Right Wing Meme Destroyed: Employers say they'll still offer health care benefits

So much more destroying to do.

A nationwide survey of business executives indicates that most U.S. employers, at least for now, are unlikely to stop offering health care benefits in the wake of the landmark federal health care reform law.

The online survey of nearly 3,700 executives, conducted by Crain Communications Inc. publications Workforce Management and Business Insurance, found that 52.5 percent strongly disagreed with the statement that it would be better for their organizations to stop offering health care benefits and pay a fine under the new law. An additional 15.3 percent somewhat disagreed with the notion of dropping coverage and paying the fine. Eighteen percent somewhat agreed with the idea of dropping coverage; only 14.1 percent strongly believe their organizations would be better off in dropping benefits.

(snip)

Among the largest employers—those with 25,000 or more workers—64.9 percent strongly disagreed with the statement that their organizations would be better off dropping health care benefits. An additional 12.4 percent somewhat disagreed, while 14.2 percent somewhat agreed and 8.4 percent strongly agreed.

PhotOh! Debunking Eric Cantor

By GottaLaff

My pal VNDNBRG had an interesting comment under the Cantor: I Didn't Know Shot Was Random Until After My Presser post.

Cantor is a liar:

It was a nondescript building (no signage at all), bullet through 1st floor window (Cantor used 2nd floor for meetings once in a while), and building was not in his district (Richmond is in Bobby Scott's 3rd district). It was a threat all right!

Yeah, a threat to whoever was located on the first floor.

VNDNBRG was angry enough to do a little poking around.

He struck gold.

Here's a photo of the building that was hit:

The round struck with enough force to break the windowpane but did not penetrate the window blinds.” The building, as you can see from this picture, does not show any visible sign that it belongs to Cantor.

Here is a map of the district in question via Bobby Scotts homepage. The dot on Richmond closely corresponds with the Google map of building address:

(click on image to enlarge)

Here's a closer look:


Now check out the address at the bottom of Cantor's own page (click to enlarge):


That's right. Eric Cantor doesn't refer to the building that took the bullet. The address for their Richmond office:

March 25, 2010

The Richmond Police Department is investigating an act of vandalism at the Reagan Building, 25 E. Main St., Richmond, Virginia.

How does he dress himself in the morning? He apparently doesn't even know his own office address. And if he does use that other office, it must be only occasionally, because he forgot what floor it was on.

Maybe his advisers could remind him:

There is no sign identifying the light-green building as the campaign headquarters for Cantor, although its principal occupants, Ray Allen Jr. and M. Boyd Marcus Jr., are well-known in the political community as advisers to Cantor. It is identified as the Reagan Building.

Reminder of what Cantor said:

"Just recently I have been directly threatened. A bullet was shot through the window of my campaign office in Richmond this week, and I have received threatening emails," Cantor said, citing the fact that he is an elected official, and that he is Jewish.

Excellent work, Agent VNDNBRG!

Perpetuating lies must stop or real democracy ceases to exist

By GottaLaff

I'm watching MSNBC as I type this. Forgive the stream-of-consciousness, but sometimes it's easier to communicate that way:

The GOP is reacting to the health care bill bill signing. What an accomplishment that was, and how proud we should be. The Democrats faced so many obstacles that attaining their goal was in real doubt.

But as Vice President Biden said to the president at the signing, "this is a big f'ing deal."

But back to the Rushpublic reaction on the Tee Vee Machine:

Jon Cornyn reiterated the GOP meme that the Democrats were determined "to shove this down the throat of American people". Those would be the very same American people who voted in a guy named Barack Hussein Obama by a landslide, and gave the Democrats the majorities in Congress, because they wanted this bill, or one very much like it. Yeah, Cornyn, those people.

He then cited a CNN poll, perpetuating even more lies. Here is the poll he cited, along with the factual breakdown. Ed Schultz gets kudos for immediately correcting the record, which was refreshing and admirable.

But you know who didn't do that? Chris Matthews.

Earlier today, one of his guests (I was in the other room, so I can't identify her) cited the same poll, repeated the same misleading information, and Matthews said nothing. No. Thing.

I started screaming obscenities. If the media refuse to report news accurately, we get a dumbed-down electorate, and real democracy ceases to exist. Think about that.

And this is exactly what the GOP wants: A dumbed-down electorate. That way, more and more voters believe what they're told by the careless, lazy, bought-and-paid-for corporate media, and more and more elections reflect a badly uninformed and misinformed population.

There you have it: one more thing to fight tooth and nail. We need to educate America, starting right now... Or else, this happens.

I hope this post is a start.

