Cutting off the ring...

[BlueIdaho]

We seem to be spending all our time trying to refute the outrageous claims made by the astroturfers and their political allies. I think this is a big mistake as it only gives them added legitimacy and swallows up all the oxygen in the debate. Worse yet - we can cite sources till we're blue in the face and they will keep spouting lies and making shit up. They don't care about the truth - they only care about winning. I say its time for a different tactic.

In boxing they teach you not to just follow the other guy around the ring - they teach you to cut him off to stop his plodding tactic. Its time to stop following the republicans around the ring. Its time cut them off and force them to talk about the real problems in our OUR health care system - rapidly raising costs, insane deductibles, declined procedures, and the impact of the uninsured on all our care costs and the real risks they pose to the public health. They don't want to discuss this stuff because they have NO SOLUTIONS! They just want to keep scaring the hell out of segment of the population that is most likely to phone, write, or show up to confront a congress member.

Its time to remind people just what a mess American health care is - how many pay raises they've missed because the dollars were swallowed up by increased premiums - how much more they are paying out of pocket - and how many people are being forced into a medical bankruptcy. Don't let these liars try to change the subject to Canadian of UK health care problems. NO ONE is proposing we copy those models exactly and there are plenty of US insurance nightmares to talk about!


edit = typo

[keepthemhonest]

1. great advice

Your right it time to get control of the ball back.

[Vincardog]

2. BUT BUT BUT we can't spend any more money because of BUSH'S DEFICIT!

[zbdent]

3. Be nice if we were allowed the attack ... instead of constantly being put on the defensive

by the "liberal media" ...

"Oh, my GOD!!! A second plane just crashed into the WTC! We go now to Rush Limbaugh to explain how this is Bill Clinton's fault ..."

[Cleita]

4. This is what journalists are supposed to do but don't.

I don't know if you saw the dust up between Jeremy Scahill and Chuck Todd on Bill Maher friday. Scahill berated him for not asking tough questions since he was in the White House press corp and could. Scahill said only Helen Thomas tried to make the politicians explain themselves. Todd got very offended and offered various reasons why he couldn't push for explanations. Scahill followed up this morning on Thom Hartmann further stating that these reporters are all chummy with the politicians. Their kids go to the same schools and they all go to the same cocktail parties. He said no real journalist would be chummy like this because it compromises them and takes away their lack of bias and neutrality. This is why there is no accountability. Our press with some few exceptions are just entertainment writers and reporters at the end of the day, so none of the pols feel obligated to be answerable to those problems.

[BlueIdaho]

5. Good Point

Chuckles can't ask hard questions - they would take away his front row seat in the WH briefing room. I was watching some footage prior to the beginning of a WH presser. There was Chuck, standing by the podium looking every bit the alpha male cock of the walk with his jacket casually thrown over his green with envy coveted front row seat.

Way too much ego, way too little journalism.