Merkley Takes Aim at Opponents of Health Care Reform for Reading Frank Luntz's Talking Points
By Heather Thursday Jun 11, 2009 2:30pmh/t Jeff Merkley:
Opponents of health care reform are recycling stale talking points designed to kill any plans for reform. Senator Merkley takes aim at these irresponsible tactics and makes the case for quality, affordable care for all Americans.
UPDATE: John Amato
Sen. Merkley, a Blue America candidate attacks the republican party for using Luntz' talking points to KILL the health care debate. He's not being used to come up with alternative legislation. It's all about the language of destruction. People like Luntz exist to muddy up the waters and confuse Americans with his word about the issues that are so essential to their lives.
The soulless Republicans are like leeches sucking on the blood of Luntz because he nourishes their anti-American family values. You go Sen. Merkley.
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Is to take huge sums of money from health care and insurance companies so they can continue to fleece us!
Here is a list of elected people taking payoffs to cheat the American people and the amounts of bribes being taken. This is just from health care and insurance.
It is mind boggling to think how much these people are taking from others!
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $4,026,933)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $2,833,731)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $2,758,468)
And when you just go right to Big Insurance, the non-presidential candidates who got the biggest legalized bribes were the 7 senators who have been tasked with the job of killing single-payer:
Ben Nelson (DLC-NE- $1,196,799)
Max Baucus (DLC- MT- $1,184,113)
Joe Lieberman (DLC- CT- $1,036,302)
Arlen Specter (R-D- PA- $1,035,530)
Chuck Schumer (D-NY- $981,400)
Mitch McConnell (R-KY- $929,207)
Chuck Grassley (R-IA- $884,724)
We need to investigate and prosecute these criminals now. Severe jail terms are in order for these criminals!
Gingrich used Luntz' tactic to take over congress in 1994. It had a lot to do with words. He had a handbook for candidates titled "Language, a Key Mechanism of Control" that included a directory of words to use in writing literature and mail,in preparing speeches, and in producing electronic medium."
Some of the words he chose to describe Democrats were sick, corrupt, anti-flag, liberal,and traitors. The last term they decided was not working because they received bad publicity so they took it out of the their toolbox, just like he almost took racist out this time but he seemed to like the word so much he made another word that is almost the same.
As I have mentioned a few times I just read a book that spells out all this crap that the Republicans have done over the last 30 years and especially during the last eight years.
Big Lies by Joe Conason. I highly recommend it. Highly!!!
I am reading it. Here is something for you: "Homegrown Democrat" Garrison Keilor (on audio).
I hope you like it. It will make your blood boil. I will look for the Garrison Keilor thing.
An audio book. Audible.com I have been meaning to open an account with them so now maybe I will.
The republicans "can't see". The public option would save our dwindling doctor population(they would get paid for their services)stopping the insurance industry from dictating who gets treatment and it would stop 60% of the bankruptcy's in this country. Statistics claim the majority of bankruptcy's are from medical costs. It would even help fix the republicans "visionary" problems.
Hell, since they're getting so old it might,even, save a few,old republicans ....hmmmmm....there is a downside, isn't there.
Realdoctors/dentists are for the public option. Plastic surgeons can go private. There you go old, rich people...get that face lift.
Dr. Kildare
The netroots have to highlight Sen. Merkley much more. If Sen. Merkley gets more "air time" then maybe others will come around. This whole deal is so sick. Why do these people hate the American public? No need to answer. It's all about the $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ that comes from huge sums from health care and insurance companies so they can continue to fleece us! Bastards.
superior to the voters who were stupid enough to vote for them in the first place. And once they are entrenched in DC, the big sense of entitlement comes into bloom. What a racket. I wonder if the RICO laws apply here?
Loves America and is a true Patriot. Senator Mitch McConnell loves insurance companies more than he loves Americans.
We deserve the same plan Congress gets!
How about taking away health insurance from congress until they get something going that I approve? Just a thought.
their overall job performance would have to go WAY up!
those assholes that spew the "personal responsibility" meme. They need to lose their coverage the next time they spout anything about that and then they can only have it back if they pay a premium that real people would pay in their market place.
