UPDATED: Palin's "Lie of the Year" was not a misunderstanding
December 23, 2009 11:29 am ET by Matt Gertz
Reporting on Sarah Palin's response to Politifact naming her claim that Democratic health care bills contain a "death panel" the 2009 "Lie of the Year," Politico's Ben Smith suggests that it's possible that this has all been a big misunderstanding:
She was talking about, she now says, the Medicare Advisory Board, in combination with forecasted declines in Medicare spending:
[...]
In the haze of confusion over this issue, some of Palin's defenders had equated her words with a measure, since dropped, to provide of end-of-life counseling.
Contrary to Smith's suggestion, back in September, when asked what Palin was referring to when she said that under reform, "Obama's 'death panel' " would "decide" whether her parents or her son Trig, who has Down syndrome, were "worthy of health care," Palin spokeswoman Meghan Stapleton responded in an email to ABC's Jake Tapper: "From HR3200 p. 425 see 'Advance Care Planning Consultation'."
That is, of course, the very provision serial health care misinformer Betsy McCaughey had referred to in claiming that the House health care reform bill would "absolutely require" end-of-life counseling for seniors "that will tell them how to end their life sooner." The media subsequently debunked McCaughey and Palin's claims more than 40 times.
Either Palin's own spokesperson was caught up in that same "haze of confusion"... or Palin is cynically changing her definitions in an attempt to preserve her credibility.
Oh, and the Medicare Advisory Board isn't a "death panel" either.
UPDATE: Smith responds, calling my argument "pretty convincing."
Preserve her credibility? Wouldn't she have to establish it before it could be preserved? It's like saying I'm trying to preserve my herd of unicorns.
Now it's off to watch Charlie the Unicorn videos on youtube.
We must remember that Ben does spend his entire day refreshing Palin's Facebook page breathlessly awaiting her next insightful interlude to be posted ...
Do I have that right?
The Troglodytes who now own the Republican Party seem determined to rid themselves of the few remaining "intellectuals". They also seem to be gravitating toward Simple Sarah, and are trying real hard to erase her Lying Twit image.
The interesting part will see how many lies they will tell to obscure her lies. We know the drooling Republican base will loyally vote for her no matter what... but can they fool enough moderates and independents to elect a numbskull like Palin? It worked with Bush, but at least he didn't quit halfway through his term as Governor.
Rehabilitating Palin will be a challenge, even for the Professional liars who populate the GOP propaganda machine.
Bush also had tens of millions in personal wealth and the backing of the Republican establishment when he ran to soften and make excuses for his ignorance.
All over the place!
How sad. As one person on Facebook suggested, it's time to organize "Stupid Panels" to rid us of Sarah.
Q. What do you call a pit bull in lipstick?
A. Better looking...
It's STILL a lie!!
"The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama's ‘death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their ‘level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil."
Prior to that she references "economist" Thomas Sowell's prediction that "government health care" will not reduce costs. She continues that government then won't pay for needed care.
She directly references that government WILL NOT pay for procedures... then people will stand before the 'death panel' based on 'productivity in society'. Then she calls a system such as this "downright evil".
She CLEARLY believed her own distortion as EXACTLY what she posted then. It's CLEAR that what she's saying now about some sort of misunderstanding about what she said then is an outright lie.
I realize some of the comments posted here go over the top, but yikes, there are some very delusional people posting at Politico. It's good insight to why there is this continual belief in the lies spewed about liberals, MMFA, Obama, etc.
Apparently in wing-nut world, the facts are arbitrary and you can make up whatever you want, as long as they meet your preconceived ideas.
**heavy sigh**
First one is when Obama and the Dems said they were going to be the most transparent and open people in the history of the Republic. Yet they support and ram bills through Congress in middle of the night, which very few of their members have actually read.
Second one is the Nutroots-inspired tale of Sarah Palin's book: They said it was written by a ghostwriter (never mind it has never been determined if Hillary or Obama used one), Then they said rightwingers were buying the book in bulk and them selling online (as if that is illegal-Ebay anyone), but then it was determined through an investigation that that rumor was untrue, oh yes don't forget the scandalous rumor that the twits at Media Blathers were going on about: That there was a conspiracy of online booksellers to sell her book at lower rate than in retail stores (Maybe that's why more and more people shop online, don't have to fight for a parking spot and crowds).
That one is hurting credibility.