The Media's Treatment of Palin's Outrageous "Death Panel" Claims

Former Governor Sarah Palin made some preposterous claims over the weekend which attracted mainstream media attention. She made up the term "death panel" and claimed that part of the health care reform bill now working it's way through Congress required that families with children with disabilities, or elderly people who are infirm, could be judged by one of these death panels, which could control their fate and decide if they would die. GOP leadership repeated this outrageous claim across the airwaves on the Sunday morning talk shows. The mainstream media gave this claim credibility simply by repeating it.

My wife and I have practiced medicine for over forty years combined. There is no truth now, nor has there ever been any truth to the idea that the government encourages euthanasia or infanticide.

Our country is in trouble. Claims like these are routinely refuted by people who know better, but they are recirculated because they are sensational, and the MSM purports to take a balanced position without a thoughtful assessment of the facts. Fox News actually has people on in support of these outrageously false claims.

In fact, these kinds of claims are lies. There is no nice way to say it. This kind of stuff is far beyond the usual politicians' tricks of shading words and imputing meanings that aren't there. To quote a famous American who began the process of ending the McCarthy era in the fifties I address the MSM: "At long last, Have you no sense of decency?"

Comments

[SteveEverett]

05:42 AM on 08/27/2009

Howard please don't give up on the rest of us and thanks for all you say and do. Damn, I still believe you could have and would have beaten Bushie if you had of gotten the nomination­.

[grooveygrover]

09:51 AM on 08/23/2009

Why is anyone listening to palin? Hasn't she proved over and over again how ridiculous she is, she can't even utter a coherent statement with speech writers!

[Voter4America]

02:49 PM on 08/21/2009

Instead of trying to make Palin look like a ditz (something she does without any help from the media), why hasn't the media taken her "death panels" assertion and turn it on its head by pointing out that we already have death panels today. They're called INSURANCE COMPANIES!

[grooveygrover]

09:44 AM on 08/23/2009

Awesome!

[GeriNV]

11:05 PM on 08/24/2009

Why not point out the value of "death panels" or Hospice/Pa­llaliative care teams.
I am practicing hospice/pa­lliative medicine and see nothing wrong with having palliative care teams that evaluate those who have chronic life limiting illness to determine who should get targeted education about their palliative care options. Supportive care instead of active care for grandma, may require pulling the plug and not prolonging her life/suffe­ring. What is wrong with ending suffering by promoting quality of life over quantity of days? There is absolutely nothing wrong with death panels and we need to stop having to defend them. Death panels are a part of the quality in a healthcare system. Death panels are good supportive care panels that do the toughest job in healthcare­. We educate terminal patients about the most difficult decision, letting go of life, ending their suffering, and having a good quality death.

[agoodlife4me]

02:24 PM on 08/27/2009

I think that the problem may be that instead of entrusting your life to a specific group of your choosing, all 'quality of life' decisions will be made by the Federal government­.

So, 'qualify of life' will not be decided by you or your loved ones.
Quality of life will not be decided by your community.
Qualify of life will not be decided by your church.
Qualify of life will not be decided by your state government­, there will be nowhere to go.

AND here's the biggest one of all, Quality of life may not be decided by your political party should they loose an election. If Republican­s 'right to lifers' get power, no one will even have the ability to even have a DNR order.

Don't give the choice away, it may not always belong to people that think the way you do!

[jrizopatron]

12:42 PM on 08/18/2009

In the struggle to pass the public option in health care reform (the best way to cover all Americans and stem the inflation in health care costs), it is crucial to educate the American public about this issue not only with facts and figures, but by prompting us all to critically reexamine our values and sense of ethical purpose as a people.
The "American Dream" seems to have mutated into a grotesque "dream of greed" over time. We can't let this continue. We must take a serious look at the direction our country has been going, with its over-empha­sis on "ME AGAINST THE WORLD" and its growing paranoia at any suggestion of what we owe to one another and to society at large. Political extremists (have gone way too far with their propaganda about "governmen­t being the problem". I wonder what Reagan would think about people showing up at town hall meetings with guns. We must examine the basic principles of our democracy.­.. and discuss them civilly, in the public forum.
This is a PRECONDITI­ON to make passing a universal health care bill in this country possible, without provoking an internal civil war. It is a matter of EDUCATION. The MEDIA, instead of wasting our time with celebrity scandals, quips over minor slips of the tongue, or cheap entertainm­ent, should be primarily engaged in this critical educationa­l task. I notice some have begun the effort. We need to keep at it. (Letter by my sister, Eileen Rizo-Patro­n)

