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Debunking The GOP's Phony Euthanasia Myth -- Since Politico Won't
In recent days, a new right-wing scare tactic on health-care has blossomed on conservative blogs and emails lists: the notion that the reform bill making its way through the House would lead to euthanasia by requiring senior citizens to submit to "end-of-life consultations."
It won't surprise you to learn this is a lie. But President Obama just got a question on it at a public event. And the idea has now made it into Politico, where a straight news story asks in its headline, all even-handed: "Will proposal promote euthanasia?" Since Politico thinks it'll be easier to "win the morning" by misleading readers into believing there's a legitimate debate over this issue, it's worth taking a minute to debunk it.
In fact, Politico's story contains pretty much all the information needed to do that. It's just that almost none of it makes it into the headline, or the first seven paragraphs of the piece, which focus on the fact that Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and other reforms opponents are raising the euthanasia alarm.
The provision at issue would require Medicare, for the first time, to cover advanced care consultations for seniors once every five years, or more frequently if the patient has a life threatening disease. These consultations include "an explanation by the practitioner of the continuum of end-of-life services and supports available, including palliative care and hospice, and benefits for such services and supports that are available under this title."
Seniors are in no way required to take advantage of this benefit. (Politico renders this information as: "it does not mandate individuals to take advantage of the benefit, proponents say.") Indeed, the chief proponent of the notion that the consultations are required, reform opponent Betsy McCaughey, is reduced to arguing that, though they're not technically mandated, seniors might feel pressured by doctors or nurses who suggest having such sessions.
Nor is there any reasonable basis for believing that these consultations, if chosen, would do anything to promote euthanasia -- which is illegal in 48 states anyway. Discussions between sick or elderly people and their doctors about end-of-life treatment have long been an accepted part of modern patient care. As Politico itself notes, in 2003, a Bush administration agency "issued a 20-page report outlining a five-part process for physicians to discuss end-of-life care with their patients." And since 1990, Congress has required health-care agencies to inform patients about state laws regarding advance directives such as a living will.
So in terms of the substance, that's pretty much that. In terms of Politico's role, here's the thing:
The only basically accurate way to cover this self-evidently phony controversy would be to frame it as something like: "Congressional Republicans Take Cues From Limbaugh By Misleading Americans on Health Care Bill." But that wouldn't fit into the conventions of mainstream political journalism, wherein assessing the facts of a partisan dispute and clearly calling out one side is forbidden.
So instead we get: "Will proposal promote euthanasia?" Hope you guys won the morning.
Josh
Zachary
I wondered where that townhall question came from...unbelievable.
How does the GOP get away with this pandering of whole cloth crap so often?
July 28, 2009 2:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Well, remember, there's a left-hand side to the IQ bell-curve.
July 29, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
MSM:
We don't do that fact from fiction thing.
July 28, 2009 3:11 PM | Reply | Permalink
I can hear Mika and Joe now. Think I'll skip morning teevee before leaving for work for the rest of the week.
July 28, 2009 3:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Politico has dropped off the list of reliable sources for real news...just like drudge---!
The MSM allow it for ratings but people are fleeing in droves to other sources and their ad revenue and ratings are in the toilet!
New sources pop up everyday! Good riddance to the rubbish!
July 28, 2009 3:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Politico was never on my list of reliable sources in the first place. They struck me as sleazy from the very start. Matt Drudge in pin stripes.
July 29, 2009 1:42 AM | Reply | Permalink
Agreed on Politico. But the problem is they show up as credible and neutral half the time, then get taken seriously on the wing-nut biased stuff that's their real agenda. Drudge at least you know with 95% certainty is just making it up, in any particular instance.
July 29, 2009 10:18 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nor I. I smelled them out immediately. Even the talking heads they send to the MSM to spew their lies - they are all the same. Other than Maddow and Olbermann, and even Shuster, no one is reporting the truth.
Matthews is as bad as Fox folks and CNN folks
July 31, 2009 11:11 AM | Reply | Permalink
Politico is debunked in lieu of facts and journalism.
July 28, 2009 3:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
I thought Republicans were all for euthanasia, so long as the person is criminal, an enemy combatant, a terrorist, or make the mistake of living in a country where we might want to shoot some guns and drop some bombs.
