Posted on 08/04/2009 3:45:39 PM PDT by Cindy
THE BRIEFING ROOM • THE BLOG
THE BLOG
TUESDAY, AUGUST 4TH, 2009 AT 6:55 AM Facts Are Stubborn Things Posted by Macon Phillips
Opponents of health insurance reform may find the truth a little inconvenient, but as our second president famously said, "facts are stubborn things."
Scary chain emails and videos are starting to percolate on the internet, breathlessly claiming, for example, to "uncover" the truth about the President’s health insurance reform positions.
In this video, Linda Douglass, the communications director for the White House’s Health Reform Office, addresses one example that makes it look like the President intends to "eliminate" private coverage, when the reality couldn’t be further from the truth.
For the record, the President has consistently said that if you like your insurance plan, your doctor, or both, you will be able to keep them. He has even proposed eight consumer protections relating specifically to the health insurance industry.
There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Here are the complete videos that Linda refers to. First from the AARP:
And then from the President's news conference:
ON THE INTERNET:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/health_care/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/
SNIPPET: “Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Here are the complete videos that Linda refers to. First from the AARP:”
Theoretically, one could subscrib to weight loss info for Michele, stop smoking with Scientology for Barry, and gay cruise reviews for Rahm Emmanuel.
Theoretically.
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http://www.davidlimbaugh.com/mt/archives/2009/08/new_column_obam_19.html
August 03, 2009
“New Column: Obama Can’t Afford To Tell Truth on Health Care”
President Barack Obama is spreading disinformation about health care almost as quickly as he’s driving up the national debt, such as that 47 million Americans can’t get health care and that a government takeover would be a panacea.
Democrats have constantly demagogued the 47 million uninsured figure to gin up public fear about the scarcity of health care access, especially for the poor. They follow up with the promise that under their plan, we would achieve universal access. But both are untrue.
In “The Top Ten Myths of American Health Care,” Sally Pipes points out that while there are some Americans who simply can’t afford health insurance, many millions who can afford insurance choose not to buy it and “very likely would not want to be ‘rescued’ by mandatory socialized medicine.”
In the first place, the 47 million number is grossly inflated. The Congressional Budget Office survey generating it included those who were uninsured for any part of a year, despite the fact that almost half of these remain uninsured for an average of only four months.”
Note: The following text is a quote:
Sen. Cornyn Calls On White House To Immediately Stop Compiling Political Enemies List
Sends letter to President Obama expressing grave concern over new White House program to monitor speech of American citizens’ with opposing political views
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
In a letter to President Obama, U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, expressed serious concern about the White House’s new program requesting Americans to forward email chains and other communications opposing the President’s health care policies. Sen. Cornyn is seeking assurances that the program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America’s tradition of free speech and public discourse.
Sen. Cornyn’s letter also inquires about the collection of names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens that will be reported, which raises the specter of a data collection program.
“I am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed ‘fishy’ or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests,” Sen. Cornyn wrote. “You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.”
—The full text of Sen. Cornyn’s letter is below—
Dear President Obama,
I write to express my concern about a new White House program to monitor American citizens’ speech opposing your health care policies, and to seek your assurances that this program is being carried out in a manner consistent with the First Amendment and America’s tradition of free speech and public discourse.
Yesterday, in an official White House release entitled “Facts are Stubborn Things,” the White House Director of New Media, Macon Phillips, asserted that there was “a lot of disinformation out there,” and encouraged citizens to report “fishy” speech opposing your health care policies to the White House. Phillips specifically targeted private, unpublished, even casual speech, writing that “rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation.” Phillips wrote “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 am not aware of any precedent for a President asking American citizens to report their fellow citizens to the White House for pure political speech that is deemed “fishy” or otherwise inimical to the White House’s political interests.
By requesting that citizens send “fishy” emails to the White House, it is inevitable that the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and private speech of U.S. citizens will be reported to the White House. You should not be surprised that these actions taken by your White House staff raise the specter of a data collection program. As Congress debates health care reform and other critical policy matters, citizen engagement must not be chilled by fear of government monitoring the exercise of free speech rights.
