Stop writing on your facebook, Sarah Palin.

It has been eight years since 9/11 and every year the tragedy has been incorporated into politics more and more-- an action that in my opinion is pretty unavoidable, and reprehensible. 9/11 should not be dragged in to politics with claims of un-Americanism. I realize that the face I am blogging about this topic, in a way, contributing to 9/11 being exploited, lately I came across something connecting 9/11 and health care which was astonishing.

It all started with my good friend, Sarah Palin. Palin, once again inexplicably writing on her facebook, attacked President Obama on his health care speech. Not because of death panels, not for illegal immigrants, not for abortions....but because he disrespected 9/11 victims. I apologize for anyone who spit out their coffee on their keyboard. Here is the controversial, if you can call it that, statement:

add it all up and the plan I'm proposing will cost around $900 billion over 10 years, less than we have spent on the Iraq and Afghanistan wars

That is the quote Palin was referring to in the Health Care speech. She claimed it was "demonizing" 9/11 victims for having too high of a price tag. First, of all, the Iraq war is independent of 9/11, Ms. Palin. Second of all, the comparision was not to set a price tag on the wars, but rather put the costs of the Health Care in perspective to other actions the United States have more than afforded to take. Third of all, to debate the future of this country, and its spending in wars abroad is not an affront to 9/11 victims, it is a legitamite debate that deals with real lives in the military and the economy. What's an affront to 9/11, Ms. Palin, is you bringing in 9/11 in a debate of health care.

The truth behind the "death panels"...

(Note: This blog will be discussing section 1233 of H.R 3200. To ensure that everything in this blog concerning the bill is true here is the link to the actual bill)



First off, as you read this I suggest you play this music. The most epic evil, horror, music ever.


And now...the truth behind the death panels. Who is behind them?




Betsy McCaughy.




Who is she? And why should she start such a horrible rumor--such a ridiculous and utterly false concept?

Lets take those one at a time. Betsy McCaughey, besides being a succubus (a little humor), she is the director of medical device company called Cantel Medical Corp; former lieutenant governor of New York; she is a senior at the Hudson Institute, a conservative think tank. How conservative are we talking here? The Capital Research Center, a non-partisan, independent, group that seeks to rank non-profits and documents their funding, allocates Hudson as a 7 on its ideological spectrum with 8 being "Free Market Right" and 1 "Radical Left."

Yeah, that conservative. Here is the kicker, guess where they get their funding? Pharmaceutical companies, drug store chains, and biomedical companies. Yeah, the same group of people who oppose a reformed health care because of a fear the government will regulate prices on their drugs.

Now the basis of this lie didn't start with the H.R 3200, but rather with the stimulus package and its provision on heath care spending. She threw a fit on Fox and CNN and misquoted the provision to say the government will, "guide decisions at the time and place of care", drawing the implication that the government will decide what your doctor will do, even if it means euthanasia if your treatment is too costly. Of course this fear of a government take over carried over to the health care reform and...viola you have the "death panel" origin.


What did H.R 1 really say? That the government will "provide appropriate information to help guide the decisions at the time and place of care". So what is this saying? The government will provide information, that doctors can access at any time, to help them in their decision of treatment. Because too often corporations, like the pharmaceuticals that funds McCaughey, give falsified or skewed information to doctors which result in unnecessary prescriptions, and unnecessary tests that make the health care system inefficient more expensive.

These corporations are the same corporations that shot down the health care reform in 93', the same corporations that are responsible for the skyrocketing premiums and plummeting medical salaries. These people are the reason why we dont have universal health care like france, or italy (they top the chart for health care)-- the reason we have people being denied coverage on fatal illnesses. They are the reason we need reform!

Dont belive me on her motive of recieving funding from pharmaceuticals? You dont have to. Read McCaughey letter to Pharma Ceo Alan Holmer,

"Asking Pharma (a pharmaceutical company) to fund my work at the Hudson institute, because my writings on health care policy can make a substantial difference in the public opinion and in the nation's capitol."

And she sure has, people actually believe old people will be put through euthanasia. She has made a substantial difference not only in the public opinion but also in the nation's capital. We have Sarah Palin bolstering ridiculous comments about a death panel that decides whether or not a person should have the right to life. But its not just wacky right wing would be politicians, its actual politicians. Sen. Grassley told his constituents they "have a right to be feared." He actually endorsed this ridiculous nonsense of McCaughey and sold it to the public!

