Caution: Lying May Be Bad For Your Health
One of Republican Presidential front-runner Mitt Romney's favorite stump lines is that this election is a “battle for America's soul.” There is a lot of truth in that statement. Unfortunately for Americans, there seems to be little truth in anything else Romney has to say. While we have cynically come to expect a certain amount of spin and bending of the truth from our politicians, Romney mangles it with a voraciousness heretofore unseen.
Not that Democrats are immune from such shenanigans, but this disregard for the truth seems to be particularly epidemic in Republican politics this election season especially in regard to our President and his policies. It's one thing to disagree with President Obama's approach to healthcare reform, it's quite another to deliberately lie to your constituents about how the Affordable Care Act will affect their lives in order to turn public opinion against it. You may think that the Recovery Act was bad public policy but to say it was a complete failure and created no jobs is simply not true.
Many liberals, myself included, believe there were deficiencies in both of those bills but we also recognize their positive elements and overall benefit. Most of us realize that good policy comes from compromise and even though “Obamacare” is chock full of Republican ideas we've accepted that some of them actually make a lot of sense. Take the individual mandate for example. This idea originated out of the revered Heritage Foundation and was first proposed in failed Republican sponsored health care reform legislation in the 90s.
So it shouldn't surprise me that my very own U. S. Representative, Rob Woodall, is giving Romney a run for his money in the untruthiness (sic) department. On Wednesday of this week Woodall posted a video clip on his official Facebook page with the following notation; “According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, if the President’s health care law remains on the books, 62 percent of family doctors will stop accepting Medicare patients. At 45 minutes, my Floor Speech on the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) provision found in the President’ health care law is a little long, but if you have any questions at all about the IPAB provision, or want to hear an argument that goes well beyond the typical 'death panel' one, then watching this video will be well worth your time.”
To be blunt, Woodall's statement regarding the American Academy of Family Physicians is a rather bold lie. Woodall is actually referring to a statement the AAFP issued last summer during the debt ceiling debate concerning the “doc fix” which was being held hostage by Republican members of Congress along with the necessary debt ceiling increase. If you're not familiar with the “doc fix,” Wikipedia has an explanation of it under the Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate topic. According to the AAFP statement regarding the debt ceiling proposal:
“The American Academy of Family Physicians appreciates the proposal’s preservation of Medicaid funding and Medicare benefits, but it still poses a grave threat to Medicare patients’ ability to get appointments with their physicians. How? By not addressing the deeply flawed formula on which all Medicare payment is based — the sustainable growth rate formula that under current law requires a 30 percent Medicare cut for physician care on Jan. 1, 2012.
“Data from a 2010 AAFP survey show that a 25 percent Medicare pay cut — five percent less than what is required on Jan. 1, 2012 — would drive 13 percent of family physicians out of business. The loss of these practices goes far beyond the serious access problems for patients, particularly in rural and under served areas that already struggle to find needed medical care. Family physicians generate an average of $1.3 billion in economic activity in their states. The closing of these practices would result in significant loss of revenue and jobs in communities across the country.
“Moreover, according to the 2010 survey, more than seven in 10 family physicians would be forced to limit the number of Medicare patients they can accept and nearly 62 percent will be forced to stop accepting new Medicare patients.”
The required pay cut in question has nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act and indeed the act is not even mentioned. The Medicare Sustainable Growth Rate was enacted 1997 and has been a source of AAFP blackmail ever since. Hence the yearly “doc fix” spectacle. Moreover, Woodall claims that 62 percent of family doctors will stop accepting Medicare patients whereas the AAFP statement clearly states “new” Medicare patients. There is a huge distinction between the two. This was a problem long before Obamacare, in fact Obamacare includes the Primary Care Incentive Payment Program (PCIPP) which provides bonuses to family doctors to encourage them to grow their practices.
The insidiousness of this lie isn't just that Woodall is taking the AAFP's statement out of context and applying it falsely to Obamacare, it's that Obamacare actually attempts to address the family physician problem through the PCIPP bonuses.