I can only imagine the level of justifiable outrage had your predecessor asked Americans to forward emails critical of his policies to the White House. I suspect that you would have been leading the charge in condemning such a program-and I would have been at your side denouncing such heavy-handed government action.
So I urge you to cease this program immediately. At the very least, I request that you detail to Congress and the public the protocols that your White House is following to purge the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in “fishy” speech. And I respectfully request an answer to the following:
How do you intend to use the names, email addresses, IP addresses, and identities of citizens who are reported to have engaged in “fishy” speech?
How do you intend to notify citizens who have been reported for “fishy” speech?
What action do you intend to take against citizens who have been reported for engaging in “fishy” speech?
Do your own past statements qualify as “disinformation”? For example, is it “disinformation” to note that in 2003 you said:”I happen to be a proponent of a single-payer universal health care plan”?
I look forward to your prompt response.
Sincerely,
JOHN CORNYN
United States Senator
Sen. Cornyn serves on the Finance, Judiciary, Agriculture and Budget Committees. He serves as the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Refugees and Border Security subcommittee. He served previously as Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge.
http://barackobamaexperiment.com/webvideos
#
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eH8pOnxcKyA
“IN DENIAL”
Video Description - Quote:
rnc
August 05, 2009
Category: News & Politics
Tags: health care Obama government-run experiment
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2009pres/08/20090803a.html
News Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 3, 2009
Contact: HHS Press Office
(202) 690-6343
HHS Delegates Authority for the HIPAA Security Rule to Office for Civil Rights
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced today that authority for the administration and enforcement of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Security Rule has been delegated to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR). OCR’s administration and enforcement of the Security Rule, which had previously been delegated to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), will eliminate duplication and increase efficiencies in how the department ensures that Americans’ health information privacy is protected.
HHS has the authority for administration and enforcement of the federal standards for health information privacy called for in HIPAA. The Privacy Rule provides federal protections for personal health information held by covered entities and gives patients an array of rights with respect to that information. OCR has been responsible for enforcement of the Privacy Rule since 2003. The Security Rule specifies a series of administrative, technical, and physical security procedures for covered entities to use to assure the confidentiality of electronic protected health information. The Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA), mandated improved enforcement of the Privacy Rule and the Security Rule.
“Security and privacy of health information are increasingly intersecting as the department works with the health industry to adopt electronic health records and participate in an even greater level of electronic exchange of health information,” said Secretary Sebelius. “Privacy and security are naturally intertwined, because they both address protected health information. Combining the enforcement authority in one agency within HHS will facilitate improvements by eliminating duplication and increasing efficiency.”
Through a separate delegation, CMS continues to have authority for administration and enforcement of the HIPAA Administrative Simplification regulations, other than privacy and security of health information.
For more information, please visit OCR Web site: http://www.hhs.gov/ocr/privacy/index.html.
###
Note: All HHS press releases, fact sheets and other press materials are available at http://www.hhs.gov/news.
Last revised: August 03, 2009
Eye balls to eye balls. In a way your statement really is a bit prophetic. The current goons in power are a heck of a lot like gators and crocs.. Real bad folks.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309374/posts
“AARP email just received (my response: I DO NOT BELIEVE YOU)”
Personal Email | 08/05/2009 | self
Posted on August 5, 2009 9:58:34 PM PDT by fujimoh
OPINION: This is somewhat off thread topic, but it does meet the requirement of “fishy” (see post no. 1); so I’ll post this video here.
#
Video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dGRUx2b0ArM
“Pelosi calls healthcare opponents NAZIS”
Video Description - Quote:
August 05, 2009
Nancy Pelosi falsely accused American voters who oppose Obama’s healthcare plan of wearing SWASTIKAS when they show up at townhall meetings to press their REPRESENTATIVES on the details of this bill.
Category: News & Politics
Tags: healthcare bill nancy pelosi false accusations
OPINION: Looking at the video in post no. 51 and reminding myself that lately old Nan seems to be a party of one when it comes to what she sees, what she hears and what she knows — my opinion, of course.
