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

[Subterfuge]

Wait wait wait...

---"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."

This was already in the playbook. He's saying-- "Keep running with your current playbook" How is he a mastermind in any form?

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

The one talking point you're not hearing from ANYONE in Washington now is "COMPREHENSIVE REFORM".

That's a favorite talking point on so many other issues, but not on health care reform.

All the politicians on both sides of the aisle are in the pockets of the various health care special interests groups, and we're being sold on phony reform.

[rich misty]

http://www.republicanoffenders.com

I am not so worried about corrupt Dems... They are not sworn to the Republican pledge.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=drown+government&btnG=Google+Search&aq=o&oq=

[KrugnacTheMagnificent]

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

They are the ones that are talking about ramming through phony reform this year. If you're willing to accept phony reform only because Dems support it, I feel sorry for you.

[gladiator777]

Your not worried about corrupt dems? Sad...

[rich misty]

Nope, because Obama is now the executive, and he does not play favorites. The law should be enforced equally.

There is an election coming up, and we will cull our house... But every single Republican is corrupt, and I know it.

Drain the swamp first.

[coliwabl]

If it comes from any FOX programming, the information provided cannot be trusted to be accurate or in anyway objective.

[Prakosh]

I wonder how much they paid him for this report that basically says the Republicans should keep using the same talking points they have been using on the internet against any kind of health care reform for the last five years. There is nothing here that wasn't said over and over and over by Republicans on other message boards that I posted on throughout the Bush administration. I don't know how he ran this into twenty six pages but the content and the talking points haven't changed in the last five years or more. Yes we need reform but constructive and systemic reform would be bad for your health care. Everybody else in the industrialized world has such bad health care and a longer life span as a result of having to wait in those long lines for treatment because they are being denied health care on such a widespread basis. If that makes sense to you then you are a republican.

[Greywolf Borealis]

Republicans can only parrot these days; they ran out of original ideas decades ago.

[billblow3]

The GOP is a joke. can they please tell me what's wrong with National Health Care for everyone, all they know is, stop Government, Smear tactics, Fear tactics and looking out for the Rich. The health cares system in this country is out of control and people are suffering but to them(GOP), it's more about, how can we smear some thing to help the rich keep their money.

[rich misty]

.....................\\..//............................
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||.....Somebody call the GOP|
||.....the Whaaambulance!......|
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[zent4]

Maybe if he had better insurance he could do something about those teeth. Creepy...

[lesterbud]

So, yet again, the GOP PLAN is to lie, cheat and obfuscate, to get what they want.

And this PLAN is clearly and boldly proposed by a Party leader, with no apologies and, even more importantly, no alternatives.

Sounds like the GOP - morally corrupt, no new ideas, protectionist and criminal.

They should be so very proud of themselves.

[wonkguy]

Be careful, Frank Luntz is a very dangerous person. He would use polling data to convince you the sky is green if it would get republicans elected. And he uses this low key emotionless approach that makes it seem like he's just an impartial condiut of facts, which he is not.

[brt929]

Absolutely. Without Luntz, Rove's take over and the ensuing trip through Bush's disastrous presidency would not have been so successful.

He is extremely devious and he could sell ice to the Eskimos.

I've watched him work on C-Span.

[Periwinkle]

My favorite talking point is that "you don't want the government to get between you and your doctor." Right. I'd much rather have a minimum wage insurance company clerk standing between my life and possible death.

[Prakosh]

As if an insurance company bureaucrat who will deny you care for an reason whatsoever is somehow preferable to a government bureaucrat whose job is to get you treated rather than get you denied treatment.!

[Subterfuge]

You know? For many it is more like, "What doctor?"

[NoOneSpecial]

"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.

1. We already ration care in this country. By income rather than need.

2. Employer-sponsored health care raises costs for doing business in this country, keeps the best workers away from small business that can't afford it, and makes us less competitive against foreign business who aren't burdened with the same.

3. Raising taxes pays the bills our country is expected to . Republicans, of course, believe in: "Free lunch for the rich! Because only the little people pay taxes."

4. Empowering government bureaucrats at the expense of patients and doctors? So I guess empowering insurance company bureaucrats who only care about the bottom line affecting their profits and giving them a fat financial incentive to deny care is a good thing. That's what you want us to believe?

[swift goat pet for truth]

Interestingly enough, many people do not start their own businesses because they know they will lose their health care.

So private healthcare is an encumberance to capitalism.

[MimiGardner]

It's interesting to hear republicans use the Canadian system as some kind of bogeyman. My Canadian friends are satisfied with their system and wouldn't trade it for the American system under any circumstances.

[kathy001]

Mine, too. In fact, I just had a friend move back to Canada and one of the reasons is because she's planning to start a family and wants to be able to use the Canadian health care system instead of the one in the U.S.

[TrooAmerican]

Well what else do they have to do besides parrot propaganda they paid for?

All their positions are criminal, immoral, indecent, or idiotic, so if they changed, they'd have to go along with the dems on issues and then they'd have no use for either side.

[greatlardini]

Looks like Mr. Luntz could use a good dental plan, or at least a tube of Colgate.

[surfcitysteven]

I hope the GOP's kidneys fail.

[rich misty]

When we get them to FEMA camp we can cut off their water.

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