[sagharbormo]

02:59 PM on 08/17/2009

Gov. Dean,
saw you on Netroots nation feed. congrats. are you going to be in Eastern LI anytime soon? I want to have a large screening of SICKO & ask you to lead discussion and sign book. I will make sure it has major media coverage. Thanks --mo
Sagharborm­o at gmail dot com

[jpcoley]

11:45 AM on 08/17/2009

I am concerned about Section 417(f) of H.R. 3200, which specifies that on and after January 1st, 2013 all newborns shall be examined by a panel of bureaucrat­s. All those deemed unworthy will be eaten alive by werewolves­.

[1rlogans]

12:20 PM on 08/17/2009

don't be overly dramatic. i do believe the bill states that anesthesia will be provided to the infants prior to the werewolves being released on them. I don't think there is even a copay for the anesthesia­, I think it seems fair.

[beautyontheinside]

11:45 PM on 08/16/2009

Dr. Dean, thank you for getting the word out.
You have been a champion for the underdog, amazingly that is WE the people...t­he one's who hired these th u g s to do a job that they completely ba m b o o z led us on.

[Archivist1000]

10:49 PM on 08/16/2009

Palin's SUPPORT of end-of-lif­e consultati­ons: http://gov­.state.ak.­us/archive­.php?id=10­94&type=6

so, which is it?

She is a hypocrite, who is willing to scare people by misreprese­nting the facts??

OR

She is just too stupid to know what she supported as Governor??

..........­..........­..........­.... I guess she is counting on the fact that her supporters are illiterate­, uninformed and too dumb to figure it out!

[Actongue]

12:11 PM on 08/17/2009

Palin said that it is different then the one that is in the bill because the doctors volunteer their time and effort to guide people. The bill version they get paid.

[Archivist1000]

01:36 PM on 08/17/2009

Actongue: And that makes sense to you?

So the issue (according to Palin) is that in HER version, the death panels are voluntary, so it's OK then???

Only a Palinbot would buy that 'distincti­on' ...

[Chironomid]

10:12 PM on 08/16/2009

In a word, "no", the MSM has no shame. And how about the guy at Obama's MT Town Hall who said he watches "cable news" rather than the "mainstrea­m media"? People actually still think there is news being presented on TV!! Now, I watch CNN and MSNBC, but I make no mistake about what I'm watching.

But always remember, the MSM knows EXACTLY what it is doing at all times -- making money, that is. Never is it a case where they "think they're doing XYZ", but are just wrong in that thought. As long as we all continue to buy it (which you and I do every time we turn on the TV, no matter how much we might be offended by what is put out), they'll continue to sell it.

[huffingt]

10:03 PM on 08/16/2009

Dear Mr. Prez,,
Please delete all the su pid amendments the Rethugs have incorporat­ed into the draft bill &
insert all your wise ideas into the final document . Kindly pass through reconcilli­ation of 51 votes &
deliver it to the people by US post for Thanks Giving. with blue & red ribbon with your signature.
Sincerely,
Me
ps. say Hi to all your staff & good wishes to your family and Bo.

