Sen. Tom Coburn has a reputation as outsider, a politician who speaks his mind even when his ideas aren't popular.
But it would help Sen. Coburn's reputation if he didn't exaggerate or make things up. Here's the latest example, courtesy of PolitiFact, a fact-checking organization that—in this case—makes Coburn look like a liar.Here's a portion of the PolitiFact commentary on Coburn and his claims about the president's health care plans:
When Sen. Tom Coburn said that under President Obama, "all the health care in this country is eventually going to be run by the government," it was like a golden oldie PolitiFact has heard many times before.
During the campaign, we heard the same tune from vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, who said Obama was calling for a "government-run plan"; Mitt Romney, who said Obama "wants the government to take over health care"; and Rudy Giuliani, who called Hillary Clinton's similar plan "socialized medicine."
***"Remember, under the Obama plan . . . all the health care in this country is eventually going to be run by the government," Coburn said in an interview on Fox News on March 4, 2009.
"So it's part of an incremental creep towards eliminating any objection, both as us as taxpayers and then individual physicians in terms of not complying with a government-run bureaucracy," he added.
***We asked Coburn's office about his remarks. "What matters is not just President Obama’s intent, or what his plan states, but the likely effect and consequences of his plan," said spokesman John Hart. "Under Obama’s approach, the only plans left standing will be those controlled by the government."
That may be Sen. Coburn's opinion on what could happen, but it's definitely not part of Obama's plan. And Coburn was very specific in saying that "under the Obama plan, all the health care in this country is eventually going to be run by the government." That gives the incorrect impression that Obama is promoting a government-run health care system. He's not. We rate Coburn's statement false.
5 comments:
Tom "Lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in southeast Oklahoma that they’ll only let one girl go to the bathroom" Coburn, fibbing?
Surely you jest.
Hmmm. Billions upon billions in Medicare and Medicaid; massively expanded SCHIP; provision in the stimulus bill for medical supervisory bureaucracy; and apparently we're about to massively overhaul the remainder of the health care system, said overhaul being under the supervision of people that have shown considerable sympathy for government-run health care.
You, yourselves, recently opined that everyone has a right to health care; how is such a right to be provided, other than by government fiat?
I can't help but wonder just how much of the GDP you can spend on health care and still maintain that it won't be "government run."
My faith in private enterprise to keep a national system running without proper regulatory control is at a low ebb after witnessing the Wall Street debacle, which isn't near over yet.
Fact is, we are all paying through the nose for a default health system of people with limited means being forced to go to the emergency room for necessary care then not paying the bill.
Obama is tackling this broken system right now because, besides being humane, it could help us survive the financial mess that Bush bequeathed us.
(You may not recall that I predicted Bush had at least one more parting gift for us. I had no idea how right I could be...and I wish I weren't.)
One thing that makes especially good sense is overhauling the medical records system. When I visit the Dr's office, I always hope the medical side is run better than the clerical side.
Anyone who hasn't had firsthand experience with this must have an extremely healthy family.
PolitiFact did their nailing with a few tiny staples.
http://subloviate.blogspot.com/2009/03/grading-politifact-illegitimate-burn-of.html
"One thing that makes especially good sense is overhauling the medical records system."
Were you concerned about your privacy under the Patriot Act?
Thanks for this great information
thanks ,,
___________________
victor
HD Access for just $10 a month to your FAVORITE Channels!
Post a Comment