer from providing coverage for services in addition to those recommended by United States Preventive Services Task Force or to deny coverage for services that are not recommended by such Task Force.
So this section as summarized above, with the link provided for verification is twisted into the now hoary canard of a "death panel" by Tim Phillips, who carefully gave the section of the bill to demonstrate to viewers that he actually was recounting the specifics of the law.
How sad that he got away with it- that the organization behind "Hardball" didn't provide the minimal resources that could have shown this statement for what it is, pure deceit and misrepresentation of this bill.
Am I still opposed to this bill? Well, the harsh fact is it doesn't matter much what I think. But what has become clear is that the opposition, not only from anonymous writers of absurd viral email, but from the elected and de facto non government opposition seem to have nothing better than outright lies to use to oppose this bill.
This legislation, far from being a government takeover as the right constantly repeats, is closer to a government abdication in favor of existing powers. However, it just could be that given our legal, financial, commercial and political system....the actual distribution of power in our country, this ugly compromise is the only shot at eventually influencing these powerful interests.
Whether or not this bill passes, the assertion that it authorizes "death panels" as Tim Phillips expressed on this news program should not be allowed to stand.
Chris Mathews, please take note