I can’t wait until the next election when the republicans get trounced out of existence.
Me too. Let's hope we also get some good progressives to kick DINOs like Conrad out of there.
It was a battle to get him into office. Gordon Smith did not go down lightly. Jeff makes us proud!
I voted for him, I'm pleased to see him validating my belief that he would do a better job than Smith.
I don’t know who is paying Luntz, but whoever it is; they’re getting their money’s worth. These rhetorical non-arguments work. They set up debate and talking points when none should exist. The only real debate should be why we don’t have universal coverage yet – not whether or not we should.
But my question is this: who is framing the talking points for single payer? Where is OUR top-ten list for why it should be passed? Why aren’t the Ins Cos on the defense, rather than attack?
The Ins Lobbies have tens if not hundreds of millions of our dollars at their disposal to pay for people like Luntz and to bribe a handful of thieves in Congress. We don’t. All we have are boring crap like facts, stats, and history on our side. I would like to see some more effective rhetoric in favor of single payer, not more defense.
we need better speakers on our side.
speaks well for the progressives. We don't have a media that will ask progressives the questions.
The soulless Republicans are like leeches sucking on the blood of Luntz because he nourishes their anti-American family values.
Totally agree.
:)
can't understand why progressives so thoroughly dislike or hate his ilk. Seriously, he was whining about exactly that during a panel discussion on propaganda. I laughed at his "can't we all just get a long schtick."
If he wants to know the answers to his questions, he should start by looking in the mirror. Then he needs to read this thread.
Luntz may be a whiny little bitch, but I have more respect for his tactics than I do for Rove’s. Rove’s tactic was to use his people’s weaknesses against their opponents. He propped up his people using their weaknesses by attacking their opponents with the same faults. People caught on to that, and it didn’t work the last two election cycles.
Luntz is doing Rove one better. He’s using arguments FOR universal coverage as attacks. In essence, it’s reverse Rove – use your opponents strengths as your strength. Every one of Luntz’s 10 talking points would be a perfect argument against the current system, were it to be used as such. Instead, he is saying that’s why we need to keep the status quo. It’s a good tactic.
but it is still dishonest. The good thing is thaat Merkley pointed it out. Theprroblem is the media won't point it out.
Absolutely dishonest - and false. Respect does not equate to agreement. I applaud Merkley for pointing out the use of the tactics, but it was pure defense. It's like having a bullet-proof vest in a gun-fight; it helps, but the vest alone doesn't win the battle.
on the offense when the media won't let you have the ball? I'm blaming the media but again they get a lot of advertising dollars from these freaks.
What you say is true. But if you are asking me, then I would say give the media what it wants. News shows are inundated with talking-point/counter talking point. Unfortunately it’s THEIR talking points. Give them new ones.
I say reframe the debate away from insurance companies and toward bankruptcies, cost, and health – not insurance coverage.
landrieu, nelson, schumer, and baucus (and so many others) have all demonstrated that they are political enemies of liberals and the left. they have decided to use their positions to deny americans what should be a right for all americans: free, safe and accessible healthcare
personally, to me, the only power we have over the plutocracy-enabling democratic members of the party is to withhold your vote for them.
All of the facts in the world are not going to stop so many on the right from trying to vilify universal health care.
For a bit of comic relief though, check out uber-Christian Pat Robertson slip and say that private health insurance could never "compete" with a public program.
What a douche.
http://progressnotcongress.org/?p=1666
agreed
which is why i think the rightwing democrats should be targeted
the point that God actually spoke through him. He's a mendacious asshole.
If you have not seen how Luntz operates--Frontline shows it:
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows...
Choose segment 5--hit the arrow to the right of the screen to see segments 5 and 6,which are hidden.
Way to go, Merkely! He's one of the few guys on our side with the brains to discredit Republicans by holding their own talking points against them.
Why don't we see this sort of thing more often?
BTW, I'd heard that Luntz decided to quit and retire to Santa Monica, where he could possibly have sex with Digby. Whatever happened to that?
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