Jon Stewart Mocks Use Of Leis, Babies, And The Holocaust To Argue Against Health Care Reform (VIDEO)

The House passed the health care bill 220 to 215 this weekend, but opponents did not sit quietly by and watch in the days and hours leading up to the vote. Congresswoman Michele Bachmann lead a rally against the bill at which a protester waved a giant sign comparing the slaughter of millions of Jews in the Holocaust to the president's attempt to bring health coverage to the uninsured. Stewart re-enacted this man's trip to Kinkos to create the sign:

"Hey, how's it going? I got this photo here of a German death camp. How big can you make it? I'm going to this rally on health care and I really want to equate the health care reform bill to the Holocaust. You see they're the same as Nazis, because the health care reform bill is Socialism and the Nazis were the National Socialist Party. You know the same way I'm a Communist cause I'm a Republican and there's the People's Republic of China."

But the use of props didn't end outside the House. No, the venerable Ms. Bachmann used a Hawaiian lei, made by god, to argue that this bill kills freedom, while Representative John Shadegg used a baby to argue that this bill kills freedom.


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[Lamirabelle]

Here's an example of proper fair use: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4feqz_tf1-et-la-coupe-de-champagne-best-o_news
The French news are quoted in excerpts in this video and the video is done by a team of journalists and posted on a specific channel on Dailymotion.

[AoC]

Doesnt work for me and Im in the US.
Not a conspiracy against foreign visitors by a long shot.

[Lamirabelle]

Once again the video works only in the USA.
If HuffPost doesn't want international readers, it would be easier to just say so.
Journalists should work on a fair use basis, thus avoiding using commercial videos limited to a national audience and making their own videos.
I know it's convenient this way but it's not journalism. It's personal blogging.

[pdsimdars]

I wish you wouldn't put videos on that require you to listen to an ad to watch them. Aren't there other places to get them?

[PathofTotality]

Sadly, economics 101 is coming in to play - "Nothing is free" !!

[DesertShores]

And here all the time I thought a lei was a Hawaiian garland.

[anitaj]

“You know my favorite part about the House healthcare debate? Seeing Congress people exposed as basically just town hall hecklers forced to couch their crazy in parliamentary procedural language.”
---Jon Stewart

[Star2000dancer]

These are the people who make decisions for me? OMG! What were we thinking? Or were we even thinking. This must change. Clone Dennis Kucinich and Ron Paul. These people are so detached from us they're like aliens. Let Dennis Kucinich & Ron Paul make the Health Care Bill, then let the people vote on it. Forget the middle men.

[Scentedflower]

this nu t , time for her to go

[midatlantic girl]

I think it is beginning to be apparent that the uneducated voter does not read, does not know what's going on, and they risk democracy by listening to ridiculous accusations like this.

The electorate is dumming down, it's naive, it's uneducated, it's subject to believe in extremes, and the media is feeding into it and taking it to the bank.

[OswegoKayaker]

Another wonderful piece Jon!

Rep. John Shadegg, R-AZ using a baby for a prop says, “If you want healthcare, pay for it yourselves because it is not fair to pass your healthcare bills on to me and my grandchild­ren.”

Mr. Shadegg did not have the baby say how much the health insurance lobbies had put into his campaign. According to phoenixnewtimes.com $48,500 so far (as of August 18) for 2010. His baby-prop did not say how those not earning the big bucks can afford to pay for the ever skyrocketing cost of healthcare or why the big pharmaceutical giants spend more on marketing their products to doctors than on developing those products. Seems everyone gets a piece of this giant pie, except the folks who don't get healthcare insurance at their workplace. Or people who lost their jobs, or the 2,200 vets who died last year because they couldn't afford it -- on this veterans day I guess Rep. Shadegg would pocket his $48,500 and tell the vets to, "Pay for it yourselves­."

If John Shadegg Wants People to Take Him Seriously, He Should Give Drug Companies Their Money Back
http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2009-08-20/news/if-john-shadegg-wants-people-to-take-him-seriously-he-should-give-drug-companies-their-money-back/

[gabemill]

Well done, Oswego...
As the rethugs continue to grandstand against reform and feign family values and patriotism, the American people suffer. Today, Sen Coburn (R), celebrates Veterans Day by holding back S. 1963, "The Caregivers and Veterans Omnibus Health Services Act of 2009." While he waves the flag of hypocrisy, our men and women attempt to endure against those who self righteously proclaim "support for the troops." ENOUGH!
Fanned....­....

[miguelobrien]

Does using that baby border on child abuse?

btw, I am from AZ and was surprised lately to learn that Shadegg is still in Congress. Have not heard about or from him for a long time. Maybe he finally found a way to get on TV.

Anyone notice him at the Bachmann thing, chanting "No, we can't" or whatever it was?

What do ya'll think of a Congressman chanting simplistic slogans?