#
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2230980/posts
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=52019
“Conyers Says Obama Flip-Flopped on Single-Payer Plan”
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
By Nicholas Ballasy, Video Reporter
SNIPPET: “(CNSNews.com) – Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.), chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, said that Obama used to support a single-payer health care plan but flip-flopped on the issue because of the “Rahm Emanuel Factor.”
Conyers described that as meaning the White House Chief of Staff, Rahm Emanuel, who is one of the president’s senior advisers, will cut any deal necessary to help elect Democrats next year and re-elect Obama in 2012.
“I can remember when Obama agreed with me,” said Conyers, referencing Obama’s past support of a single-payer health care system at a recent National Press Club luncheon.
In reference to why Obama changed his mind about single-payer, Conyers said: “I’m just guessing now, because we haven’t talked about it, but he wants it because of the Rahm Emanuel factor. Okay. I’m glad you asked me. The Rahm Emanuel factor, to quote him, is that, look, we want success, and we’re willing to make a deal about anything. Does that make you feel pretty comfortable about health care?”
“And that’s the whole idea, is that he wants a bill,” said Conyers. “He wants to win in the off-year elections. He [Emanuel] wants our president reelected the next time he comes up, and so do I. But I don’t want anything that’s stamped ‘reform’ and let it go at that.”
Conyers then said that the approach President Obama is taking now will not achieve its objective of holding down health-care costs.”
http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=627738
“Obama caught admitting support for socialized healthcare”
Jim Brown - OneNewsNow - 8/5/2009 7:00:00 AM
SNIPPET: “However, newly uncovered video from a March 2007 forum hosted by the Service Employees International Union, a major financial backer of Obama during his presidential run, shows then-candidate Obama admitting his healthcare plan would destroy private health insurance.
“My commitment is to make sure that we’ve got universal healthcare for all Americans by the end of my first term as president. I would hope that we could set up a system that allows those who can’t go through their employer to access a federal system or a state pool of some sort,” he said. “But I don’t think we’re going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There’s going to be potentially some transition process. I can envision a decade out, or 15 years out, or 20 years out.”
Congressman Barney Frank (D-Massachusetts) said last week that the “best way” and the “only way” to have a single-payer system is to “have a public option and demonstrate its strength and its power.””
Note: Please read this entire article AND the comments after the article. Click on this link. Thank you. -Cindy
#
http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/08/obamacare_and_me.html
August 06, 2009
ObamaCare and me
By Zane F Pollard, MD
SNIPPET: “We are being lied to about the uninsured. They are getting care. I operate at least 2 illegal immigrants each month who pay me nothing, and the children’s hospital at which I operate charges them nothing also.This is true not only on Atlanta, but of every community in America.
The bottom line is that I urge all of you to contact your congresswomen and congressmen and senators to defeat this bill. I promise you that you will not like rationing of your own health.
Furthermore, how can you trust a physician that works under these conditions knowing that he is controlled by the state. I certainly could not trust any doctor that would work under these draconian conditions.
One last thing: with this new healthcare plan there will be a tremendous shortage of physicians. It has been estimated that approximately 5% of the current physician work force will quit under this new system. Also it is estimated that another 5% shortage will occur because of the decreased number of men and women wanting to go into medicine. At the present time the US government has mandated gender equity in admissions to medical schools .That means that for the past 15 years that somewhere between 49 and 51% of each entering class are females. This is true of private schools also, because all private schools receive federal funding.
The average career of a woman in medicne now is only 8-10 years and the average work week for a female in medicine is only 3-4 days. I have now trained 35 fellows in pediatric ophthalmology. Hands down the best was a female that I trained 4 years ago — she was head and heels above all others I have trained. She now practices only 3 days a week.”
Quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309371/posts
Obamacare Watchlist: My E-mail Response
ABC News ^
Posted on August 5, 2009 9:55:23 PM PDT by jjm1776
Date: Wed, Aug 5, 2009 at 9:41 PM
Subject: Healthcare citation submission
Dear Sir and/or Madam:
I saw on the briefing page entitled “Facts are Stubborn Things” on the Whitehouse.gov site that you are soliciting links to Websites that are not flattering (or as you put it, “fishy”) to the President’s health care initiative. I would like to submit for inclusion in your database a portion of my award-winning speech, “Defenders of Liberty,” for it mentions heath care reform in the following:
“We further reject the guise of “universal health care” and recognize this abhorrent creature for what it is: a brazen attempt to seize illegally our wealth, control how we care for our mortal bodies, limit our access to the best medicines, stifle scientific progress and medical innovation, and transform our doctor’s offices and hospitals into DMV-style waiting rooms.”