July 28, 2009 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
I hope it does! At least on request! How many folks at an advanced age would just rather end their lives their way instead of ending up like a doped up, knocked out zombie? So far this is the only thing out of the Republicans I can agree with. I'm all for it!
July 28, 2009 5:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
"...ending up like a doped up, knocked out zombie..."
Don't forget: "with all their wealth transferred to doctors and the health care industry."
July 28, 2009 11:48 PM | Reply | Permalink
It does. Or, at least, it allows for patients to specify if they would prefer no extraordinary measures be taken. Since medicare has never paid for this type of consultation before, people have had to make pretty uninformed decisions or have left their wishes unexpressed. This way, if they WANT to, they can specify their wishes and relieve their family of the burden of that decision.
But the looney right doesn't like it because there's a good chance if given the opportunity a lot more people will specify their wish to die in peace. Think how much paid we'd all have been saved if Terry Schiavo had made her wishes clear on this issue - either way.
July 29, 2009 7:23 AM | Reply | Permalink
Me too. I don't want to live forever and I certainly don't want to live in pain or hooked up to tubes and machines.
Dying is a part of life and we need to have intelligent discussions on dying so that people aren't so afraid of the inevitable. A hospice nurse has published a great little publication called Gone From My Sight and this book is the best I hae ever read. It explains the dying process from their experience with their patients I watched my mother die and if someone would do that for me, I would be delighted. People who have a terminal illness and know it, start leaving us in their minds first and start displaying certain behaviors that come with dying. The body is amazing and so is the brain Once people accept the fact that they are dying, they no longer are afraid. I certainly am not afraid to die and no one should be.
July 31, 2009 11:17 AM | Reply | Permalink
What is most amazing...is that some Senior's may actually believe this crap. As a Senior, I know better and have fired back at those "scare tactics" by those who are trying to use this verbage....the fight on the AARP website is really amusing? As the GOP bloggers there use bold and colors (thank goodness I don't have to actually hear them RANT!!!) and the others try to carry on civilized conversation to explain why they are so wrong.
The other amusing part on the AARP website is that they are complaining about "review every 5 years"...like who needs education....all in all quite juvenile for Seniors.
July 28, 2009 6:16 PM | Reply | Permalink
From the above:
GOP and conservative activist say, "Will proposal promote euthanasia?" Well, I would have to say that our current culture of greed/violence/burn the candle at both ends/a laughable press at times/etc. is doing just fine right now. I mean for fucks sake open your eyes people. If you don't have a personal story about suffering in our culture or a story from someone close to you who suffered then your eyes must be closed. I am not looking for utopia but I don't think you have ot be crazy to think that we could do a little better.
July 28, 2009 6:44 PM | Reply | Permalink
Its the Wolf Blitzer brand of "journalism";
Blitzer; 'Mitch McConnell says the world is flat, what do you say to that Senator Dodd?'
July 29, 2009 7:09 AM | Reply | Permalink
Exactly!
July 29, 2009 1:42 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's called 'urinalism.'
As opposed to journalism.
July 29, 2009 9:16 AM | Reply | Permalink
As an employee benefits attorney, clients have been asking me about whether the proposed health reform bill requires "mandatory end-of-life counseling." It is not mandatory. No one has to think about their own mortality or to make informed judgments about their own medical care. However, the bill would provide some reimbursement for professional time helping those individuals who want to make their own decisions.
I would like to see true health care reform, including a true public option and some programs (e.g., community hospitals and clinics) involving single payer governmental programs for communities that want to experiment. Let's see whether there might be true efficiencies if communities provide health care like the Veterans Administration does.
July 29, 2009 9:52 AM | Reply | Permalink
It's hardly just Politico and other blatant GOP tankers. Sanjay Gupta got a question this AM from a CNN "iReporter" about this issue. Nicely timed, GOP/media/corporatist establishment.
July 29, 2009 9:54 AM | Reply | Permalink
With these latest follies, everyone acts surprised and offended.
Did anyone not expect this sort of thing? Do any of you underestimate the tactics used by those opposing health reform? Come on!
July 29, 2009 9:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
May the first syringe go to Mr. Boner.
July 29, 2009 10:07 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hear! Hear!