VIDEO: Rep. Shadegg admits health care reform's public option creates competition

By GottaLaff



Rep. Shadegg:

"The for profit insurance industry did not want a public option 'cause they don't like competition."

So Shadegg proves that the GOP knows they are lying.

Oops.

H/t: Tiggrr1

VIDEO- Rep. Louie Gohmert lies at tea party rally: "I brought an abortion to show you"

By GottaLaff



Louie's a real case study in nutballitude. He just can't seem to grasp that thing called.. oh, what's that word... Oh yes: reality. (follow that link)

Here he goes again. A video-o'-wackydoodle. However, little does he refer to the fact that:

[T]he bill “very clearly” does not fund abortion. [...] The bill creates a clear firewall between public and private money, going even beyond current law. Moreover, pro-life organizations like the Catholic Hospitals Association have endorsed the bill, and pro-life Congressmen like Rep. Dale Kildee (D-MI) and Rep. Jason Altmire (D-PA) agree that the bill does not use tax-payer dollars to fund abortion.

Louie was right. He did bring an abortion to show them. He brought an abortion of the truth, thus having committed the very act he so condemns.

Which makes him today's official Rushpublic Hyp. O. Crite.

Obama pollster: U.S. will like healthcare bill, despite poll numbers

By GottaLaff

Once the "misinformation" (aka lying) is corrected, once Americans understand what's actually in the bill, it's likely the U.S. will like what it sees better than they do now:

President Barack Obama's pollster said the healthcare bill will win over public support once it becomes law despite polls showing Americans against the plan. [...]

"When it comes to health care and insurance, once reform passes, the tangible benefits Americans will realize will trump the fear-mongering rhetoric opponents are stoking today," Benenson wrote in a Washington Post op-ed Saturday. [...]

At the very least, the numbers show a public more wary than not of the healthcare bill. But the surveys indeed have something for everybody.

"Despite polls showing Americans against the plan." But, again, they're not against what is in the plan, once the details are explained to them. And a strong majority is for a public option, too, but you sure don't hear that story bandied about.

Fear mongering is an easy, effective tool the Rushpublics know how to use all too well. It will be nice to see something as beneficial as health care reform counter the despicable tactics that are used, and overused, by the opposition.

Video- MSNBC Fact Checks Health Care Summit Claims

MUST SEE VIDEO- Sheldon Whitehouse: "The lying time is over....there will be a reckoning."

By GottaLaff

CORRECTION: I apologize. I had 2 videos up, and grabbed the wrong one. THIS is the video I meant to post.

Sheldon Whitehouse smacks down the GOP/Tea Baggers:



Suh-freakin'-NAP!

GOP Lays Booby Trap in Health Care Debate

By GottaLaff

Another day, another Conservative steaming pile of misinformation. This time it's all about how the Big Bad Government is going to ration your health care... again. See, now they're going to force women to ignore preventive breast health care and their own common sense.

Know what this really is? Another attempt to divert attention from the battle over politicizing the battle. Shiny keys! See 'em?

Since anti-abortion lawmakers are eager to wipe out a choice that truly matters for women, mammogram-gate conveniently diverts women's attention to health care option that isn't actually under threat. And all the chest-thumping polemics on Capitol Hill end up turning public attention away from what's really making us ill: the politicization of our health.

Now let's take a look at that thing we like to call "truth":

On mammograms, here's what the Task Force actually said:

The USPSTF recommends against routine screening mammography in women aged 40 to 49 years. The decision to start regular, biennial screening mammography before the age of 50 years should be an individual one and take into account patient context, including the patient's values regarding specific benefits and harms.

In other words, recommendations and... choice:

Currently, there's no evidence that the government or the insurance industry will try to curtail coverage for mammograms simply based on the Task Force's recommendations. Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius noted as much earlier this week, stating that the Task Force's recommendations don't determine government policy.

But we know how Conservatives hate choice, so all we hear about is how "Obamacare" is gonna get us!

Once again, they plant a poisonous seed and it takes hold. The press needs to wake up and start reporting facts, not talking points.

H/t: Greg Skilling

Palin: If "child in womb" isn't "valuable", then “perhaps the same mind-set applies to" elderly

By GottaLaff

The lying, self-absorbed little death panel-monger is at it again. She really should stick to posing for coloring books:

Speaking to a fund-raising banquet of Wisconsin Right to Life, the former Alaska governor and 2008 Republican vice presidential nominee asserted that if policy-makers don’t believe a child in the womb is valuable, then “perhaps the same mind-set applies to other persons.”

“What may they feel about an elderly person who doesn’t have a whole lot of productive years left,” Palin asked an audience of about 5,000 who paid $30 each to hear her speak in an airplane hangar-like exhibition hall at the Wisconsin state fairgrounds just outside of Milwaukee. “In order to save government money, government health care has to be rationed… [so] than this elderly person that perhaps could be seen as costing taxpayers to pay for a non-productive life? Do you think our elderly will be first in line for limited health care?

