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

[blist14]

this country has the best healthcare in the world

[sticksnstones]

Congrats ... you get the prize for the Most Willfully Ignorant Comment of the Day.

Be proud.

[helonias]

For the Congress and senate you mean

[swift goat pet for truth]

This is true.
But only if you can afford it.

And only the top 1% -- about $500K / yr. can afford it.

The median, about $50K /yr, get median heath care.

[Subterfuge]

Now divide that rating among both the insured *and* the ininsured.

Quality of healthcare = 0 if you don't have any at all. A lot of zeros are going to throw off your average.

[whatt]

where have you been, in the gop's a##, give me a break!

[olmossy]

Been watching sone MSNBC and CNN Boy! I'm hearing communist and socialist more than I ever have since the 50s. The Corporate Nazis must really be scared.







1

[Gainsbourg69]

Yeah, Canadians envy our healthcare system. Right.

Hey everybody, Sicko is playing on cable for the next couple of weeks. Have everyone you know watch it if they haven't done so already.

[tapley]

That were flapping in the wind until Luntz told them what to say. So now that Cheney, Limbaugh and Luntz has given them talking points we see torture is good, healthcare bad and they should be sure to kiss Rush's ring each night before bed.

[blist14]

90% of our country love there healthcare plan

[rich misty]

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=healthcare+polls&aq=0&oq=healthcare+poll

Try a single fact next time ;)

[sticksnstones]

Now you're just making C R A P up. You're embarrassing yourself, Sparky.

[Itchybiscuit]

Which 'our' country are you referring to?

Like the old saying goes, 'Ignorance is blist'.

Itchy.

[shanester]

Put down the crack pipe!

YOUR IGNORANCE GIVES ALL AMERICANS A BAD NAME...AND I'M CANADIAN!

[hjfraser2002]

Seeing that our population is around 300 mil and over 50 mil do not have healthcare and growing fast, that leaves only 83% covered. How does that fit into your figures?

[Itchybiscuit]

Here in Scotland medical care is free at the point of use. We pay National Insurance contributions pegged at 6% of gross income - everyone pays it. This entitles us to have access to a family doctor in the local community and access to any hospital in Scotland, England, Wales or Northern Ireland. It all comes out of our National Insurance contributions.

Prescriptions cost a flat rate of $10.00 no matter how many items are indicated. Your family doctor will visit you in your home if you're too ill to visit his/her surgery. People on benefits/pensions get free prescriptions and dental care into the bargain.

I'm amazed that in America, the wealthiest and most advanced country in the world, contracting a life-threatening disease can actually cause you financial problems due to the cost of drugs and treatment.

Itchy.

[olmossy]

Better keep this to yourself, Big Global Insurance and IMF will be comming to save you and bring you into the Modern World. LOL

[blist14]

europeans and canadians want our healthcare
system.

europeans and canadians health care system problems: long lines, inflation,waiting list average three monthes and a lot of government abuse.

[sticksnstones]

See below.

[blood1]

Gee, I really hate to argue with people who have NO INFORMATION except for Talking Points. The biggest delay in getting a Liver Transplant isn't finding a surgeon and bed in which to recover BUT to find a suitable Liver that won't kill you! Is the GOP going to mandate that everyone sign up for the Cadaver Transplant List (whether they meet transplant qualifications or not?). But that aside. Let's look at those crazy numbers:

From the US Transplant website: data for Liver Transplants from 1997 thru 2006 - Median Wait Time
1997: 426 days
2006: 196 days

One other piece of information: when looking at all transplants, the going metric is a 5 year survival rate: in 1997, death occured in about 80% of transplant patient and in 2006 the rate is 76%.

But back to the KISS answer, most DELAY for most transplants IS: Availability of Compatible Organs...and has nothing to do with the Country in which you live.

[RustyGranite]

The GOP also completely ignore the fact that medical screenings EARLIER and more OFTEN secure people's health for the LONG TERM.

Many of those 70-year-olds needing transplants wouldn't have needed them if they had health coverage when they were 20-40 and had preventative maintenance done to their bodies.

Its like arguing against making tune-ups free for your car because then you might have a longer wait when your transmission falls out at 170,000 miles. Idiotic.

[Itchybiscuit]

Not to mention the reduced costs to the healthcare system. Diagnosing health problems early means minimum intervention by healthcare professionals and reduces the need for long-term treatment which costs more money.