Boner and LimpBow are obviously euthanasia addicts. Hannity and Cantor still look a little too lifelike, prob. are not into the heavy stuff yet.
July 29, 2009 10:22 AM | Reply | Permalink
Hey is it just me or is Boehner oranger than a Syracuse freshman at a Homecoming game? Honestly, by comparison Boehner makes Obama look like Ed Begley.
July 29, 2009 11:04 AM | Reply | Permalink
If health reform will promote euthanasia then Boehner's natural skin color is darker than Obama's.
This statement is vacuously true using truth tables.
July 29, 2009 10:13 AM | Reply | Permalink
I think Boehner better read that report on the tanning booths. When he gets cancer we may have to euthanize him.
July 29, 2009 10:24 AM | Reply | Permalink
To paraphrase Stephen Colbert from "Strangers with Candy" ...
JOHN BOEHNER DOESN'T NEED END OF LIFE CARE BECAUSE HE'S NEVER GOING TO DIE! DO YOU HEAR ME, GOD? NEVER!
July 29, 2009 10:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
Too bad that we don't have a left-wing nutcase to tell the Republicans that we are not going to euthanize all of the elderly - just the ones that vote Republican. Or especially the white prople who vote Republican (not that non-whites vote Republican in any number, but the Republican rank and file don't know that).
July 29, 2009 10:34 AM | Reply | Permalink
In a way the health care bill will result in the death of the the old ... the death of the grand OLD party.
July 29, 2009 10:38 AM | Reply | Permalink
There are emails going out to seniors and conservatives about this. My mother and step-brother have received them. The White House needs to be on this like flies on dog poop.
July 29, 2009 10:59 AM | Reply | Permalink
Nice omission.
July 29, 2009 11:05 AM | Reply | Permalink
When someone maliciously twists parts of a proposal of mine to include something outrageous, I treat their claim as an intent to amend my proposal.
As an example in this case, instead of going on the defensive, I would respond;
"Bohner, et al have proposed we insert provisions for "manditory euthanasia for the elderly" into the health care reform bill. We believe that is a disgusting idea and will fight such a proposal -the idea is not only outrageous and counter to the intent of the bill, but un-American"
Anything they respond with will be on the defensive. When he/they counter saying that they were complaining that it is already in the bill, I would say -"Ridiculous -show me".
July 29, 2009 11:06 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great Idea, but we will have to leave it to the comedy channel to do that, our no balls Dems don't know how to play their game.
July 29, 2009 11:20 AM | Reply | Permalink
Great idea, I would go even further, say the Republicans want to hamstring the FDA, abolish Medicare, remove the requirement for nutrition information on food labels, putting us on a slippery slope to process 'excess proteins' into soylent green wafers! John Boehner, NO!-It's Eating People!
July 29, 2009 11:29 AM | Reply | Permalink
I hope Obama really sticks it to Boehner and...outlaws tanning beds.
Nooooooooo, our freedom to tan is being taken away!
July 29, 2009 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
What is tragic, is that it does appear that some are only getting information from TV ads. Let's hope that DEMS ramp up their ads debunking this crap!
July 29, 2009 11:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
Just yesterday, one of my husband's religious-right cousins sent a mass e-mail that claims, in part:
(If this doesn't make your blood boil...... Nothing will......Watch out Baby Boomers!!!)Page 425 of Health Care Bill - Listen to this interview Fred Thompson's Radio Show interviewing Betsy McCaughey (pronounced Mc Coy). Or look it up on http://www.fredthompsonshow.com/, under interviews. On page 425 it says in black and white that EVERYONE on Social Security, (will include all Senior Citizens and SSI people) will go to MANDATORY counseling every 5 years to learn and to choose from ways to end your suffering (and your life). Health care will be denied based on age. 500 Billion will be cut from Seniors healthcare. The only way for that to happen is to drastically cut health care, the oldest and the sickest will be cut first. Paying for your own care will not be an option.
July 29, 2009 11:36 AM | Reply | Permalink
When Boner gets cancer from cigarettes and/or melanoma, he can be sure he will get the best Federally-funded health care, even if his condition is due to irresponsible choices he made.
So everything's fine.
July 29, 2009 11:57 AM | Reply | Permalink
Betsy McCaughey??!!!
