Luntz Health Care Talking Points Become GOP Message

Mastermind of conservative talking points Frank Luntz has authored a 26-page report advising Republicans on how best to frame the debate over health care reform, the Politico reported last week. Luntz advised that Republicans must acknowledge there's a "crisis" and warn against a "Washington takeover" that could lead to bureaucrats "making people stand in line and denying treatment like they do in other countries with national healthcare."

Conservatives are getting the memo.

Fox News anchor Bill Hemmer on Thursday warned: "We will show you three things guaranteed to happen to every American's health care if Washington takes over the system."

In the ensuing segment, Fox medical contributor Marc Siegel was asked if wait times would increase to Canada-style lengths under the administration's plan.

"We are going to be seeing those waits," Siegel said. "We like freedom here. We're not going to be able to get our our liver transplants when we are 60 years old. We're not going to be able to get our pacemakers when we're 90 years old. We're not going to be able to have dialysis...If it is a government plan -- a public option, it's going to mean rationed care. The government is not going to approve all of that because they are going to say it's too expensive."

On Wednesday, Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other House Republican leaders penned a letter to Obama that, while cordial, nevertheless used several of Luntz's key themes, as Media Matters noted.

"We believe it is possible, and necessary, to achieve these objectives through common sense reforms without rationing care, eliminating employer-sponsored health benefits for working families, raising taxes, or empowering government bureaucrats at the expense of patients and doctors," the letter said.

House Minority Whip Eric Cantor (Va.) definitely got the memo as well. "There's a health care crisis... when you don't have coverage, that's a crisis for you and your family," Cantor said on BIll Bennett's radio show Wednesday, as ThinkProgress noted. "The answer is not to lay it on Washington, to pump up Washington's role...We all need to be standing up and saying no to a government takeover of our system."

Alarmed Congressional Democrats met with White House adviser David Axelrod Wednesday specifically to counter the Luntz talking points. "Axelrod came to reassure us that they do have a strategy," Sen Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) told the New York Times.

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Comments

[Mike169]

The Republicans have released their plan for universal health care. Apparently they have struck a deal with the Christian Science Church which will accept as members anyone who cannot afford the ridiculous coust of health insurance.

[ReedYoung]

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) and other House Republican leaders, quote:
"We believe it is possible, and necessary, to achieve these objectives through common sense reforms without rationing care, eliminating employer-sponsored health benefits for working families, raising taxes, or empowering government bureaucrats at the expense of patients and doctors," the letter said.
/quote

What's more important to the economy, medical care or failed banks? Bush appointees Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke just spent or committed $11,600,00­0,000,000+ to the latter in service of the *direct* financial interests of only about 1% of the country by arguing that their financial solvency is indirectly "vital" to the rest of us, and no tax increases have even been proposed to cover that expenditure. So, if providing medical care to the other 99% of the country -- including those who have "failed" to pay for adequate medical care and coverage in the past -- I'm for it, and if the billionaires believe their financial interests are more "vital" to me than my health is to them, my pitchfork is sharp. Banks and insurance companies are not sacred, human life is.

[x004Ronin]

As a med student and economics undergraduate major, I get angry when people who don't understand healthcare or economics try talking about the economics of healthcare.

We DO have rationing in the U.S. Millions of uninsured Americans do not get treated due to their inability to pay for the healthcare. That is RATIONING. In the U.S., we ration by price. In Canada, they ration by queuing (making people wait in line).

[LaurenMarie984]

It makes me even angrier when these people spend a few million bucks to get elected to represent the same people they ef over.

Americans are decades behind every other country in terms of healthcare and are losing their houses because they can't afford to be healthy? Well, that's one more family of voters Bone-r doesn't have to worry about turning democrat.

[jeanwny]

As the parent and sister of Canadian Residents, I have never been witness to the wait times attributed to the Canadian Health System OHIP. My brother has been there for close to 40 years and my daughter 20 plus. he is currently recovering nicely from knee surgery that was not an emergency nor was there an unacceptable wait for the procedure. She has had a few incidents that were handled timely and expertly. The both have access to excellent health care and have absolutely no complaints.
Is this coincidence? Could it be a system that has a bad name by parties (insurance companies, HMO's, Pharmacutical Co.'s, etc.) that like the status quo in the USA, but does work. I would suggest that we could learn from whatever shortcomings that these systems in Canada and other countries that the GOP refer to as " Socialists" have.

What do ya think????

[ReedYoung]

I have never seen that documented. I believe that "waiting in line for socialized Canadian health care" is just a rumor, but since Faux News started it, millions of brain-dead wingnuts believe it instead of the dozens who normally fall for unsubstantiated Internet rumors.

[Mike169]

Aristotle said that men are motivated by the desire to learn. In America this does not seem to be the case.