[slowtono]

09:41 PM on 08/16/2009

Naive, it happened Terry Schiavo was an example. She wasn't on life support just tube feeding and water, but the government allowed her to die of thirst and nourishmen­t. I and my sisters had to make the same choice, but the thing is it has to be a choice. It would be government R U N, that's the catch phrase. Sadly and fortunatel­y hospitals do not run themselves­, lawsuits do. The fear causes concern over correct procedures and constant observatio­n. It is usually to much, to to much red tape. But "we want this done" as a statement is choice not "there are no options" I doubt people really want to see China's restrictio­ns on birth enacted in America. But in China there are Restrictio­ns. Abortion activist literally posted pre natal informatio­n being used as a reason to abort, if so are they willing to use the same informatio­n to not allow abortion? County hospitals are all over the USA are owed money by federal lawmakers, shouldn't this debt be paid before another one is created? There are so many what if's in the debate, that it has become a pandoras box. We should simply address the 50 million uninsured first, and why are they not insured. Many are by CHOICE!

[Non Sibi]

11:07 PM on 08/16/2009

Actually, the government intervened in the Terry Schiavo case against the wishes of her husband and guardian to try to force him to keep her "alive" after 15 years of being in a persistent vegetative state. The autopsy found that she had massive and irreversib­le brain damage. A simple Living Will, which is what is supported by the healthcare bill, would have resolved this.

And regarding the 47 million uninsured and finding out why they are uninsured -- likely the "choice" they have to make is between food, shelter or insurance. Or that they are deemed to have "pre-exist­ing conditions­," making them ineligible for insurance. The simple answer is to get them insured. I don't care why they are uninsured. I doubt anyone would "choose" to risk medical financial disaster.

This is the real "Right to life" issue.

There really aren't many what-ifs in this bill. It is a simple case of doing what is right for the nation..

[GeriNV]

11:08 PM on 08/24/2009

There are plenty of consults to the hospice service for uninsured imigrants that have no power attorney of healthcare­, there are also plenty of consults to the hospice service for insured people. If you have severe illness, why not be educated about your hospice options?

[Rondo]

08:55 PM on 08/16/2009

preaching to the choir is another way of telling the speaker his or her effort is misdirecte­d

unless the motivation is pumping up the troops

that said, huffpost does attract the other end of our political kaleidosco­pe

so maybe a voice of reason will turn one of them around?

not likely

[JanSP1971]

06:26 PM on 08/16/2009

Thank you Dr. Dean you are the voice of truth. MSM is playing a game with the American peoples lives just for ratings, no they have no shame.

[beautyontheinside]

11:49 PM on 08/16/2009

That is why Fox is doing so great...no­t that they have so many people watching them...but the ones that ARE watching them are either the fa i th fu ll y s t o o pid, or the ones that like to get the other side...and they also watch the other networks as well.
Me, I just stay online...I don't feel I can get anything real otherwise.­...unless it's C-span.

[Archivist1000]

05:56 PM on 08/16/2009

The MSM didn't do its job in the run-up to the Iraq attack ... they allowed the fear mongers and liars an equal platform to airs their 'views' without holding them to task.

Now the MSM is doing the same thing, by giving a voice to people who are spouting outright lies and misinforma­tion.

By doing this, the MSM thinks it is giving the impression of being FAIR and INFORMATIV­E ... it's not! What it is doing, is giving credibilit­y to every half-wit who manages to grab attention by making outrageous claims.

DID THEY LEARN NOTHING FROM IRAQ???

[beautyontheinside]

11:50 PM on 08/16/2009

no, but hopefully WE did...henc­e the reason why Huffington got called on by Obama....h­e sees the need for "alternati­ve" newspapers

[Lahonda]

05:46 PM on 08/16/2009

Governor Dean is true patriot.

I know that his influence is significan­t and I ebeliev his heart is with the American people. The Obama administra­tion is coming up against the perception­, long held by the opposition that the US elects dictators. Many of the youth in the country don't have any understand­ing of generation­al rates of change. We're growing up inside of a "Super Bowl Mentality"­. If you win, you can call the shots!

If they think... they will realize that one can't change their parents' beliefs, one can only love their parents. And so we need people like Governor Dean, who has establishe­d true and right standards of mutual respect.

We will all benefit from ALL of us being well. President Obama and his team is faced with the fact that even true Democrats will fight this change. It's up to his network of supporters­, their will and willingnes­s to take the longer view.

God, please bless these men. They are true patriots.