Opponents of health care reform have been wringing their hands these last few months. Ever since America elected a president dedicated to fixing our broken system last November, it seems that no amount of spin can distract people from the fact that we're paying billions of dollars for a health care system that doesn't work.
This week, as a last ditch effort, Republican spin-doctor Frank Luntz floated a confidential memo on how to scare Americans into believing health care reform is bad. The only problem: the memo was leaked. And, now, the media and members of Congress are calling his bluff.
Today, U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley of Oregon called out Luntz's memo for what it is - an attempt to kill health care reform:
Dr. Luntz, the man who developed language designed to promote preemptive war in Iraq and distract from the severity of global warming, is at it again -- this time with a messaging strategy designed to sink our historic opportunity for health care reform.
Let's be clear: this is not a strategy to push certain ideas about health reform. It is a strategy intended solely to kill reform efforts altogether. In his own words, Dr. Luntz has stated, "You're not going to get what you want, but you can kill what they're trying to do."
Among the finer points of Luntz's memo is the section in which he encourages enemies of fixing health care to - as Time magazine put it - "scare people. Especially about their children." Because they can't win the debate on its merits, Luntz recommends fear mongering and double talk to confuse away the issue.
This is the same low road political maneuvering the right wing used to attack President Obama's plan during the 2008 election. And according to Senator Merkley, just like in 2008, it's not going to work for health care:
I have to give Dr. Luntz credit on one front: he points out that Republicans need to appear to be on the "right side of reform" or they lose the health care argument. The problem is that you can't fake support for reform. You're either for improving the quality and affordability of health care or you're against it. You're either for expanding coverage to every American or you're against it. At the end of the day, no matter what talking points they use, each member of Congress is going to have to vote for or against improving our broken health care system.
Luntz has a little tag line that he uses throughout his memo - "words that work." He tries to give our enemies words that will work to derail the movement to fix health care. But Americans have watched politicians talk in circles long enough.
Words that work won't cut it anymore. It's time for Change That Works. We need to let our coworkers, friends, family - anyone who is fed up with the state of our health care system - know about people like Luntz and how important it is to stand up to their lies.
Together, we can cut through the words and create real change in our broken health care system.
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Service Employees International Union
Change to Win Federation USA | Canadian Labour Congress
1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036
© SEIU | Privacy Policy
Frank Luntz is the epitome of the contemporary ubereducated American who asks not what he can do for his country, but what he can do to get as much money or sex or power as he can. The means is not important, only the payout. Racism, classism, greed, apathy, political chaos and an eroded democracy are the bastard children of this hedonistic, "me-first" philosophy.
"Just win, baby" has become the mantra of the rich and powerful. Truth is an inconvenience that stifles 'free enterprise' and threatens the status quo. All opponents are misguided, confused, ignorant, liars or worse. Red is blue if I can convince you -- and if I can't, I can ask questions and raise doubts.
A popular President becomes the pejorative "rock star," or the "Messiah," a terrorist, a Muslim, and "appeaser" the anti-christ or an ape. He wants to take away our guns and take us down the road to socialism. He's doing too much. He's doing too little. Where's the change and bipartisanship?
But all is not lost. All the Chaneys and Bushes and McConnells and Shelbys and Grahams and Perrys and Limbaughs and O'Reillys would be lost without a significant number of highly (bought and) paid (for) fourth branch of government: the media. They don't all have to be crooked, but only just enough of them to muddy the waters and confuse the public.
All is not lost because the people can demand more than sound-bites of lies, misinformation and half-truths.
Without people like those California voters who said "no" to more taxes to pay off politicians and prison guards and illegals -- a stance that will require even more sacrifices of millions of working people who live from month-to-month -- without people who are willing to defer gratification to rid themselves of evil, we will always be subject to the whims of a growing elite that is hell-bent on taking away the few freedoms we retain, even our will to fight them.