Does a national news media outlet like USA Today have an obligation to publish a heap of already-debunked lies when they are presented in an op-ed from the occupier of the Oval Office? Because they did publish it and it's nothing but lies on top of lies.
The op-ed’s thesis, if you can call it that, is this: "The truth is that the centrist Democratic Party is dead. The new Democrats are radical socialists who want to model America’s economy after Venezuela." The evidence: Medicare for All. The lede for the story says "The Democrats want to outlaw private health care plans, taking away freedom to choose plans while letting anyone cross our border."
He starts off saying that, as a candidate, he "promised that we would protect coverage for patients with pre-existing conditions and create new health care insurance options that would lower premiums." He. Is. Suing. To. Take. Those. Protections. Away. From 130 million people. And those new health insurance options? They. Don't. Cover. Pre-existing. Conditions.
Oh, and the bill that Democrats are pushing this week to protect coverage for people with pre-existing conditions? He's threatened to veto it. Of course.
Back to the op-ed: he even drags out the favorite lie from Mitt Romney that was completely debunked in 2012. "Democrats have already harmed seniors by slashing Medicare by more than $800 billion over 10 years to pay for Obamacare." Seriously, a six-year old lie. (It was a $700 billion lie back then, and before that it was $500 billion). In fact, the Affordable Care Act's reforms extended Medicare's solvency and saved Medicare enrollees more than $23.5 billion by the end of 2016.
He says he is "fighting so hard against the Democrats' plan that would eviscerate Medicare," when Republican leadership has a plan to cut Medicare even more than that phantom $800 billion!
Then there's a lot of incendiary nonsense about how "Democrats want open-borders socialism" and how "Every single citizen will be harmed by such a radical shift in American culture and life." Just to be perfectly clear here, this is a an extension of his strategy of using rage and fear to keep the base riled up.
This is the most cynical ploy yet, however, focused entirely on trying to terrify seniors into voting Republican one more time. "I am committed," he says "to resolutely defending Medicare and Social Security from the radical socialist plans of the Democrats." All the while, he's plotting with congressional Republicans to destroy both. Shame on USA Today for giving him this platform.
Don't let them get away with it. Please give $1 to our Senate and House candidates and make Republicans pay the price for sabotaging our health care.