My Granny always taught me one lie leads to another and Woodall's video is an even bigger whopper. In fact at 45 minutes it may be the longest lie ever told. Honestly, I couldn't bear watching much more than the first 15 minutes or so. The BS was so deep I was starting to hyperventilate. From what I gather the entire clip consists of Woodall trying to scare folks into believing that the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) will ration care. He even invokes visions of Sarah Palin's imaginary “death panels.”
Early on in his video Woodall encourages you not to actually read the health care bill as there are "lots of good summaries out there." There is good reason for this. If you read the bill, on page 409 under section 3403 which Woodall is citing, under the heading "Proposals" the law describes the requirements for any proposal the IPAB submits. It clearly states "The proposal shall not include any recommendation to ration health care, raise revenues or Medicare beneficiary premiums under section 1818, 1818A, or 1839, increase Medicare beneficiary cost sharing (including deductibles, coinsurance, and co-payments), or otherwise restrict benefits or modify eligibility criteria." Page 428 of the PDF for those playing along at home.
Just as it seems evident to all that Romney will say whatever it takes to get elected, it appears there is no tale too big for Woodall to tell to shill for the buzzards that feather his roost. It is impossible to form good public policy when one side has abandoned the truth and we have never needed clear thinking more than now. The truth is, health care reform is crucial to our competitiveness in global markets. The market-based solution that comprises the Affordable Care Act is a far cry from the single payer “Medicare for all” system that progressives would prefer, in fact it is identical in many aspects to past Republican proposals. It is the epitome of compromise and although it won't be in full effect until 2014 millions have already begun reaping it's benefits. It's time we stopped trying to dismantle it, work to improve it, and get on to other important issues.
The battle for America's soul isn't a battle of Republican vs. Democrat or even liberal vs. conservative, it's a battle of truth vs. propaganda. Due to the Citizens United Supreme Court ruling there will be an unprecedented amount of money spent manipulating the truth during this election. Some of our wealthiest individuals will be spending millions of dollars of their own money, anonymously, to shape your opinion with no rules against telling outright lies. I hate to sound melodramatic but the fate of our nation may indeed rest on our ability to distinguish fact from fiction.
Woodall's lie is an excellent example of what we need to be on guard against. While this one small lie may seem inconsequential there are thousands upon thousands of such deliberate factual misrepresentations littering the internet. The cumulative effect of these is to create a complete false sense of reality for those of us unwilling to question them. Even if you're a Woodall supporter you should be willing to demand the truth, no matter how inconvenient it may be. Not doing so may well prove to be bad for your health.
RL
11:08 am on Sunday, March 25, 2012
If you support Obama, you should demand the truth from him.
He lies every time he opens his mouth.
Hopefully, the Supreme Court will do their due diligence and strike down the the health care bill as un-constitutional.
Brian Crawford
12:10 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Personally RL, I have found our President to be more truthful than most politicians. Do you have a particular lie in mind or are you just throwing out empty accusations? I'm curious why you're so opposed to Obamacare?
Alice
10:05 pm on Sunday, March 25, 2012
Unfortunately, Rob Woodall has been lying about just about everything he has ever done. All his accomplishments are stretching the truth because all he has ever done has been to work for the government. The government that he so despises.
RL
8:34 am on Monday, March 26, 2012
Where should I start? Most recently, he lied about oil production - 96% of all oil production increases came form private land. He had NOTHING to do with higher production but takes credit. He lied about the jobs bill not being passed by republicans. That would be the same Senate (led by low life Harry Reid) that has not produced a budget in, what.... three years? "jobs bill is paid for" - wrong Barry, he kicked the can down the road to our kids. He continues to lie about the "rich not paying their fair share" - wrong again. Check the data - the top 1% of taxpayesras are paying 37% of all taxes. He claims to support Israel and her defense - nope, supporting new Islamic regimes in Libya and Egypt did not support his lie too well.
