Two Years Apart CBS & ABC Feature Same Woman as Drug Cost Victim

http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2003/cyb20030619.asp#5 | June 19, 2003 | Media Research Organization

[furnitureman]

Two Years Apart CBS & ABC Feature Same Woman as Drug Cost Victim

June 19, 2003 Link: http://www.mrc.org/cyberalerts/2003/cyb20030619.asp#5

What a coincidence. Two years apart CBS News and ABC News featured the same elderly woman, in news stories about the need for a new prescription drug coverage program in Medicare and the shortcomings of Republican-pushed alternatives, as the poster victim of high prescription costs.

The MRC's Tim Graham noticed, while working on the Media Reality Check excerpted in item #4 above, the exploitation of the very same woman, Eva Baer-Schenkein, by the two networks.

But CBS and ABC didn't agree on her ailment. CBS's Diana Olick complained in 2001: “President Bush backs a plan that would target only the poorest and that leaves out middle income patients like Eva Baer-Schenkein." Baer-Schenkein asserted: "So now I'm not taking anything at all for my osteoporosis."

Two years later, ABC's Linda Douglass worried about how “71-year old Eva Baer-Schenkein suffers from hypertension and other health problems. She cannot afford the cost of her prescription drugs and is tired of waiting for Congress to help her.”

Full rundowns of the two stories with the very same victim:

-- The Sunday, July 1, 2001 CBS Evening News:

Diana Olick began: "No sooner had the winning gavel sounded on the Patients' Bill of Rights than Senate Democrats announced they would charge ahead on comprehensive health care reform when they return from the holiday recess."

Following a clip of Senator Bob Graham of Florida, Olick explained: "Last Thursday Democrats introduced a Medicare reform act which includes unlimited prescription drug benefits for seniors who have paid their deductibles. President Bush backs a plan that would target only the poorest and that leaves out middle income patients like Eva Baer-Schenkein."

Baer-Schenkein: "So now I'm not taking anything at all for my osteoporosis."

Olick helpfully chipped in: "Because she can't afford the three and half thousand dollars a year for the drug her doctor prescribed."

Baer-Schenkein: "When I was given this bill I almost passed out. The pharmacy was crowded so I felt embarrassed to give it back."

Olick: "In the last two decades prescription drug prices have increased 300 percent. Last year Americans spent $116 billion to get their medications...."

For more on that story, see the July 5, 2001 CyberAlert: www.mediaresearch.org

-- Fast forward to last week, and ABC featured the whinings from the very same woman on the June 11, 2003 World News Tonight.

Linda Douglass excitedly relayed: “The President and the Congress are hurrying now to pass this prescription drug plan. They do not want to face the voters in this, next year’s election and tell them that they’ve failed one more time. Seventy-one-year old Eva Baer-Schenkein suffers from hypertension and other health problems. She cannot afford the cost of her prescription drugs and is tired of waiting for Congress to help her.”

Eva Baer-Schenkein: “I mean, we’re not asking for diamond rings or cars or furs or anything. We’re just asking to have what we need to keep us alive.”

Douglass: “Members of Congress say help is on the way.”

Senator John Breaux (D-LA): “It is, I think, an historic opportunity for the Senate, in a bipartisan fashion, to come together and produce a product that is something that we can all be proud of.”

Douglass: “Seniors groups say all eyes are now on Washington.”

Bill Novelli, AARP: “This could be the year. We’re hopeful.”

Douglass worried the plan isn't expensive enough: “The Senate is galloping toward passage of a prescription drug bill, but Senators voted earlier this year to limit the cost of any plan to $400 billion over 10 years. So the Senate plan has limits. It covers half of seniors drug bills up to $3,450 per year, then there is a gap in coverage to keep the cost of the plan down. Coverage resumes when drug costs $5,300 a year. Democrats complain that a third of seniors will still be stuck with big bills...”