What the "death panel" is referring to is section 1233 of the health care bill. What section 1233 suggests is "end of life counseling"--no not for the way you want to die, but for how your treatment will go to reduce costs for senior citizens and medicare alike. End of life counseling has been no new thing in our health care system. In fact when the section was added to the bill, guess how many objections there were? None. Not one. Not even from a republican. In 2007, in fact, a few republicans helped suggest and cosign a bill entitled "Medicare End of Life Counseling Act"....Go figure.

So lets outline how this stupid idea began:

First came the stimulus revision and McCaughey's outlandish comments

Secondly, on July 16, she goes on ex. Senator Fred Thompsons radio show and butchers section 1233 of H.R 3200...lighting the match for the "death panel" comments calling the bill bill "a vicious assault on elderly people" and that it will "cut your life short."

Third: July 24 she wrote a collumn pretty much outlining the same thing, tugging on heart strings by a hypothetetical situation of a Grandma with Parkinson's disease not getting treatment by "Obamacare"

Next comes Rep. Michele Bachman who almost recited the article verbatim at time on the House floor.

And then, the shit hit the fan...and all over none other than...Sarah Palin. Who on her facebook wrote the infamous "death panel comment"

And now...Sen Grassley and his endorsement of McCaughey's ideas. And these are just people of politics.

We are not even talking about the crap Beck, Limbuagh and Drudge.com have been spewing.

Now, the damage has been done, thanks to McCaughey. People like her helped shoot down universal health care in 93' with terms like "socializied medicine", "death panels", "government take over", and they are trying to shoot it down again when we need a health care reform the most. With premiums skyrocketing and the the US health care system rank plummeting...this is not the time for greedy corporate puppets and stupid politicians trying to shut down health care. The very idea is scarier than the music your hearing right now...

John Ziegler Doesn't Like Academics Because They Are Liberal

John Ziegler, a Republican talk show host, unleashed a rant this morning on his radio show about how Sarah Palin's "death panel" comment was truthful. He criticized the media for assuming Obama is well intentioned, honest, and wise after major media corporations dispelled the rumors of the "death panel" as Sarah Palin so eloquently put. He especially targeted one New York Times article that compared Sarah Palin's idiotic comment, to 50 percent of people in Egypt believing Israel was behind 9/11 to illustrate the point: stupid people are everywhere. Ziegler's problem with the article? They used factcheck.org to double-check their facts. Ziegler, outraged at clear this monstrosity, screamed more or less,

"I am so sick of people saying factcheck.org is a non-partisan organization. I am so sick of it! Every knows factcheck.org is run by lefty liberal academic type,"

Ziegler would rather have some dimwit type running the organization so they would recognize all these "death panel" comments as what they are...the obvious truth. Maybe he should apply.

Sarah Palin Good Message, Bad Intentions.

In the past few weeks the health care reform has been getting increasingly angrier and more violent, no thanks to the crazy extremist of the Republican. However, at least one Republican will dare to stand up against her party to bring stability and order to angry, mistaken, citizens of the Republican party. Only one person has the intellect, the knowledge of health care, the charisma to dispel these angry mobs and turn the debate back to the issues at hand. Who you ask? Who in the Republican party actually knows about health care? Why none other than Sarah Palin.

Hopefully you picked up on my sarcastic tone. If not, well I need to work on my writing. But anyways, Sarah Palin actually did something useful today. Despite being completely hypocritical, and somewhat impersonal and indirect, Sarah Palin made an attempt to silence the extreme, mistaken, angry Republicans. No she didnt hold a press confrence, she didnt say it in a speech, she didn't even say it on twitter-- she said it on Facebook. Because what better way to reach angry, mistaken, Republicans than on facebook. In a note, she stated,

"There are many disturbing details in the current bill that Washington is trying to rush through Congress, but we must stick to a discussion of the issues and not get sidetracked by tactics that can be accused of leading to intimidation or harassment. Such tactics diminish our nation’s civil discourse which we need now more than ever because the fine print in this outrageous health care proposal must be understood clearly and not get lost in conscientious voters’ passion to want to make elected officials hear what we are saying. Let’s not give the proponents of nationalized health care any reason to criticize us."

Palin is right. Stop making up ridiculous comments about health care. Stop yelling at congressmen! Stop talking about putting old senior citizens out to death! Stop talking about down syndrome babies dying from the new health care reform! Don't call Obama's health care plan a "death panel"! People who do these things are diminishing our nations civil discourse, it sidesteps the real issue. And its down right stupid. People should never say these things right Sarah Palin?

While its pretty clear she is covering for her last pretty outrageous statement on health care, her message is actually a good one and should be listened to. Even if it is ridiculously hypocritical. Cover your own ass, and be praised for restoring society--now that is politics at its finest.