Krugman: Sliming Graeme Frost

[RamboLiberal]

Two weeks ago, the Democratic response to President Bush’s weekly radio address was delivered by a 12-year-old, Graeme Frost. Graeme, who along with his sister received severe brain injuries in a 2004 car crash and continues to need physical therapy, is a beneficiary of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program. Mr. Bush has vetoed a bipartisan bill that would have expanded that program to cover millions of children who would otherwise have been uninsured.

What followed should serve as a teaching moment.

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All in all, the Graeme Frost case is a perfect illustration of the modern right-wing political machine at work, and in particular its routine reliance on character assassination in place of honest debate. If service members oppose a Republican war, they’re “phony soldiers”; if Michael J. Fox opposes Bush policy on stem cells, he’s faking his Parkinson’s symptoms; if an injured 12-year-old child makes the case for a government health insurance program, he’s a fraud.

Meanwhile, leading conservative politicians, far from trying to distance themselves from these smears, rush to embrace them. And some people in the news media are still willing to be used as patsies.

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I don’t know about you, but I think American children who need medical care should get it, period. Even if you think adults have made bad choices — a baseless smear in the case of the Frosts, but put that on one side — only a truly vicious political movement would respond by punishing their injured children.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/12/opinion/12krugman.html?hp

As usual Krugman nails it!

[AX10]

1. This smear campaign is what every Republican is about.

They all embrace the campaign and we must highlight it.

[BootinUp]

2. Bleeding hearts!

the Frosts should sell all their possessions and live in the slums so they can get healthcare. Dang leaches!

:sarcasm:

I hope that helped you envision the rw tonight.

[Eric J in MN]

6. That's a good summary of Michelle Malkin's position.

Test the assets of people who want to use a govt insurance program, and deny benefits if their house has value (what right-winger Malkin implies would happen.)

[kineneb]

11. she is wrong, since the rules don't work that way

under Medi-Cal (which is CA's version of Medicaid), a family of 4 is allowed:

their home,
one car (regardless of value),
no more than $3,300 in cash assets.

Since one of the children is disabled and both are under 18, they are allowed somewhat over $1437/mo income, which may be adjusted based on their housing cost.

--This information is straight off Form MC002 from the State of California Health and Human Services Agency which I have in front of me.

This is for Medi-Cal, which is for the really poor. SCHIP has a much higher income cut-off.

The girl should qualify for SSDI, probably permanently, since her disability is brain damage.

Michelle Malkin needs to do some fact checking.

[Eric J in MN]

12. She's responding to Maryland's S-CHIP program. NT

NT

[kineneb]

13. so I realize, however...

all the state rules for medical assistance programs are based on Medicare/Medicaid standards, and then adjusted.

What I understand about SCHIP is that it has/had a much higher income/asset cutoff (%s above poverty rate, median income in area, etc). The car and house limitations are probably the same.

[WillyT]

3. Big K & R !!!

:kick:

[Cha]

5. Yeah! Rec'd! n/t

[Cha]

4. Paul Krugman has a way with

words.. "..truly vicious political movement"

That's what this republicon/fascist party is .."a truly vicious political movement" And they wouldn't get anywhere without the US corporatatemediawhores working in tandem.

So how are we going to get rid of the corporatemediawhores and get a free press? Like in the days of Walter Cronkite and Edward R Murrow?

[Eric J in MN]

9. Krugman makes a good point about who Michelle Malkin is:

"...The charge was led by Michelle Malkin, who according to Technorati has the most-trafficked right-wing blog on the Internet, and in addition to blogging has a nationally syndicated column, writes for National Review and is a frequent guest on Fox News."

[Cha]

10. Right...just keep that good work

up, Paul Krugman..connecting the dots!

[salin]

7. k&r eom

[BootinUp]

8. He does an excellent job exposing the RW smear machine

its quite good.

[Th1onein]

14. We've got one right here, tonight, defending the slime job

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=385x61388

It's funny almost. They're so predictable, aren't they?

[Oilwellian]

16. I just responded

Geesh. :hi:

[DeepModem Mom]

15. K&R!