Itchy.

[rich misty]

KrugnacTheMagnificent: You SHOULD be worried about Dems because they're the ones in the driver's seat now.
---------------------------

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mHDyJOIWM0s - Maher

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

I don't see what personal prejudices about and between media personalities has to do with anything substantive.

[rich misty]

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=13496418

The Economist predicted the market collapse and pointed to the underlying cause. They carry a lot of weight with the Chamber of Commerce, who no longer caucus with the Republicans btw...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RNIQG7WXpSM

The Media Matters companion video of Glenn Beck is 1:33

[jadeba]

Hello. I've just written Leahy, Nelson, my 2 senators (Udall and Bennet) suggesting it would be hypocritical to accept their "socialist" government run insurance if they don't support our right to the same. Maybe shaming them will make a difference.

[HowietheScreamer]

You should know better than that. The Repubic mantra is "I got mine, so f**k you".

[brt929]

Leahy is not an opponent of health care reform. You should have addressed your letter to Max Baccus- he is one of the 7 Democrats standing in the way.

[up420oz]

HERE IS A SIMPLE FACT

WHY DON'T YOU SEE CANADIANS PROTESTING FOR AMERICAN STYLE HEALTH CARE??



WHY DON'T YOU SEE EUROPEANS PROTESTING FOR AMERICAN STYLE HEALTH CARE??


Why do US insurance componies always make the point of having to "wait" for treatment in other countries, and never mention the "CLAIM DENIED" as the standard responce in the US?

Why do industries have lower operating expense in Canada? (Universal health care). This is another reason why Canada did not take the hit in this recession like the US did. That, and we didn't let the Canadian banks get to big to fail.

[Americanium]

I lived in Canada for 7 years and the horror stories of which they speak are obtained here also.

Most of the people who come to the US for medical services do so for cosmetic or selective surgery. The nature of their medical circumstance put them at the back of the line and in some instances very high costs due to the non essential nature of there situation.

I have yet to here of anyone dying in Emergency wards in Canada and I have read of it too frequently here in the USA.

[swift goat pet for truth]

And banruptcy, too.

Nobody in Europe, Canada, or large parts of Asia goes bankrupt due to medical conditions.

[RustyGranite]

Exactly.

Conservatives often tout our SURGEONS as some type of proof the U.S. healthcare system is the best...nevermind the other 95% of health care issues.

[up420oz]

The lie that gets alot of play is the"WAIT TIME" lie.

The wait is not that the system is breaking down, but availability based on who has the greatest need.
If you got fat & want lypo, you wait.
If you have a heart attack, you go to the front of the line.
& a heart attack is not going to net you a bill for $75,000! Its covered!
Unlike in the US, where "claim denied" make people wait for service and still have to pay huge amounts of money, to the point of being forced into bankrutcy.

I read where criminals in the US that have been found with life endding disease, are just instantly released to the front gates. That is the same treatment given in the worst nations in the world.

[kathy001]

Waiting in line? Ha! People without health insurance would be thrilled to be able to wait in line if it meant getting in to see a doctor. For that matter, people with lousy health insurance, like me, would be happy to wait in line if it meant that their medical claims weren't going to be disapproved and shot right back at them.

As for the liver transplants at age 60 and pacemakers at 90 - that's just more fear mongering. Be afraid - the government is out to get you! Well, in fact, the governmen that the Republicans want to give us is just out to get our money - and they don't want to give us anything in return.

[blist14]

ok lets have universal health care,food care, and clothing care u know what lets have universal everything .this country has a lot of ignorant people

[sticksnstones]

" (T)his country has a lot of ignorant people(.) "

You said it, Sparky !! And, as your comment indicates, this country has a lot of WILLFULLY ignorant people. This country has a lot of people who proudly cede their ability to think for themselves to others against their own best interests.

[gladiator777]

Well hell then we'd just be communists, but I guess some people really want that lol.

[sticksnstones]

Have you no shame, Tail-gunner Joe ??

[swift goat pet for truth]

Not communists. Socialists.

and I would LOVE to be a Norwegian socialist.

The country has ZERO national debt.
4 weeks vacation.
Total healthcare.
And a sovereign wealth fund of $300 bil. for 5 million people.
3% GROWTH in GDP last year.

