Senator Calls Out Frank Luntz From Senate Floor

It's not every day that a sitting senator takes to the floor to call out a GOP strategist. But on Wednesday, Oregon Democrat Jeff Merkley did just that, whacking messaging guru Frank Luntz for writing a blueprint for demonizing health care reform and Republican officials for dutifully following his lead.

"Now, you may think that I'm raising this document before you, this -- this plan for how to kill health care, and that maybe it doesn't have any bearing on the real debate," said Merkley, a freshmen Democrat, from the floor, waving a thin set of white papers in his right hand. "But it absolutely does. These talking points are being echoed in this very chamber in order to kill health care."

What followed was a point-by-point comparison of Luntz's 28-page memo, distributed to congressional Republicans, to some of recent talking points coming straight from the mouths of GOP leadership. Said the Senator:

Here we go. Frank Luntz's memo, that's his memo on how to kill health care, came out in April. It says - talking point number five - "Health denial care horror stories in Canada and other countires do resonate, but you have to humanize them. You notice we recommend the phrase 'government takeover' rather than 'government run' or 'government control.'" Why? Because government takeover sounds even scarier.

So what did we hear in the chamber from our minority leader just recently? I quote - "Americans are concerned about a government takeover of health care and for good reason." And it goes on. So recognize that that is a point that's coming from a document about how to kill health care, not a responsible debate about the plan we have in front of us.

Merkley's remarks represent a new line of political debate about the reform process. The extent to which Democrats can establish that opposition to greater government involvement in health care is driven by poll-tested talking points, as opposed to legitimate ideological disagreements, could go some ways towards affecting the legislative process.

To be certain, progressive health care advocates also have well-tuned talking points and polling data at their disposal. But the conventional wisdom going into the upcoming reform battle has held that the Clinton-era effort at an overhaul was, in part, derailed by massive and correlated effort between private industry actors and sympathetic Republicans.

There is little public appetite for that happening again. Hence the benefits in putting Luntz at the center of the debate.

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Comments

[Tom Payned]

As an Oregonian, I'm proud of my state for getting rid of the 4.5 year conservative, 1.5 year moderate (election time) 2 termer Gordon Smith, and replacing him with Merkley.

Luntz has long been a huge advantage for the Re-Pubes. I don't blame him, he's a hired gun, not a partisan. When he was on Bill Maher's show recently, instead of listening to him, as he explained the power of words to change an issue, the audience booed him and Bill talked over him.

In my view, when you have the option to listen to how your opponent thinks, when he's offering to explain how the power of words can dramatically alter people's support of an idea, you need to listen.

I'm proud of Merkley for taking head on, the lies and slight of hand the Re-pubes are using to try to distort the argument. The plans out there are not a single payer forcing you out of your current plan if you're happy, yet the Re-Pubes regurgitate this issue over & over, until it starts to become people's reality.

One option we need, is the ability to BUY into the same plans congress and fed employees have available at the same price. They must be great private plans as the majority of elected officials think private for profit plans are great. So open them up to us. Anything less should be rejected.

[Dynamohum]

The thing is that Bill Maher and the audience have heard it ad nauseum from Luntz for years and already have heard him talk about repubes and strategy for years. If you don't have republican'ts figured out by now.......­..

[treetracker]

Yeah, the GOPers come out and say the public does NOT want a public option over and over again.

Yet a Kaiser Health poll states:

"But how does the public feel about the issue? The most recent poll in the Kaiser Health Tracking series, conducted in April 2009, provides some interesting answers. While the American people support a single payer health insurance system by only a 49%-47% margin (but up from 46%-53% opposed in December), a substantial majority, 67%, support the public option now under consideration. And a whopping 79% favor extending Medicare to those between the ages of 55-64 who do not have health insurance. And on the subject of mandatory participation, 72% think that is a good idea. There is little doubt that the public overwhelmingly supports significant reform in which the federal government plays a critical role."

http://www.examiner.com/x-6186-Boise-Liberal-Examiner~y2009m6d9-The-public-health-insurance-option--the-public-weighs-in

GOPers = serial liars

[imajypsee]

There was an excellent article in the June 1st edition of The New Yorker magazine by Atul Gawande on the way that doctors who are stakeholders in their own business are driving the cost of health care. Its titled "The Cost Conundrum" and very informative on the "for profit" doctor compared to the "for patient" doctor.

[vgirl1]

Hit 'em hard Dems. The Republicans have no alternative ideas or plans unless in some way such plans continue to benefit "for profit" insurance companies.

Scare tactics will not work because too many Americans already realize that our current health care system has been TAKEN OVER by the for profit insurance companies who tell us what care we can have, when we can have it and that it will cost whatever they want it to cost.

[jill2468]

You are wrong. We have a plan. Leave it alone. That is the only plan we need. Those without insurance, get it. Those who do not want to pay and can afford it, go to a doc in the box and take your chances. Those who cannot afford it, get medicare. Simple.