Should I go on? This is the tip of the iceberg. Admit it, he lies with ever increasing frequency. He will say whatever is most politically expedient. Regarding Obamacare - it is simple - I do not want the imperial federal government telling me to buy insurance. If you do not - you get fined and will come under the scrutiny of his heavy booted goon swat team of enforcers. Just look at this guys past - communist mom and dad, hung out with communist/marxist lovers, went to Jeremiah Wrights church. These are not coincidences. His name was Barack Obama, then it was Barry Soetero, now it is Barrack Obama again. Hmmm, I already mentioned political expediency.
Brian Crawford
12:23 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
What lie has Obama told about oil production? Domestic oil production is the highest it's been since 2003 (http://www.eia.gov/dnav/pet/hist/LeafHandler.ashx?n=pet&s=mcrfpus1&f=a). I don't recall him claiming this is solely due to his policies. I have no idea where you're getting your 96% private land figure but I find it highly unlikely. Most western land (where the oil is) is split estate meaning the government retains mineral rights to sub-surface oil reserves despite private ownership of surface lands.
Despite repeated pleas, the President's jobs bill (which was paid for by taxes on income over $1 mil) has not been passed by Congress. http://money.cnn.com/2011/10/07/news/economy/jobs_bill_obama/index.htm
The "rich not paying their fair share" is a subjective measure. The fact is tax rates on the wealthy are the lowest they've been in over 50 years other than the brief period between 1988 - 92 when the capital gains rate was much higher.
Obama is every bit as supportive of Israel than any other President we've had and there are no Islamist regimes in Egypt or Lybia.
This is what I mean by "a false sense of reality"
Karsten Torch
12:53 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Brian, Obama didn't flat out state he was directly responsible for the increase in oil production, but he did say it's the highest it's been in a long time under his administration, which is basically the same thing. And all this is going on on private land, so yeah, it's no thanks to him or his.
Obama's jobs bill can't even get through the Senate, so hard to just blame republicans on that one. And the jobs bill is a mess. Doubtful it would create any jobs, probably lose a couple. And the biggest lie of all - it's 'paid for' by tax increases. We're running over $1.5 trillion dollars in deficit this year, so we're going to pay for something with money that we're already losing. Isn't this akin to buying a car when you're $50,000 in debt, but you're going to pay for it by not paying your American Express bill that next month? The logic is flawed. Not to mention that the jobs bill gives incentives to employers for doing hiring by cutting taxes (temporarily - so what, the jobs are temporary?) but we're going to raise taxes to pay for the bill? Isn't this counter-productive? Or do cutting taxes really not stimulate anything? Wouldn't this be another lie then?
Karsten Torch
1:06 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
And the rich not paying their fair share is NOT a subjective measure. The same group that pays 37% of all taxes only brings in about 20% (25% according to some sources) of all income. No matter how you slice it, they're paying more than their fair share. Claiming otherwise is at best, dishonest, and at worst, nothing but a lie. And does nothing more than to feed his agenda of class warfare. And whether the rates are lowest they've been in years is irrelevant to that point.
And you're right, giving $1.5 billion dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood is in no way supporting Israel's enemies. Silly of anybody to think that.
Obama makes Clinton look as truthful as Mother Theresa, and that's not an easy task.
Brian Crawford
1:24 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
$1.5 billion dollars to the Muslim Brotherhood? Didn't happen. Where do you people come up with this stuff?
Alice
1:12 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
This article is about Rob Woodall lying and he is. He is lying about the so called "death panels". He is lying about the deficit and taxes. He even lies about his own accomplishments.... he stretches them. He loves to repeat urban legends in the story telling in his town halls. No, the rich aren't paying their fair share. They pay 15% on some of their income and that isn't right.
Brian Crawford
1:31 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Thanks IJ for keeping us on topic. It's easy to get pulled into the weeds.
Karsten Torch
1:25 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
And yes, Rob Woodall lies. As do many politicians. But singling one out for his lies seems slightly hypocritical, especially when what he lies about is the policies set forth by a politician that is even more untruthful.
Very simply, we need to stop making excuses for all of these politicians and hold their feet to the fire. Regardless of what side of the aisle they're on. So in that case, I say 'well done' on the article, only problem is it just seemed awfully one-sided to me, which is what drew the vitriol from some of us.....
Alice
3:03 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Rob Woodall lies almost every single time he opens his mouth. Frankly his life is a lie. His achievements are blown up beyond what they are. He has never been anywhere or done anything except work for the government.
Karsten Torch
1:50 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
http://www.sodahead.com/united-states/obama-administration-gives-15-billion-to-muslim-brotherhood-and-hillary-could-care-less/question-2536081/
http://www.topix.com/forum/city/washington-dc/T4FPBAV4R3D6DDMET
And about a dozen other references I could put. I can understand why you wouldn't know about it, as it got absolutely no time in the media. Imagine that....
RL
2:36 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Thanks Karsten, incredible what is occurring with the POTUS. Brian, you might be right about straying from topic. I suggest your next column be titled "What has happened to truth and integrity in the White House?"
Alice
3:16 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Karsten: Brian's post is about Rob Woodall. Rob Woodall claims to love the constitution yet wants to decimate it by repealing the 16th, 17th and part of the 14th amendments. Incredible
Karsten Torch
3:21 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Again, not defending Woodall. I honestly don't know a lot about him. I was just chiming in on the part where RL mentioned Obama and Brian said he thought he was fairly honest. But you're right, we got off track....
Brian Crawford
6:30 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Karsten, I did the same search and read the same links. I asked for a credible news source not the right wing grist mill. There is no truth in this, it is part of the "false reality" I referred to in my piece.
Alice
3:27 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Karsten: You ought to learn a LOT about Woodall. He's just a cut-out - cardboard figure that doesn't have enough life experience to think for himself
Karsten Torch
3:49 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Yeah, I'm noticing that I'm going to have to research him. Seems some good information is coming to light....
RL
3:56 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
Alright, stay in task. Brian, you say Woodall is lying when analyzing these points in the 2000 page healthcare bill. If that monstrosity had not been passed by the thinnest of margins in the middle of the night we would not be having this discussion. The bottom line is this: do you or do you not want the government to control your access to doctors, level of healthcare, etc. Of course, the answer is NO. I already have too much government in my life. These people will not stop until we are all dependent on them regardless of your lot in life.
Alice
4:00 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
RL: So its OK with you to have INSURANCE companies controlling access to doctors and level of healthcare? Republicans don't want to support any of that. Mr Woodall sure doesn't. Woodall in fact wants to limit your options. He wants to do away with Medicare, he doesn't think the government should take care of old people. He said so in a town hall. He wanted to know "When do I get to take care of ME". Then he was asked if he wanted to take care of himself, why didn't he reject the gov't insurance that comes with his job (other Congress members have done this) and go on the free market and purchase his own. His reply? " I keep my government healthcare because its free". This is on youtube if you want to see it. Its really eye opening and heart breaking
R++ - One of the famous "Dacula Crew"
5:12 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
IJ Please list some more of those points where he lies at every turn...
"Rob Woodall has been lying about just about everything he has ever done."
"wants to decimate it by repealing the 16th, 17th and part of the 14th amendments"
Repealing an amendment is NOT decimating the constitution; it’s using the tools the framers provided. You must not be a fan of the FAIR tax because it, simply put, would shift taxes from income to consumption. (I dont think it will ever pass as local governments have passed massive sales taxes choking out any opportunity at this point.) The framers could not have conceived how big the “baby” they brought into the world would grow or how much it would spend …
RL
5:43 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
You have options when it comes to insurance companies. With that said, introducing more competition would help lower costs. You mention the government does not want to take care of old people. I'm guessing you meant to say "the taxpayer" instead of government. Medicare, like any federal program, is grossly out of control and expensive. I think it is a legitimate question - When do the people footing the bills (taxpayers) get to spend their hard earned efforts on themselves rather than others? Why would Woodall reject the Congressional healthcare plan? He works there. Of course, it is exempt from Obamacare dictates. Wouldn't you keep free employer provided healthcare? I'm self-employed. Talk about scary when it comes to insurance. I still don't want the government in my business.
Karsten Torch
4:26 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
I saw that clip from Woodall. What he actually said was "At some point you have to ask yourself 'When do I get to take care of ME?'" And he has a point - why do we just assume that once somebody gets old, we have to pay for them? Or, actually, once we get old, why do we assume that we no longer have to pay for anything for ourselves? He's got a point on this, IMO.
I also don't understand the concept of bagging on representatives because they have the insurance. How is that plan any different from any other employer-paid plan? I mean, other than being much, much, much better. But still, they work for us, and we provide their insurance. It makes sense to me. They're not getting handouts. Officially.
Alice
4:47 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
I bag him because he wants to limit everybody else's options and make everybody else go on the free market for healthcare. Seniors will have no choice. And he doesn't understand how hard it is. He's smug, keeping his gov't subsidized healthcare while a senior, with pre-existing will have to fend for himself. Seniors contribute to medicare. They have contributed ALL their lives. Part B is not free. I would have no problem with Congress people having employer subsidized insurance IF they didn't want to pull the rug out under seniors. Woodall specifically stated in that town hall that he didn't believe in Medicare.
Sharon Swanepoel
4:54 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
I saw a series of those meetings and I believe, when taken in context, what Woodall was trying to say is that it is just human nature to over indulge when something is free. If we have to pay for our own dinner, and we can only eat meatloaf and mash, that's what we'll order. If someone else is picking up the tab, heck - we'll all have the lobster!
Alice
4:56 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
I was AT that meeting. I know the context. Its for ME and not for thee is his attitude. He's done this his entire life. Lived off the gov't trough but expecting everybody else to be self reliant
Alice
5:48 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
RL says "You have options when it comes to insurance companies". Really? Where. My employer offers 2 plans, same insurance company. Thats it. That's not an option. They are bureaucratic, limit care, and on some plans, my "customer service" was in the Phillipines. We don't have options. As far as Medicare, it was created because the private healthcare companies refused to enter that market at all and seniors were dying. I never said there weren't problems with it, but I don't feel the answer is to get rid of it. As far as Woodall is concerned, my problem with him is that he wants to limit OTHER's choices, make things harder for OTHER people and while still enjoying good healthcare. Its "up yours, I've got mine". Where in the new healthcare plan does it say Congress is exempt. They are NOT exempt from Social Security BTW.
Brian Crawford
6:48 pm on Monday, March 26, 2012
I'm going to jump in here to remind everyone that Medicare isn't free. It is an insurance program we all pay into and in my opinion should be the model for our entire health insurance system.
Under our current system we pay thousands of dollars in health insurance premiums when we're young and healthy that build zero equity. As we age and become sick the current system (before Obamacare) allows insurers to weed out the sick folks who's care then falls to the taxpayer. Some young people opt to avoid paying into the system at all and become freeloaders by choice.
This is crazy. The only people who benefit from such a system are the health insurers and to some degree providers. This is also why the individual mandate is a necessity.
RL
9:34 pm on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
The individual mandate is un-constitutional. And if so deemed by the Supreme Court, the balance of the law becomes questionable. I'm not against reforming the medical system. It is broken. I just don't want the imperial federal government shoving it down my throat.
Karsten Torch
9:33 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
I agree that the health industry needs work, but pretty much all the problems we have can be directly traced back to the government and their interventions. If they'd get out of it, enforce the contracts between the insurance companies and the insured (like is one of the only duties they're supposed to have, IMO), and let the free market take its course, we'd all be better off......
rhelm
1:32 pm on Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Great post Brian. Please keep it up.
Alice
9:54 am on Thursday, March 29, 2012
Karsten: EVERY SINGLE TIME, the gov't tries to enforce the contracts between the insurance companies and the insured people like you scream GOV'T INTERVENTION. The insurance companies are EXEMPT from anti trust laws. They keep too many secrets from the insured and we are over a barrel. We are asking our gov't for redress. That's our right.