“And what about the child who perhaps isn’t deemed normal or perfect per someone’s subjective measure of their use or questionable purpose in the eyes of a panel of bureaucrats making our healthcare decisions for us,” she continued.

Palin did not expressly raise the prospect of government-mandated “death panels” to determine who lives or dies – the incendiary and inaccurate charge she made over the summer about Democratic health care plans—but repeatedly suggested that liberal social policies could lead to de facto euthanasia.

Speaking of euthanizing... How about ending her-- well, it's no longer a career... but whatever it is, it needs to be rationed and then death-paneled.

More here.

VIDEO- Rep. Virginia Foxx: Health Care Bill a Greater Threat Than Any Terrorist in the World

By GottaLaff

What a peach:



Let's take a walk down Memory Lane together. Who is this Virginia Foxx we speak of? Let's put on our thinking caps....

She happens to be the very same ClusterFoxx who said Matthew Shepard's murder was "a hoax"; who said “there are no Americans who don’t have healthcare"; who called health care "distracting."

Pretty Foxxed up, huh?

Can somebody explain to me how people like this (and Michele Bachmann, and these 30 accessories to rape) get elected and re-elected? Anyone? Bueller?

Todd Akin (R-MO) blows off telephone town haller

By GottaLaff

There was an interesting comment by one of our readers yesterday, who has graciously allowed me to post it for everyone to see (emphasis mine):

Alison said...

My congressman, Todd Akin (R - Missouri) just hosted a "telephone town hall". I was called and told I could listen in and push zero if I wanted to ask a question. Apparently, there are 1600 people on the phone at a time. A woman called, said that her husband had just retired and was on Medicare, but she is too young and has a preexisting condition and can't find any insurance. She wanted to know what Akin would do for people like her. His response? "The Democrats want to give Grandma a pat on the back and an aspirin." No offer of ANYTHING he would do. Just lies. There were prior lies, but that one was too much. I yelled into the phone a bunch and finally hung up on him. He is going to do exactly what Grayson said. Nothing.

Here's what Grayson said, per my post of yesterday:

Because if you get sick and those bills are mounting, and you're in the hospital and you're feeling weaker and weaker, and you've got no way to pay for this, then what are they gonna do for you? Nothing. They're gonna do nothing."

Anyone gotten wind of a Rushpublic who can refute that? ...

White House taking the gloves off re: Medicare lies

By GottaLaff

Couldn't they have taken the gloves off a few months ago? Was it that hard to unlace them? Were they that comfortable? I've heard of slow burns, but this is.... well, you know:

In a sign that the White House is taking the gloves off for a newly aggressive phase in the health care wars, a hard-hitting new set of White House talking points urges Congressional Dems and outside allies to blast the GOP for lying about Medicare with “outright falsehoods” and “disingenuous scare tactics.”

The talking points — which were sent over by a source and are being privately distributed on the Hill and among liberal groups — contain some of the toughest and most partisan language yet used by an administration that had long held out hope of winning over Republican support. A sample:

Talking Points: Republicans’ Disingenuous Scare Tactics on Medicare

[...]

• These distortions and outright falsehoods would be offensive under any circumstances, but they’re especially disingenuous coming from a group who has a long history of opposing Medicare and who very recently tried to kill the program as we know it.

[...]

The talking points suggest the White House is concerned that Republican claims about Medicare are gaining traction, and that the administration recognizes that a tougher response — complete with a history lesson about GOP intentions towards the program — may be necessary to reverse that tide. Read the full talking points right here.

Timing is everything.

Poll: Big Majorities Dismiss Leading Right Wing Health Care Attacks As “Scare Tactics”

If you're not reading The Plum Line, you should be. Greg consistently finds the nut-

The poll tested a range of attacks and asked whether they were “legitimate” or a “disortion” and a “scare tactic.” The results:

* Sixty-three percent said the claim that “death panels of government officials would decide how much medical care ailing individuals will receive” is a scare tactic, versus 30% who said it’s legit.

* Fifty-nine percent said the claim that “health care would be rationed” is a scare tactic, versus 35% who said it’s legit.

* Fifty-two percent said the claim that “health care would become socialized medicine” is a scare tactic, versus 43% who said it’s legit.

* Sixty-one percent said the claim that “government money would be used to pay for abortions” is a scare tactic, versus 33% who said it’s legit.

* Fifty-eight percent said the claim that “government money would pay for health care for illegal immigrants” is a scare tactic, versus 37% who said it’s legit.