Posted on 08/11/2009 7:40:27 AM PDT by sono
Subject: Fishy statements about health care reform
The Honorable Linda Douglass Communications Director Health Reform Office The White House
Dear Ms. Douglass:
I write in response to the request posted on the White house blog, “Facts are stubborn things.”
If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov .
I call to your attention several fishy statements about health care reform legislation made by a gentleman named Dr. Douglas Elmendorf. He claims to be Director of the “Congressional Budget Office” and has posted frequently about health care reform on his website, cbo.gov. This information takes the form of personal posts on his Director’s Blog, as well as in-depth reports that have the veneer of competent, thorough, impartial professional analysis. The IP address of his site is 206.106.246.254, and his organization has named their hideout the “Ford House Office Building.”
Elmendorf appears to have several hundred followers in his organization, which has extraordinary influence over many in Congress. I understand that some right-wing Members of Congress support and even vote for his annual funding source.
(Excerpt) Read more at keithhennessey.com ...
PING ... pass it on.
The “fight the smears” redux website is straight out of the Paul Krugman playbook - manufacture some strawmen, and bravely knock them down. It is like a debate show where the host, who answers for one side, turns off the mic of his debating opponents and only turns it on when said opponent says something dumb that is easily refuted.
Except here it is worse, because they can not only collect but can also outright fabricate the most demented “fishy statements” and handily refute them, all while painting their political foes as drooling birthers whose views are predicated upon the mental blight they skillfully refuted. As an added bonus, the effort introduces one-sided chilling effects to the political discourse, effectively decreasing the signal to noise ratio for arguments counter to their goals.
ping
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