[Montgriz]

Here's a plan...cut the military budget by 70% and use that money for the actual good of the people....­we do not need insurance companies to have health care in this country...

[gbrooks]

FU FRANK!

(inside joke)

[LMPE]

Good one, Jeff! This was why we Oregonians tossed out Gordon Smith and elected you.

[commercelib]

I heard two Republicans use the phrase "government takeover" regarding Obama's health care plan yesterday. It's clear that Republicans can't think for themselves and definitely can't talk without a script from Frank Luntz. PLEASE, Americans, I beg you, don't be played for fools yet again by the egregious Republican party. They do not mean you well.

[Biffmeister]

It's already been taken over by the greedy insurance profiteers. We finally have some people in Washington willing to take it back for the people. The disgusting thing is that the GOP and some Dinos think it's okay to play fast and loose with the lives of Americans, for the sake of profit. Indeed, the Republicans and their insurance buddies do not care about the lives of other Americans.
Single payer NOW!
Health care for corporate profit has got to go.

[lvdragonlady]

Well, if the health care system was not (1) so greedy (2) provided better care for everyone (3) improved the billing process(no double billing), (4) put the patient first - then there would not be a need to the government to step in to clean it up.
Insurance companies are the real villains here. They bribe doctors and medical facilities to provide inadequate care to people, so that the insurance companies do not have to pay as much for the care of patients. They deny coverage of "preexisting" conditions. How does one know if one has a preexisting condition if they can not afford to go to a doctor.
Insurance companies should be NON-PROFIT.

[NoMoFearNoMoHate]

Ah, argument's over already - the GOP admitted that the government could do a better job and that the private sector just isn't competitive.

[Tom Payned]

Many are "not for profit" which is such a misleading term. Non profits doesn't mean a cap on the charge, or reduce the amount taken in and paid out to employees and officers. What it means basically is there cannot be money left over after expenses.

Kaiser is a non profit, their care sucks, the staff get sub par wages, but the officers make out like bandits.

[bobste]

This is the point everyone should be repeating. To clarify...

By using these talking points, they have no intention of debating health care reform at all. They have already made a decision to oppose it. The point of the memo is to get it to fail, so using any of the talking points indicates the user is trying to get it to fail.

No negotiations here. No debate. They just want it to be stopped and to later say it was the public that chose to stop it - not them.

Manipulate the public, lie to the public and then say it was the public who made the decision. Good strategy, meatheads.

[cynthia3217]

Watch out for Rick Scott, former HMO CEO, now in charge of the lobbying group – Conservatives for Patient Rights (oxymoron, yes!), I have already seen a commercial on TV starring Scott decrying the Obama Health plan. He selectively brings Canadian and British doctors stating that we will have government interfering with personal Health care decisions. (Like for profit healthcare providers don’t?) He is going to spend a lot of money to create confusion and to spread misinformation. After all, it is in his self interest.

[expired]

Wow, how refreshing to hear a true statesman. Take heed all you cowards who are too afraid to offend your benefactors. What a bunch of looZers.

I bet this won't make the msm.

[crablover]

Thank you Senator. It's good to know that there's at least one Senator with the balls to call out the repubs for their lies. I'm a Virginian, but I'd gladly send a donation to your re-election campaign fund.

[Butquestioning]

It's a simple thing...Re­publicans support big business at the expense of the people and the insurance companies are big business. They want to keep the insurance companies making lots of money so they can donate to their campaigns.­.and yes to the Democrats too. So, it's up to us - the people to make sure we get things done for us and not let the idiots with the talking points influence the outcome of a very important bill.

Why can't the United States provide something better for its people than the other countries of the world. instead, we are controlled by the big businesses so they can make profits off of our health issues, and we are the only industrial country without a strong health care program, making us one of the least cared for people in the world. They don't want us to know how poor our heatth care is so they use misleading attacks and misrepresent the facts. We need to let Congress know we want universal health care!!!

[MountainPenelope]

Congratulations, Oregon! You have elected a true STATESMAN!

[Gidster]

Having the stones to call a lie a lie!!!!

Oregon, I am jealous of your elected officials!

[drumz]

Thanks, we ran Gordon Smith (who tried to align himself with Obama but nobody fell for it) out on a rail, he is done.

[Tom Payned]

Don't be too jealous, we also have Ron Wyden, who will not allow a government/public option, which is different from single payer. Wyden also doesn't support the taxpayer having the option to BUY into the same plan congress and fed employees have.

Wyden, (A Dem) withheld his support for Merkley because Wyden and Smith (R) would travel the state together doing town halls. Wyden refused to criticize Smith or any position he held.

Now, if we can replace Wyden with another liberal Dem with cajone's there will be plenty for us to be proud off.

[ebanks84]

Can he be cloned? The entire congress and senate needs to be replaced with people like Merkel, an honest man.

[SD Indy]

534 times! I wish!