Framing the Health Care Debate

We've been listening to what classifies as health care [air quotes] debates [end air quotes] nonstop from the talking heads on the television machine for months and there's one thing that's been driving me absolutely insane. Not one, single, solitary person has categorized the public option as a compromised position.

Whether it be a Democrat (save Anthony Weiner) or Republican politician being interviewed, a round table pundit, or a cable studio desk jockey, every time the public option is mentioned, it's framed as what the left wants. Actually, no. What the left would like is a single payer plan. HR676. Medicare for all.

This framing has shifted the overall center of the sad notion of "bipartishanship" from a public option to some half-assed scheme of co-ops, triggers or what's become apparent, a Max Baucus Bill that has taken a month to be crapped out of the wrinkly asses of the Gang of Six. When will the mainstream media correct the fantastically stupid notion that independents and moderates don't want a public option? When explained and polled, 77% are in favor of a public option. 80% of AARP members are in favor of it. Even 60% of Republicans are in favor of it. When did 77% become the "liberal left"? That looks like a majority to me.

In anticipation of tonight address to a joint session of Congress, I'm hoping President Obama will actually frame the debate correctly. I'm also hoping against hope that he'll call out by name, those that have been fear mongering with the egregious death panel lies, the "government-run" health care misinformation, and the protecters of the health insurance industry.

Enough is enough. There's no problem with disagreeing with certain positions on this debate, but when you have to resort to flat out making shit up like pulling the plug on grandma or inclusion of illegal aliens as the first step toward evil Obama Socialism, you just lose credibility with the 77% of the population that knows bullshit when they hear it.