Are republican pundits more like car salesmen or like computer salesmen. Back in the day (when I actually had a job), we would joke that the difference between a car salesman and a computer salesman was the the car salesman knew he was lying (not they are both out of a job). I was amazed when a rather smart friend of mine sent the following:
“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 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.
Now, CALL YOUR PEOPLE IN WASHINGTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tell them to read page 425 if they don’t read anything else. Surely some of them have parents.”

What a fabrication: Here is what it really says:

“That’s not what HR3200 says. Here’s the short version of what it really says:

The section under question is Section 1233 of HR3200 (the House health care bill) and it is amending subsection s(2) of Section 1861 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1395x). Section 1233 of HR3200 adds new sub-paragraph (FF) to the list of what Medicare will pay for as defined in Section 1861 of the Social Security Act.

Section 1233 is saying that Medicare will pay for an “advance care planning consultation” no more often than once every five years unless the patient’s health status changes as a result of certain diagnoses or the patient is admitted to a nursing home, long-term care facility, or hospice. Such a consultation may result in a written directive about care and that directive may include information about such areas as antibiotics and intravenous feeding and hydration as well as the usual DNR instructions and any wishes with regard to facility transfer.

In other words, Section 1233 is creating a new type of “treatment” that will be paid for by Medicare. It will only pay for one such consultation every five years unless the patient’s health status changes, in which case Medicare will pay for a consultation when that change occurs. This is not a mandate; this is a new entitlement. It may not be an entitlement everyone likes but it is still something extra for those on Medicare”.

So when I went to search for more info on this topic I was shocked to find that there were ten times as many bloggers on the right picking up this story and repeating it and embellishing it then there were people trying to set it strieght. It scary because so many people will be wrongfully (and on purpose in my opinion informed). It is like the like that the republican pundits spread that American has the best health care in the world which is total BS unless you are rich. For the average person, America has pretty awful health care and for the poor it has virtually no health care. This garbage from the right is starting to make me sick. Good news for me, I can afford the best.