Problem: They think Americans are riff raff, and won't allow them to emigrate.

[swift goat pet for truth]

Great.

Glad to have you on our side.

[michiganman2]

go back to your trailer, billy bob.

[olmossy]

Well, the Senate , Congress, Executive, Every government employee likes The healtcare I have been providing for them at MY expence for the last 50 years. So how about I get a share of it seeing how I pay for theirs.

[petphotos]

After years of working on volunteer ambulances, I find Luntz a worthless individual.

[gladiator777]

The constitution wasn't set up to tax and redistribute income as you guys think it was. Now that gov't has screwed everything up, we will soon be in very dark financial waters because all we do is borrow and spend. How the hell do you think a country can survive hard economic times when they don't have any money to pay for the gov't programs? Taxes dry up at that point, especially when you don't save money for rainy days.Your cash runs out. All gov't services end. You go bankrupt. Since you guys are clamoring for the US to go bankrupt like CA will soon do, you'll see how bad it is when basic gov't services goes down the tube. In CA they'll have to lay off teachers, police, firemen, the list will be long. CA is a liberal lab gone terribly awry, tax and spend and that's the end result, well they did do a good job at running their budget off the cliff, I'll give them that. Do you really want to see that happen all across the US? I wonder if the politicians budget themselves the same way, I highly doubt it or they'd be broke.

Oh ya, and don't forget about all the dollars we've been printing, very high inflation will soon be hitting all of us, I'm sure it will be a real fiesta!

[rich misty]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBzVbMi8C48

They made it much more difficult to repair... But alternate energy _will_ establish a new economic base.

[gladiator777]

There's no investment for it right now at all. In fact, investment in alternative energy has gone down. Its still way too expensive and the returns don't justify it. In addition, people have less money to invest in alternative energies now and they are going after better investments. In Spain, for every green job created about 2.5 other jobs were lost. That is not good at all and its taking jobs from the private sector which fuels the economy more than anything else.

That was the problem with the new deal, it took jobs from the private sector which generates the tax revenues the gov't needs. Gov't should not be involved in this, it should be the private sector that creates all the new green jobs that way your not cannibalizing the private sector as spain ended up doing, which in the end hurt their economy more.

[Subterfuge]

Our debt was relatively small in 1980 and had grown at a very small rate throughout all of the former presidencies, both Democrat and Republican. Under Reagan(R) our debt tripled and the momentum was still in the upswing through Bush I(R) and into the beginning of the Clinton(D) presidency. By the end of Clinton's(D) presidency our deficit disappeared completely and we were on our way to finally being able to bring down our actual debt instead of adding to it. When Bush II(R) took office in 2001 our deficit reversed course and skyrocketed immediately. Within one year our debt was nearly 10 times the amount it was before Reagan took office in 1981.

What's worse than tax and spend? Taxcut, borrow, and spend.

Redistribute wealth or run a government. What percent of our GDP goes into our military spending? We are #1 in the world in military spending. What percentage does #2 spend? How much wealth have we redistributed to the military industrial complex?

Think wisely about the future. If you run the vacuum too long without changing the bag, the bag will burst.

[cowboyjerkface]

C A is a liberal lab???? Are you serious? The reason CA and most states, like the country is in dires financial straits is because the republican party has convinced enough morons that "eww taxes are evil" and now you have no other way to raise revenue except through methods that are the same as taxes but instead called "fees"

The country is going bankrupt because of selfish greedy people who only think about themselves.

Do these conservatives who think the wealthy are "overtaxed" or that taxes are too high ever wonder what is going to happen as our society slowly decays due to a lack of funds to even maintain the infrastructure that is here let alone build new roads, sewer systems, power grids, water treatment plants.

No..lets cut taxes some more because we know that low taxes will lead to.....whatever the last 8 years has produced.

The conservative republicans will be only so happy to have us living in the same kind of conditions you find in Mexico or even Central America. As long as we can pay the lowest tax rate in the western world.....And we wont worry about the fact that the USA is slowly falling further behind in the world because we have stupid people in this country who still put religion and beliefs over science and facts.

[Subterfuge]

Well said. All they do is copy and paste talking points. Lets just copy and paste your post like they do and if you repeat enough even the most short-sighted and uneducated people will be on board-- even though we will be sick of hearing it and feeling guilty for sinking to their level because, to us, the end does not justify the means.