This is the SAME Betsy McCaughey who wrote the infamous, lying "article" in the New Republic, (then published by that twit Andrew Sullivan) that helped sink the Clinton health care efforts and got her picked to be lieutenant governor of New York. Sullivan is trying to be less of a twit these days (sorry, Sully, too little too late) but Betsy is up to her same old tricks, and people are falling for it. Not to mention that Jim Cooper is standing athwart reform exactly as he did back then ...
Health care reform is looking deader and deader. It's to the point where it would be better if nothing passes. Oh well, we'll just go have a nice dialogue about race over a beer.
July 29, 2009 12:15 PM | Reply | Permalink
I am starting to feel sorry for peoplewho support the GOP. They believe everything they are told. They behave like Robots. None of them think for themselves. What ever Boehner, Foxx, Bachman, McConell,Cantor, Shelby, Limbaugh, Rove, Grassly, Demint, etc say, it is believed.
That is very frightening. I question everything. These people believe the lies and boo ad hiss at the truth. How backwards can you get?
July 29, 2009 12:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Mark Blumenthal (http://www.pollster.com/blogs/health_reform_once_more_with_f.php) and Nate Silver (http://www.fivethirtyeight.com/2009/07/obama-democrats-flunking-health-care.html) have both excoriated the Dems and the President for letting the public discourse bog down into hourly reports on the sausage making process and posturing that inevitably goes on. Broadly, the various recent polls on health care confirm their view
This is why I have absolutely no problem with the Finance Committee reporting a bill..any bill so that they can get there butts out of the way of progress and we can focus on what's wrong with the bill and right with others.
Obama's just out with an email in an effort to refocus the debate on what health care reform means to most Americans. They don't know about nor care to know about all these wonkish details.
This is what sells the plan but first there has to actually be a plan out there:
July 29, 2009 12:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
Should add..this loss of message focus to coverage of Congressional confusion is what allows garbage such as the euthanasia rumor to flourish in the first place
July 29, 2009 12:43 PM | Reply | Permalink
I'm all for freedom of speech, but sometimes I think we need to pass a law forbidding "news" companies from using the "farcical question as a headline" technique.
Until then, I'll just ask, "Does Politico encourage pedophilia?" I'm not saying they do, I'm just asking a question. It would be irresponsible for us not to speculate.
Politico is all too often just trashy tabloid tactics and regurgitated Drudge slanders. But that is because they'd rather have traffic than morals and integrity.
July 29, 2009 3:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
Small thing, perhaps, but euthansia is illegal in all 50 states. What's legal in two states is physician-assisted suicide. Even that term is a bit problematic for some. In any case, big difference between that and euthanasia.
July 30, 2009 10:33 AM | Reply | Permalink
You can't debunk the statement "would lead to". That is just silly.
President Obama cannot promise there will never be a council that determines which procedures will be paid for and which will not? That council is the Death Panel. Denying someone cancer treatments who is in there 80's is a death sentence. You may recall the Oregon woman last Summer who was denied treatment for her cancer by the Oregon state health insurance, but was offered assisted suicide coverage. She died.
Once such a council is established and someone is refused care, that person no longer has insurance. He could have paid for 60 years and never drawn anything more than an annual checkup. At 80, when he needs a hip replacement, he cannot have it because the 2012 congress found that the HR3200 program was costing too much money and decided to trim expenses. Having the government make such decisions is such a disgusting idea that most Americans now (very recent polls) don't like government run health care.
As long as the government takes money from people, it is very likely the government will misappropriate it for pork projects or Airplanes for congressional travel or something. The proof of that is the Social Security program which started out as a funded program. In order to pay bigger benefits quickly, 4 years after it was passed, it was changed to pay as you go -- that's what HR3200 is and Social Security and Medicare.
Social security, Medicare and HR3200 if it is passed are not sustainable without significant tax increases on all. Health care improvement, I support. HR3200 makes things worse not better.
It makes things worse because it doesn't address the cost of medical care, it forces people to join the public option [if you change jobs, you have no choice but to join or pay a penalty] and it does too little to improve medical care. Furthermore, I don't trust any government program passed by a legislature that reserves for itself something better.
HR3200 is a bad law. Vote NO
August 12, 2009 3:52 AM | Reply | Permalink