President Obama, Linda Douglas, And The Very, Very Stubborn Facts

Townhall.com ^ | August 9, 2009 | Austin Hill

[Kaslin]

Could you be on President Obama’s “enemies list” and not even know it?

 

If you dare to disagree with him, you might be.

 

Just to be clear, the allegation that President Obama has been compiling an “enemies list” was officially raised last Thursday by Senator John Cornyn of Texas. Left-wing bloggers were quick to determine that Senator Cornyn is crazy, and to dismiss the entire incident, yet the White House regarded Cornyn’s remarks seriously enough that by Friday, it was responding to Cornyn and insisting that he is wrong.

So what was the “incident?“ By now you’ve probably learned about an apparent attempt by the Obama Administration to gather details about Americans who are allegedly “spreading disinformation,” in the midst of the national healthcare reform debate. The controversy stems from some language posted at the official web site of the White House (whitehouse.gov), wherein Linda Douglas, the communications director for the White House Health Reform Office, attempts to refute the claims that President Obama prefers a “single payer” (that is, an all government-run approach) health insurance approach.

 

"Facts are stubborn things," Douglas begins (a quote from President John Adams). Then she goes on to write:

 

“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. ”

 

Now, to put this incident into broader context, you need to first understand that Ms. Douglas’ remarks appear to be made in response to content posted on another web site. And adjacent to her text, Ms. Douglas provides a video greeting, recorded while she sat at a desk, wherein she recites many of the same things that were written in her textual message on the web site.

 

But at the desk where Ms. Douglas is seated, there is a computer beside her, and on the computer screen is, quite vividly, the homepage for the web site Drudgereport.com . And it just so happened that, earlier in the week, Drudgereport.com posted links to video recordings, one dating back to 2003 and the other to 2007, wherein Barack Obama stated before two live audiences (and in no uncertain terms) that he wants our country to adopt a “single payer,” “universal” health insurance system. That’s not what President Obama is promoting now. Today, he insists that he envisions a government-run healthcare plan to be only one among many options available to Americans. Yet, there he was - six years ago, and two years ago, respectively - saying the exact opposite of what he is saying today.

 

For her part, Ms. Douglas attempts to refute the “single payer” concern in her own video, by introducing - and then displaying - a clip of President Obama from July 28^th of this year, wherein he reassured an audience that government run healthcare will not supplant private healthcare. But that fails to address the fact that before becoming President, Barack Obama argued for the elimination of private health insurance altogether (on the 2003 video clip, Obama even lamented that it would probably take ten to fifteen years to get private insurers out of the healthcare market completely).

 

And not only is Douglas ignoring the “facts” about Obama calling for an elimination of private health care insurers during his pre-presidential years, she is also changing the topic just a bit. She reiterates that President Obama is actively pursuing “health insurance reform,” rather than “healthcare reform.” Those two subjects are inextricably attached, but they are not the same thing, and to place emphasis on “insurance,” takes the spotlight off the most ugly facet of Obama’s agenda - he’s “selling” government-run healthcare, and thus far Americans are not buying it.

 

It’s nothing new to see “political spin” emerging from the White House. Spokespersons for the Presidents are always attempting to quell controversies and avoid negative attention being placed upon the President, all the while advancing the President’s message. And while Ms. Douglas is not the official Press Spokesperson for President Obama (that job belongs, of course, to Robert Gibbs), she is nonetheless fulfilling a similar role, as it regards communicating about Obama’s healthcare agenda.

 

What is disturbing, however, about Ms. Douglas’ message on the web site, is her apparent attempt to have Americans “snitching” on each other. She is, quite literally, asking you, if you identify something on the web about health insurance that is “fishy,” to “report” what you encountered to the U.S. Government. If you happen to have published a blog entry, or an opinion piece, or even a “letter to the editor” that expressed an opinion about the heatlh care debate that may have been different from President Obama’s, well, perhaps your government has collected data on you.

