The video above is an example of good work by the White House to rebut smears that the right-wing has used to create a sense of fear in their base supporters. Linda Douglass, who leads White House communications on healthcare, responds to the false accusations that President Obama is seeking to abolish private health insurance and is pushing for legislation that would prevent individuals from choosing their own doctors. Obviously both are false--and Douglass does a great job of going point-by-point to defend Obama.

What's even more effective is that the video features cuts of President Obama himself stating clearly what he thinks reform should and should not do. For example, the President has consistently said that if you like your insurance plan, your doctor (or both), you will be able to keep them--and he's even proposed eight consumer protections relating specifically to the health insurance industry.

Not surprisingly, the right-wing doesn't have a leg to stand on when they are left dealing with facts and not fear tactics.

Video crops out truth of Obama's comments on healthcare

As chronicled by Media Matters, some of the fabrications on Obama's health care reform plan are so blatant they make you want to jump up and yell "Liar, liar, pants on fire!" at the talking heads, politicians and corporate lobbyists. For example: On August 2rd, a YouTube video surfaced of from an SEIU/CAP event in 2007 featuring Obama discussing health care--specifically, the then-Senator was discussing how health insurance could transition away from a system of primarily "employer coverage."

Cut to Drudge Report and Fox News declaring, "Uncovered Video: Obama Explains How His Health Care Plan Will 'Eliminate' Private Insurance" and "2007 Video! Did Obama Say He Wants to Kill Private Insurance?," respectively. Funny, we were at that event in 2007, and that's not quite how we remember it.

Here's Media Matters for the fact check:

Contrary to cropped video, Obama did not suggest "employer coverage" would be "eliminate[d]" in 10 to 20 years. Nor did he suggest it would be eliminated by his plan. What Obama actually said [YouTube video cropped the comments in italics]: "But I don't think we're going to be able to eliminate employer coverage immediately. There's going to be potentially some transition process. I can envision a decade out or 15 years out or 20 years out where we've got a much more portable system.

Obama stated during forum that under his plan, employers "still have the option of providing coverage." Following the remarks included in the YouTube video, Obama stated that under that "much more portable system": Employers still have the option of providing coverage, but many people may find that they get better coverage, or at least coverage that gives them more for health care dollars than they spend outside of their employer. And I think we've got to facilitate that and let individuals make that choice to transition out of employer coverage."

Later in forum, Obama stated that under his plan, pooling options would exist "in addition to the employer based system." Obama stated: "[O]ne thing that I think is important is to recognize that there are a lot of small employers who would like to get health care for their workers but they themselves can't afford it because they don't have access to large enough pools to allow them to save money. That's why I think it's going to be important for us in whatever system that we set up to make sure that in addition to the employer based system that we've got an alternative system that individuals who aren't getting it through the job can access."

This is the most important time in the movement to fix health care; we need to continue shining a light on the distortions and biased stats. When all else fails (i.e. the facts), the right-wing always resorts to what it knows best. Could it be because they're hoping you'll be so scared, you won't ask for any?

Thanks to you, the media is finally airing Rick Scott's dirty laundry. Yesterday morning, both CNN and FOX News confronted Scott about his miserable record in the health care industry.

It seems the nearly 20,000 emails you sent to CNN and FOX News were enough to get the message across, and now they're passing that message on to viewers: Rick Scott can't be trusted when it comes to health care.

Watch video of CNN and Fox News going after Rick Scott on live television: action.seiu.org/RickScott

Here's the thing, though--Rick Scott is still running ads across the country; he's still using the money he made gaming the health care system to try to kill President Obama's plans for reform.

He may have deep pockets, but they're not deep enough to drown our movement to fix health care. Will you help shine light on the REAL Rick Scott? Share this video with your friends: action.seiu.org/RickScott

This is the man who was ousted by the board of his own company amid a "rash of civil and criminal fraud inquiries." His own company didn't trust him, and now he's asking America to. All I'm asking is that they know the truth about his past before they make their decision.

Watch and share the news segments on Rick Scott: action.seiu.org/RickScott

Rick Scott knows what he can get away with.

Recently, Mr. Scott bought ads for his group "Conservatives for Patients' Rights" on CNN and FOX News networks. The ads were created by the same firm behind the now discredited "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads from the 2004 presidential campaign.

Rick Scott's anti-health care reform ad is chock-full of misinformation. SEIU has requested that the ads be pulled based on the following:

• Rick Scott misleads viewers about the Federal Coordinating Council , claiming: "not only could a government board deny your choice in doctors, but it can control life and death for some patients." This statement is demonstrably false.
• The advertisement further deceives viewers by blatantly misrepresenting the positions of two physicians. (Our full request is available here.)

