by John M. Curtis
(310) 204-8700

Copyright Aug 13, 2009
All Rights Reserved.

      Turned loose July 26 from her job as governor of Alaska, former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin started where she left off the campaign trail last November:  Fomenting evil tales about the Democratic agenda.  Back then, Sarah whipped up largely blue-collar crowds into a virtual frenzy about Barack Obama’s alleged socialism.  Today, she’s concocted the same myths about the president’s health care plan.  Sarah’s been focused lately on “death panels,” trying to scare middle America into rejecting health care reform.  Palin took out of context Section 1233 of HR 3200, entitled “Advance Care Planning Consultation,” making up tales about how the plan would deny benefits to the elderly and disabled because they’re no longer productive members of society.  Sarah figured out the perfect way to manipulate her right leaning paranoid audience.

            During campaign stops last fall, Palin was known for whipping up such hatred toward the left, she had some in her audience making death threats against then candidate Obama.  Palin’s latest salvo reveals the same pernicious propaganda seen in fiercely right wing talk shows, where any lie satisfies criteria for making headlines.  Most public figures or elected officials are subject to fact-checks, where they hurt their causes by engaging in calculated distortion and hyperbole.  HR 3200’s advance directive simply asks senior to review catastrophic planning every five years.  Conversations about living wills or trusts, durable power of attorney for health care and specific instructions in the case of medical incapacity are endorsed by the American Medical Association and National Hospice and Palliative Care Association   Palin’s twisted interpretation of “death panels” goes over the top.

            Palin raises some questions about HMO-type health care rationing that warrant more discussion, especially the inherent cost-cutting provisions of national health care.  “With all due respect, it’s misleading for the president to describe this section as an entirely voluntary provision that simply increases the information offered by Medicare recipients,” addressing the intent of legislation to save health care costs.  “It’s all just more evidence that the Democratic legislative proposals will lead to health care rationing,” making valid point yet to be clarified by the president or House Democrats.  Barack has made long-term cost-savings a big part of the impetus for health care reform.  Palin raises a curious question about how national health insurance intends to save money over the current system   Surely, volume buying alone or digitizing records won’t wield all the expected cost-savings.

            HR3200 should put the cards on the table and specify premiums, deductibles, co-payments, waiting periods, exclusions, if any, and any managed care provisions.  Part of the fear-mongering involves the lack of details about basic health plans provided by the president and House.  Palin’s claims about “death panels” are so outrageous they detract from valid points about unknown managed care provisions.  Palin was criticized for fear mongering by Republican Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski.  Things “are bad enough tthat we don’t need to be making things up” accusing Palin of divisive politics.  “There is no reason to gin up the fear in the American public by say things that are not included in the bill,” said Murkowski, rejecting Palin’s insinuation that HR 3200 implements Euthanasia or mercy killing for seniors and disabled.  Palin’s propaganda rises to the level of the most extreme right wing radio.

            When Obama failed to reach his congressional summer recess deadline, he knew he’d run up against an all-out propaganda war.  Town hall meetings around the country have generated strong reactions, in part from distortions spawned on the airwaves.  “President Obma can try to gloss over the effects of government-authorized end-of-life consultations but the view on one of his top health care advisers are clear enough,” wrote Palin on the own Blog.  Instead of throwing the baby out with the bathwater, Palin should empathize with the 50 million U.S. citizens without health coverage.  Instead of saying no, she should offer a better fix, perhaps asking for clarification of controversial provisions, like the one that asks seniors to review advance directives every five years.  Palin’s on the same page as South Carolina Sen. Jim DeMint who sees sabotaging Obama’s health plan as the GOP’s way forward.

            White House and Congressional Democrats find themselves in a precarious position because of the lack of specificity to HR 3200.  Instead of directly refuting Palin’s outrageous claims, Barack needs to lay out the specifics of premiums, deductibles, co-pays, waiting periods, exclusions to government minimum health plan.  Letting people know what’s really in the bill would address the current ambiguity exploited by Palin and other right wing radio talks show hosts.  Palin’s “death panel” charges strike a cord with those too paranoid to see the logic of insuring the U.S. population.  If Barack’s new health plan tries to herd subscribers into government HMOs to ration care, he needs to level with Congress and the American people.  So far, people know so little about the specifics of the actual plan that Palin and others can make any outrageous claim with impunity.

 John M. Curtis writes politically neutral commentary analyzing spin in national and global news.  He's editor of OnlineColumnist.com and author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma.