Tuesday, October 27, 2009

On Public Option, MSM Got It Wrong

By Robert Parry
October 27, 2009

The American mainstream media is in another snit, having misjudged the prospects for the public option on health care almost as completely as big-time journalists bungled the reporting on the Iraq War and a host of other important stories during George W. Bush’s presidency.

Read on.
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5 comments:

sanda said...

So much noise about nothing. The public wants single payer - Medicare for All and got diverted by vague promises of a "public option".

I think Black Agenda Report has the best evaluations of Obama on health care "reform", the blog articles by
Bruce A. Dixon and Glen Ford
www.blackagendareport.com over months and ongoing.

Tue Oct 27, 01:26:00 PM 2009
Morton Kurzweil said...

maybeCongress got it wrong.
Health is not the public option. That is what has been overdue for sixty years or more.
The private option should be under discussion. Fair competition should require private insurance plans to accept members without preexisting conditions or special rates. The national health program must require negotiations with private vendors of supplies and services, and lobbyists should be in jail.

Tue Oct 27, 02:00:00 PM 2009
Anonymous said...

Rep. Alan Grayson appeared on Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room," and said that the Republicans have no health care plan. What their plan amounts to is: "Don't get sick, or if you do---die quickly." But, they do have... a plan----the Santa Claus -- occasional acts of charity mostly for tax shelter purposes.

It was interesting to see the reaction of Wolf's Quartet as they unsuccessfully tried to bring Grayson down. They have become used to uncritically regurgitating the right-wing propaganda without being challenged by many a wimpy Dem. They tried pontificating about how incivility of his discourse can harm the Democrat's chances of working with those on the other side of the aisle. Blitzer and Borger were almost apocalyptic in trying to get at least a small nod from the towering Grayson for their song and dance. The other two minor players also joined the B & B duo to nip at Grayson's heals, who just waved their absurd arguments off. It is worth watching a clip just for the histrionics, without bothering about substance, which in any case was completely absent from the Quartet's babble.

Grayson said it was important that somebody speak the truth loud and clear to prevent the untruths and obstructionism from killing the reform effort alltogether. What is said is that the truth is not that important to MSM today, who give equal time to truth and lie, the latter being just another point of view worthy of equal airtime. Suspending all judgment, they like to be referees in a cockfight.

I have asked the CNN folks to please read Perlstein's article, http://is.gd/2OAz8 , and see if they find a reflection of themselves in the portrayal of the media in the article.

Despite repeated efforts through the meager channels available to me, I have not seen any feedback, either directly to me or publicly on the air during their show.

CONSIDER THIS ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO CNN TO PROVE THAT THEY DO NOT FIT IN THE PERLSTEIN'S MOLD OF MSM.

Wed Oct 28, 09:56:00 AM 2009
Arvind said...

Rep. Alan Grayson appeared on Wolf Blitzer's "Situation Room," and said that the Republicans have no health care plan. What their plan amounts to is: "Don't get sick, or if you do---die quickly." But, they do have... a plan----the Santa Claus -- occasional acts of charity mostly for tax shelter purposes.

It was interesting to see the reaction of Wolf's Quartet as they unsuccessfully tried to bring Grayson down. They have become used to uncritically regurgitating the right-wing propaganda without being challenged by many a wimpy Dem. They tried pontificating about how incivility of his discourse can harm the Democrat's chances of working with those on the other side of the aisle. Blitzer and Borger were almost apocalyptic in trying to get at least a small nod from the towering Grayson for their song and dance. The other two minor players also joined the B & B duo to nip at Grayson's heals, who just waved their absurd arguments off. It is worth watching a clip just for the histrionics, without bothering about substance, which in any case was completely absent from the Quartet's babble.

Grayson said it was important that somebody speak the truth loud and clear to prevent the untruths and obstructionism from killing the reform effort alltogether. What is said is that the truth is not that important to MSM today, who give equal time to truth and lie, the latter being just another point of view worthy of equal airtime. Suspending all judgment, they like to be referees in a cockfight.

I have asked the CNN folks to please read Perlstein's article, http://is.gd/2OAz8 , and see if they find a reflection of themselves in the portrayal of the media in the article.

Despite repeated efforts through the meager channels available to me, I have not seen any feedback, either directly to me or publicly on the air during their show.

CONSIDER THIS ANOTHER CHALLENGE TO CNN TO PROVE THAT THEY DO NOT FIT IN THE PERLSTEIN'S MOLD OF MSM.

Wed Oct 28, 09:58:00 AM 2009
Anonymous said...

You may put a boor in a position of diplomacy but you can't make him a diplomat. He should be removed from office. One of the worst things you can do is embarrass a party that adheres to the old system of honour. That is what he did in Japan, he dishonoured his hosts.

Tue Nov 03, 05:14:00 PM 2009

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