The website address that this quote can be found is: http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=103051
Although I think it regrettable that the Obama administration has already reverted to keeping a “enemies list” of unflattering Iinks, I sincerely hope my speech will translate in to my name appearing in bold, underline, 24-point font in your database.
I also hope you and your staff double (or even triple!) your efforts to track and record of all utterances against your insipid and rushed health care proposal that I believe will harm the country I love. That way, you can waste your precious manhours putting people like me on your watchlist instead of actually trying to accomplish something.
Sincerely,
J.J. Manning
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil//news/newsarticle.aspx?id=55368
Obama: Health Care Reform Won’t Affect VA, Tricare
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2009 – In ongoing discussions about health-care reform, President Barack Obama offered assurance today to those receiving medical care through Tricare or the Department of Veterans Affairs: Your benefits are safe.
Eligibility for health care under VA or Tricare “will not be affected by our efforts at broader health-care reform,” Obama told military reporters at the White House today.
Obama said he also made that point clear after today’s meeting with the American Legion’s national commander, Dave Rehbein, and executive director, Peter Gaytan.
“I want to make sure that message gets out to our veterans,” the president said. “I think it’s very important to get the message out: If you are in the VA system and are happy with your care, great. We have no intention of changing your eligibility.”
While a new, national program won’t force anyone to change health-care systems, Obama said it could offer benefits or geographic convenience that might make some veterans elect to join it. A national program “will actually give them more choices, more flexibility,” he said.
Obama cited problems in U.S. health-care delivery systems, which he said cost more than other countries’ programs and too often deliver less.
The VA “has probably made more progress than most systems out there in increasing quality” during the past 25 years, and could help shed light on better ways of delivering health care, he said.
But the cost of delivering that care is high even at VA, and Tricare consumes a big piece of the Defense Department’s budget, he said.
With the fiscal 2010 budget reflecting the largest VA funding increase in 30 years, Obama told American Legion leaders he is committed to ensuring that VA provides America’s veterans the highest-quality health care possible.
Meanwhile, he told reporters VA will increase its outreach to more veterans to make sure they’re aware of their medical benefits and other entitlements.
“Although there are hundreds of thousands of veterans who are using our services, we know there are hundreds of thousands more who may not know that benefits are available,” he said.
“And we are working really hard to make sure that every single veteran – not just our active force, but also National Guard and reservists, are aware of the benefits that are available to them.
“Guiding them through that process, we think, is extraordinarily important.”
Related Sites:
Department of Veterans Affairs
Related Articles:
Obama Favors Inclusive Approach to GI Bill Benefits
SNIPPET from post no. 57:
"Obama cited problems in U.S. health-care delivery systems, which he said cost more than other countries’ programs and too often deliver less."
http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=52100
“As Health Care Issue Heats Up, Congressmen Turn to Tele-Townhall” Meetings—Where They Control Audience
Thursday, August 06, 2009
By Matt Cover
SNIPPET: “Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) is using a tele-town hall meeting in her only scheduled interaction with constituents, and various other lawmakers from both parties have held the live mass teleconferences lately, focusing largely on health care.
Rep. Walt Minnick (D-Idaho), whose district encompasses nearly one-third of the large western state, held a tele-town hall meeting with reporters and constituents July 24, saying it provides him with immediate feedback while in Washington.
“These ‘virtual’ town hall meetings have been a very useful way to get immediate feedback from my constituents when my work as a Congressman keeps me from being home in Idaho,” Minnick said in a statement announcing the event.”
Adding to post no. 51:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2309491/posts
“Pelosi’s Swastika Charge Lifted From Daily Kos: Here is the PROOF!!!”
Self | August 6, 2009 | PJ-Comix
Posted on August 6, 2009 5:20:42 AM PDT by PJ-Comix
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