These lies break CNN and Fox News' own policies protecting viewers from false advertising. But the television networks are doing nothing.

Watch the video, then tell FOX News and CNN to stop airing this ad: http://action.seiu.org/tellFoxNews

CNN's lawyers are giving CPR five business days to respond. During this time, they will continue running CPR's ad. The 60-second ad runs until May 7th, which means that if CPR fails to defend the gross misstatements and distortions in their ad, they only stand to lose one day of airtime.

CNN claims this is "standard" policy for advertising disputes. If that's the case, no wonder CPR chose to run their misleading advertisement on their network. (Meanwhile, FOX News has not responded to our request.)

We welcome thoughtful discussion and disagreement on health care reform - what we will not tolerate are lies and distortions meant to scare the American public.

Join SEIU in calling on FOX News and CNN to adhere to their own policies and immediately cease running CPR's distortions: http://action.seiu.org/tellFoxNews

Thanks for speaking out.

Rick Scott's group, Conservatives for Patients' Rights (CPR), responded today to SEIU's written request to CNN and FOX News for removal of the group's ads. The ads, which were created by the same PR firm behind the now widely-discredited "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads in 2004, contain false statements and distortions that are intended to mislead the viewing public.

Below are two of the inaccurate claims made in their ad:

• Rick Scott misleads viewers about the Federal Coordinating Council , claiming: "not only could a government board deny your choice in doctors, but it can control life and death for some patients." This statement is demonstrably false.
• The advertisement further deceives viewers by blatantly misrepresenting the positions of two physicians.

Here's the kicker: CPR failed to address a single point made in our case for removal.

Instead, CPR posted a blog entry that is nothing more than an ideological red-herring. (Read it for yourself, here.) We can only assume that their response is an attempt to distract us from the fact that they cannot defend their own ad.

SEIU welcomes a robust debate on the merits of health care policy-what we do not welcome is false, misleading advertising that scares people.

Once again, CPR has demonstrated how little regard they hold for the facts. We hope that CNN, which has given CPR five business days to respond, considers CPR's public comment on our case to be their official response.

Sign our petition calling on FOX News and CNN to to quit airing CPR's irresponsible, false ad.

Yesterday, SEIU sent letters to FOX News and CNN requesting they pull a grossly misleading ad by Rick Scott's "Conservatives for Patients Rights." The ads, which contain false statements and misleading quotes from doctors, were produced by the same PR firm that created the now-widely discredited "Swift Boat Veterans for Truth" ads against Sen. John Kerry in 2004.

Below are the reasons we are asking for this ad to be taken down:

• Rick Scott, the narrator featured in the advertisement, misleads viewers about the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research, a newly-created entity by the economic recovery package signed into law by President Obama in February. Mr. Scott makes a specific claim: "not only could a government board deny your choice in doctors, but it can control life and death for some patients." This statement is demonstrably false. In reality, the powers of this so-called "government board" are clearly defined and cannot do what Mr. Scott claims. The statutory authority of the Council specifically excludes the power "to mandate coverage, reimbursement, or other policies for any public or private payer." It is worth noting that even under President Bush, the National Institute of Health already had an annual budget of $355 million to conduct precisely this type of research. Plainly, this has not led to the sort of catastrophic consequences in America that Mr. Scott warns against.


• The advertisement further deceives viewers by blatantly misrepresenting the positions of two physicians. While the advertisement paints both as opponents of any role for government in health care reform, in reality, just the opposite is true. Both physicians are in fact supporters of universal health care. What they are opposed to is the U.S. 'two-tiered' system that already rations health care based on the ability to pay. In fact, Mr. Scott misrepresented Dr. Day's comments, and Dr. Day openly mocked the ineffectiveness of the U.S. health care system. What Dr. Day is opposed to is Canada's outdated funding model, not Canada's healthcare system. Dr. Day actually advocates reform of the funding structure to preserve Canada's healthcare system, not dismantle it.

Update:

CNN has provided a disappointing response to our request. According to their lawyer, they are giving CPR five business days to respond. During this time, they will continue running CPR's ad. The 60-second ad runs until May 7th, which means that if CPR fails to defend the gross misstatements and distortions in their ad, they only stand to lose one day of airtime.

CNN claims this is "standard" policy for advertising disputes. If that's the case, no wonder CPR chose to run their misleading advertisement on their network.

Download our entire letter to CNN and FOX News.

Join the chorus of viewers calling for CNN and FOX News to adhere to their own truth-in-advertising policies and remove this ad: http://action.seiu.org/page/s/TellFoxNews