 

Barack Obama once wanted to eliminate private health insurance, and the White House is snooping on private citizens. Those are very, very stubborn facts, now aren’t they?

[Kartographer]

[LizardQueen]

If you’re not on his enemies list you’re not trying hard enough LOL.

I’ve been reporting myself daily (and insisting that I need to know where to report to for my re-education and wanting to know what color the camp uniforms are).

LQ

[donna]

You’ve gotta see this response:

Glenn Beck’s Dis-Disinformation ‘Czar’: Linda Douglass, from ABC Reporter to Obama Mouthpiece
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nw9D8IiRFs

[hosepipe]

O'bamas enemies list must have the wrong people on it..
The boy can't do anything right..

[norwaypinesavage]

Since Obama clearly supported a “Single Payer” nationalized healthcare plan then, and claims he doesn't now, Mz. Douglas, what intervening event caused him to change his mind?

[CitizenM]

Barack Obama once wanted to eliminate private health insurance, and the White House is snooping on private citizens. And maybe wanting to eliminate private citizens?

[garyhope]

You should make posters of this graphic and plaster them everywhere!

[depressed in 06]

And maybe wanting to eliminate private citizens?

Well, why yes, those pesky people get in the way of everything.

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

**Linda Douglas, the communications director for the White House Health Reform Office, attempts to refute the claims that President Obama prefers a “single payer” (that is, an all government-run approach) health insurance approach.***

This Old Tool Has Been Reintroduced In D.C. by The Obama Administration Are You Starting To Feel It Yet ?

[ridesthemiles]

NObama’s actions and pleas on a White house website for ‘snitchers’ sure seems to make the missing FBI files and Craig Livingstone’s actions under the Clintons look like child’s play, don’t they?

There are some reports that such a ‘snitchers’ website is totally NOT legal-—sooo-WHY hasn’t a GOP lawyer sued NObama and put this in front of the courts???

[Kaslin]

Only fools believe the spin this administration puts out.

[Kaslin]

Only the Kool-Aid drinking sheep are buying into the spin the administration tries to put out. The rest of us knows better

[JavaJumpy]

*ping!*

[kjo]

What is becoming clear is that the liberals will have to move in some way on Fox and Talk Radio...also the net.

When truth gets out, they cannot operate...watch out for the coming attacks on the First Amendment.

[BuckeyeTexan]

Yes, those are very stubborn facts. What I don’t understand is why the media and the public aren’t screaming bloody murder about it. I’m sure everyone is tired of hearing “what if President Bush had done this” but really - what if he had? There would be Congressional inquiries ...

... But there won’t be because the Dems have a super majority and control the agenda. I hope the ignorant, inclusive, compassionate-conservative sheep who voted for this stranglehold are feeling the consequences of their intended punishment. Tough love doesn’t work on the political class. You don’t stay home. You don’t vote against your own party. You want them to hear your voice? Then speak up and out instead of taking your ball and going home.

To every Republican and conservative-minded Independent and Libertarian who voted for Obama: YOU DISGUST ME!

To every African American who voted for Obama because of his race: YOU DISGUST ME!

To every journalist and political commentator who tingled, cried, and fawned over Obama and thus failed to report objectively: YOU DISGUST ME!

To the uninformed and uninvolved voters who voted for Obama because he speaks well in front of a telepromter and made you feel warm and fuzzy inside: YOU DISGUST ME!

[Gaffer]

Just exactly what part of that contraption was used as the ‘connecting device’? Looks pretty damn painful if you axe me...

[MattinNJ]

I sent an e-mail about this to one of my co-workers asking him if he would report me in jest. He forwarded it to the govt' website. I wanted to choke slam him.

My bad.

[GOP Poet]

bookmark

[Timeout]

I reported “my neighbor” who refuses to believe me when I tell him “Obama’s going to give me a car, fill it with gas, lower my mortgage, lower my taxes, pay for my health care and send me a pony”.

It’s no good if I have to live next to such a downer. So, isn’t there something the White House can do about him?!