[zip]

Great post. Thanks

[timestax]

Also, Winnie supposedly walked 1.5-3 hours/day, to earn $5. At 5 cents a can, she had to find 100 cans per day, or worst case, 30 cans per hour. That is one can every two minutes. Must have a lot of litterbugs where she lives. Couldn't she get a minimum wage part-time job? She surely has the physical stamina if she walks up to 3 hours/day. She could earn at least $5/hour that way. This story sure doesn't smell authentic. 5 Posted on 10/02/2000 09:55:30 PDT by Ziva (sharon@ziva.com

This is interesting...

[friendly]

I did a Google search of "Eva Baer-Schenkein" and found someone with this same odd name to be also a "cancer patient" and "poet."

Sounds like a person with disease of the day, depending on which audience she is scamming. A real typical prevaricating liberal weasel.

[timestax]

ping

[DeFault User]

Evidently, the networks not only get their talking points from the DNC, they also get their characters--sort of like Central Casting at a movie studio.

--What's that, you need a senior with a drug problem? Sure, we'll send over Eva. She's experienced and can look pretty damn pitiful on cue. Do you need a homeless guy for tomorrow? We've got Johnny standing by. We give him enough for drugs and booze and he's in the park whenever you need him.

[Area51]

President Bush made this a clear campaign issue in 2000. He said he would do it, we elected him, and now he followed through. It's a little late to complain. Either you like straight forward do what you say politics, or you don't.


38 posted on 06/28/2003 9:17 AM PDT by BlueNgold (Feed the Tree .....)

---

Uh, you be sure to come on back with a quote where he said he would propose the biggest social program since 1965 and the baseline figure would be around 400 BILLION dollars cost to the kids.

And then dig up his quotes where he said he would support and SIGN the CFR that would restict Americans first amendment rights.

PS:Don't hurt yourself twisting that!

[PatrioticAmerican]

"Which is more fake? Professional wrestling or network television news?"

Come on, we all know that the NEWS is faked.

[timestax]

PING

[Clintons Are White Trash]

Haven't you heard? Dick Gephardts mother died recently. She was a patient at the nursing home my daughter works for and trust me, she wouldn't want for anything at this place. Top notch place and top notch costs.

I imagine that's why Dick decided to retire from the House, he has lost his residence address in St. Louis with the death of his mom.

[timestax]

ping

[reg45]

Is she related to Je$$ie "Hey! Yo blocking the camra!" Jack$on.

[Ukiapah Heep]

AFAIK, no. But whenever there's a camera to be hoddged, B%$#na rhymes with dish is there. Whenever the gay community wants to run it's underpants up a flagpole in some Cleveland suburb, she-sea-creature that rhymes with dish is there. When one and only one can speak for all women of Cleveland, said feminazi is there.

[timestax]

bump

[TomHarkinIsNotFromIowa]

S(he) used to be a lumberjack up in Canada. After her state paid for surgery she moved to the US. Many complications have followed. She had a step brother named Peter. I can't remember the last name.

[Iowa Granny]

Love your screen name!

Of course he isn't from Iowa,,,, he's from the Bahamas!!

Viltax isn't from Iowa either, he's from the 19th Century, before the Internet was commonly used.

[Mears]

Sorry,but I'm one of the old,selfish people about which you were referring.

All of the seniors that I know have their own prescription coverage from their former employers and want no part of this new Medicare drug plan.

I've E-Mailed my 2 idiot senators,Kerry and Kennedy,and also my pathetic Congressman,Barney Frank,but whether they will do anything about this nonsense I don't know.

Please don't put all Seniors in the same category. We aren't all selfish and I'm sure all baby boomers aren't self-absorbed.

[timestax]

ping

[SevenDaysInMay]

Of course the media only reports the whiners.

The majority of my parents' generation are self-seficient, but many out lived their savings and don't want to cut their current life style. I know too many unwilling to sell their #500K homes, but don't hesitate to ask congressmen to steal from younger productive people trying to save for their own families' future. Voting for FDR's utopia of wealth transfer for votes has produced the crop of career socialists in D.C. who are destroying this nation for more temporary political power.

In 10 years we'll know if my generation bankrupts this Republic.

[Lancey Howard]

What a coincidence that the Democrat union machine set up the same actress with two different liberal network newsrooms, two years apart! Of course, they probably figured nobody would notice since nobody watches network news anymore.