[annieR]

The first person I ever heard Jon Stewart take to task on "The Daily Show" was Bill Hemmer, several years ago. It was before the much publicized "Crossfire" episode. Stewart essentially accused Hemmer of prostituting his talent. Hemmer has remained true to form..

[timmmahhhh]

Say, that's a good strategy - scare Americans into thinking they'll be standing in line to get medical attention.

Would that be next to the same line we're standing in to collect unemployment thanks to your flawed and selfish economic policies?

[callmeslice23]

Nah, it's right next to the line we're already standing in waiting on subpar healthcare that we're paying out the nose for.

[Mugzi]

Please...almost 60% of the doctors' are FOR single payer - Medicare for all - system! My 87 yo mother had a bypass operation at 78, father bypass at 75..these are not isolated cases but common! Everyone would receive excellent care, not just a few select people. Right now insurance companies dictate our care, not the drs. Repugs can complain and try to scare and put fear in the hearts of citizens, but single payer is the best way to go for patients and the health care providers. It is much simpler, they don't need convoluted codes...insurance forms, etc. We must sign petitions and let them know we want this plan.

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

Medicare is facing imminent INSOLVENCY.

Medicare-for-all would just be Insolvency-for-all.

People might receive excellent care, but it's not affordable. For-profit doctors, hospitals, and device manufacturers have gamed the system for years, and brought Medicare to its knees.

[ProudLiberalDan]

The only thing that was unaffordable in the long term were those unnecessary tax cuts given to the wealthy who didn't need them. And it was immoral to give those tax cuts during wartime.

[olmossy]

There were a lot of banks facing imminent insolvency not long ago, that didn't stop us though.
If we stop wasting money treating what should be treated in the Dr. office in the Emergency room. we can pay for Medicare.
If Doctors want the government plans business, they will compete for it , Prices should drop.
No matter what, we have 50million people with no coverage. this is unacceptable.

[patricksmom]

Yes it can be affordable if reformed and paid for.

[DMGMD]

In principle I'm for single payer. However, I'm not for HR 676. All it would take to scuttle long term universal healthcare would be a government hostile to the idea to underfund the system, allowing private insurance to retake the reigns. Also Medicare reimbursement rates are not always a fair deal. I'm really impressed by this approach:

http://www.annals.org/cgi/reprint/150/7/490.pdf

Most of the authors came out of the Physicians for a National Health Plan group.

[flossophy]

Big deal...

Lakoff and Nunberg have been doing this exact same thing for over 15 years...

[ProudLiberalDan]

Fortunately, because your conservative policies have totally failed, we will have a chance to do health care a better way.

[DMGMD]

Looking forward to having someone try to debate those talking points...

[Phxflyer]

Having lived in Ireland for six year, where there is a single payer plan in place, I can tell you with complete confidence that Lutz, Hemmer, Siegel and Cantor have no idea of what they're talking about.

The coverage was great, and there were zero delays. If I was ill and wanted to see my doctor (who I picked) I got in that day. I do that in the U.S. now, and I have to wait a month. At the end of thismonth I am scheduled for surgery that should have been done more than a year ago, but was delayed because of health insurer. Awhile back a friend back in Ireland suggested I return there and have the surgery done right away. I should have listened.

[flossophy]

You must be a rare exception... or you work for HuffPuff.

[capt-ronin]

Willing to bet you've never actually experienced the health care system outside of this country. Pretty strange that so-called conservatives who trumpet creationism over Darwin, demand a Darwinist approach to health care.

[Cunningham]

"Luntz Health Care Talking Points Become GOP Message"

Well, duh. That's what he does for a living.

[unite4change]

This is what the GOP thinks of healthcare:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9QkgUkM0o6Q

[Cunningham]

We ought to dig Tricky Dick up and kick him around some. (only half joking)

[flossophy]

It's hilarious to see M00re rip on private health care... when most of the world is on socialized health care, and it's largely abysmal... and completely unsustainable.

Just like Medicare is unsustainable... yet the left holds it up as a model to strive towards.

[tjr101]

After 8 years at the helm they now come up with a plan that only seeks to spin the truth to benefit their own special interests. Republicans have been blocking healthcare reform since the early 80's. They are bankrupt of ideas so they seek it from a pollster with zero expertise on healthcare. Republicans can't possibly be more disingenuous. More politics.

[jimmyjimmy07]

Funny take on how the U.S health care system works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCSUGLc7PG0

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

Uh oh, Obama is straying from the Lib talking points...

“Most of what is driving us into debt is health care, so we have to drive down costs,” he said. "

Oops! Not warmongering? Not defense spending?

Never fear, Obama is on the case. He hired the fox the guard the henhouse, and the health care lobbyists agreed to sla.sh health care costs from 14% per year to 12.5%.

Lawdy lawd, we're saved!