It's been a little over a year since the whole "Death Panels" scare campaign came and went. Some Republicans claimed bureaucrats would have patients appear before a death panel and be judged based on a subjective judgment of their “level of productivity in society,” whether they are worthy of health care. Now imagine if a Democrat came out and said the Bush Doctrine was plot to kill every Muslim in the Middle East. There would be a credibility scar for life on the politicians who said it.
For those of you who watch Fox and think it's a reliable source of news should know four things about this phony controversy.
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| Johnny Isakson |
- Who is the monster that proposed this Nazi, Communist, Fascist, Liberal or whatever you want to call the policy? Republican Senator Johnny Isakson. When asked by the Washington Post on how Palin interpreted it as euthanasia the Senator responded. "How someone could take an end of life directive or a living will as that is nuts. You're putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don't know how that got so mixed up." Now why didn't Fox or other critics of the health care bill pushing this falsehood call out the author of that "downright evil" provision?
- Senator Grassley who said to a crowd "We should not have a government program that determines your going to pull the plug on Grandma" admitted the bill did no such thing on Face the Nation.
- Hannity said in an interview with Dick Morris claiming Democrats have gotten rid of the death panels. Morris interrupted him and said, “The death panels are not gotten rid of. There never was a panel that was going to say DIE.” Hannity said, “The provision on page 425 of the House bill.” Morris replied, “All that provides is for counseling, which isn’t a bad idea.” Morris thinks it's a good idea.
- More than 40 news reports have confirmed the death panel claim to be false but Fox is not backing down.When the proposal touched off a political storm, Democrats dropped it from legislation. But the Obama administration will restore the provision starting Jan. 1. FoxNews.com then ran pieces such as, ‘Death Panel’ Comeback? Return of Death Panels? and ‘Death Panel’ Deception? On the Hannity show, Tucker Carlson asked Kirsten Powers why Congressman Blumenauer has asked his supporters to “keep secret this great accomplishment” of the new regulations. Powers said:
"I don’t know Tucker. Maybe it’s because people like you call them ‘death panels.’ Even though… that was a PolitiFact lie of the year… You’re just scaring old people, Tucker. That’s what’s going on here… You want to be ashamed of it. You’re calling them ‘death panels’ when they’re not… You know this is a completely made up political game that you’re playing."
There can only between possible explanations to why Fox is pushing this falsehood over and over again.
- They are knowingly lying and fear mongering to push a political agenda .
- They are chronically stupid and their version of reality is at odds with reality.