I know what I think, but I would rather hear from you all.

[OswegoKayaker]

I think he gets paid a lot of money to act like a jerk. Now remember this is just from the healthcare related industry.

According to his filings with the Federal Election Commission, Congressman Shadegg has so far accepted about $48,500 in contributions for his 2010 re-election effort from healthcare-related PACs.

A preferred provider (PPO) PAC gave him $2,000. AFLAC slipped him $2,000. The PAC for Pfizer — one of those big drug companies that's a member of the PhRMA lobby? Shadegg scored $1,000 from it. The list goes on and on, from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons ($2,500) to a PAC for urologists ($1,000).

And the fundraising for 2010 hasn't even hit full steam. A better indicator of what Shadegg may eventually raise for 2010 are his filings for 2008, the last time he ran. The total amount given from committees related to doctors, insurance companies, and drug companies? A whopping $166,000.

http://www.phoenixnewtimes.com/2009-08-20/news/if-john-shadegg-wants-people-to-take-him-seriously-he-should-give-drug-companies-their-money-back/2

[GrandmaBEE]

My bet is this is just the money we can follow. I am sure they have many creative ways in which to hide perks and financial gain to these politicians.

[midatlantic girl]

You know, I think politicians ought to be forced to wear little yellow jerseys to identify their sponsorships. Like NASCAR.

[Pem3]

Okat then NO THEY COULDN'T, NO THEY COULDN'T, NO THEY COULDN'T no more my throat hurts.

[anticapitalist1983]

health care holocaust?

you know what, after GW Bush, I'll try just about anything. sign me up!
we'll see if there is a holocaust as a result of this bill, but will we remember to call all of these people CRAZY when they're wrong???

let's hope so.

[miguelobrien]

I already signed up-- for Medicare and it has SAVED me from a financial holocaust in just one year. Gave me new eyes, literally. Would be living under a bridge without it.

[binxterdoodles]

Are you proud of that?

[TN60]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/10/AR2009111013406.html

Jon is not the only one calling out the goose steppers for their lie. But he by far the funniest and even in his satire "news" program, he still is a far sight better at news than any cable, besides KO and Rachel

[JcFractal]

part 2
and then there was Lieberman.­..boo hoo..

[allison77]

Virginia Foxx (R-NC) sure does bring the irony. Healthcare reform is the tyranny of the majority over the minority and that's a bad, bad thing? But it's all right when we're voting against giving gays the right to marry?

Huh. Amazing how it works one way but is fascism the other. And by "amazing", I mean not at all shocking or surprising that she's playing the "help help I'm being oppressed" card here.

[up420oz]

good one!
Faved

[cybolt]

I cant believe what TDS did Tuesday night... they simply nailed Fox News like nothing Ive ever seen before!!

They showed a segment from Fox with sean hannity interviewing Michelle Bachmann about last Thursday's rally.

Hannity showed pictures from that rally at the DC Mall while talking about it, which Stewart ran also.

But them Stewart calls our attention to the fact that the pictures seemed to change in the middle of the segment... from a sunny fall day with leaves of all color and bare tree branches to...

a cloudy, overcast day with full green trees and no bare branches. And lots of people!!

TO MAKE THURSDAY'S SPARSELY ATTENDED RALLY LOOK BIGGER, FOX EDITED PICTURES OF IT WITH VIDEO FROM THE TEABAG RALLY ON 9/12, WHICH WAS CONSIDERABLY LARGER. STEWART WAS EVEN ABLE TO SHOW THE VERY SAME SHOTS SIDE BY SIDE--ONE WHICH RAN ON 9/12, THE OTHER FROM 11/5!!

I mean there is NO WAY Fox gets out of this one. He has them out and out manipulating the news to deceive viewers, and he has them dead to rights.

I worked in the news business for 20 years and if ANYONE EVER did something like this, they'd be fired immediately and the station would do a big mea culpa. On Fox, nothing will happen to Hannity and no one will have to offer an apology because the viewers dont care.

[AtticusinPa]

Yes, and on 9/12 they used an old photo of a huge rally on the Mall to justify their estimate of over a million people. Ooops. The American Indian Museum was not in the photo and it was built five years ago. Turns out Fox used a shot from an old rally and pretended it was the 9/12 march. This is old practice for them; they do it all the time. Thanks, Jon and staff, for catching them at it again.

[midatlantic girl]

You know, this is what really upsets me. It's not a game. It's real life. Real manipulation of the truth. A distortion like this is going to be tolerated, you'll see. There is no integrity in the news anymore. Rush Limbaugh paved the way for this years ago. Jon Stewart uncovered a giant flaw which represents just how far the right wing media will go to present the "news." Remember Watergate? The Post had to check the facts, then print the story. Blink. Those days are gone. Newspapers are dying out. Thanks to Jon Stewart for his hilarious but brilliant presentation.