Health Care Rumor Gains Traction With Right

By: Brian Montopoli
Topics: Congress

(AP Photo/Harry Hamburg)

On Tuesday, the Weekly Standard's Michael Goldfarb, citing an unnamed Senate aide, wrote that "the White House is now threatening to put Nebraska's Offutt Air Force Base on the BRAC list if Nelson doesn't fall into line."

Translation: Goldfarb is reporting that, according to his source, the Obama administration is suggesting to Democratic Sen. Ben Nelson of Nebraska (left), who has been hesitant to support the Senate health care bill due to his concerns over abortion, that it will close the base if Nelson doesn't back the bill.

It was, the source said, a "naked effort by Rahm Emanuel and the White House to extort Nelson's vote." The White House, the source said, was willing "to close a base vital to national security" to get what it wanted.

Nelson's spokesman, as Steve Benen notes, quickly said the claim is untrue and that it represented "misinformation…coming from inside-the-Beltway partisans who only want to derail health care reform." The White House backed that up, saying "these rumors are completely baseless and false" and grew out of "a cynical, crass political game."

There was, in fact, no information supporting the claim other than the anonymous source cited by Goldfarb. But as Benen explains here, it nonetheless quickly spread among conservative pundits, including Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Michelle Malkin. Glenn Beck evoked "treason" in reference to the situation three times.

Then came yesterday. Reports the Associated Press: "Sen. Mike Johanns and 19 other Republican senators Wednesday called for a hearing into reports that the Obama administration used the future of Offutt Air Force Base as bargaining chip in the health care debate."

"A defense analyst said Wednesday that base closures simply don't work that way," the AP noted. "Even Johanns himself said he doesn't believe the rumors."

The reason he wanted hearings anyway, Johanns said, was that the rumor had "taken on a life of its own." The hearings, he suggested, would be a chance to clear the air.

In short: Republicans want Senate Armed Forces Committee hearings into an unsubstantiated rumor that they themselves don't believe. Meanwhile, debate over the Senate health care bill looks like it might well drag into 2010.

Brian Montopoli
Brian Montopoli is the senior political reporter at CBSNews.com.
Follow on Twitter »

14 Comments Have Your Say
Email Story Send to a Friend
Share This Tell Your Friends
Tweet This Tweet This
More Share It

Add a Comment

See all 14 Comments


by ToolMangler1 December 18, 2009 4:04 PM EST: The "Party of NO" is determined that America regresses to the point in time just before Penicillin was discovered then keep us there.
They want "NO" Stem cell research and "NO" abortions. Cancer is caused by god and man shouldn't try to cure it. Islam is the spawn of Satan and should be wiped from the earth.
One arrives at this conclusion by looking at the GOP actions of the past 40 years.
Once a lie is told, it becomes fact when the GOP tells it.

"There was, in fact, no information supporting the claim other than the anonymous source cited by Goldfarb. But as Benen explains here, it nonetheless quickly spread among conservative pundits, including Sean Hannity, Rush Limbaugh, and Michelle Malkin. Glenn Beck evoked "treason" in reference to the situation three times."; Reply to this comment


by ToolMangler1 December 18, 2009 3:09 PM EST: Another Neocon smear tactic. Before long the Repugs will claim that Obama ordered the IRS to go after some repugs grandmother. Once a lie is told, it becomes fact when the GOP tells it.; Reply to this comment


by midlclass December 18, 2009 1:21 PM EST: see how blind the right is and how willing they are to follow the sightless, the senator said it wasn't true, but still wants a hearing, what political bs is this. the right wing clown show jumped at this and have pie in there faces now, good circus show and one dopey enough to yell treason. The real answer to this is to find out who leaked this lie out to the press and have the person fired. pretty sad that the do nothing party is now tring to do somthing about nothing. ROFLMAO......; Reply to this comment


by actornaught December 18, 2009 1:03 PM EST: I've had to work with the mentally ill, and the neocons fit the pattern of "if reality doesnt justify our sickness, make one up"...; Reply to this comment


by actornaught December 18, 2009 12:56 PM EST: The necons just don't care about facts or fact checking, it's ALL about any semblance of a wedge they can jam under the skin of their neo-conned base.

BASE CLOSING HEARINGS AREN'T SCHEDULED UNTIL 2015!

"...the next round of BRAC formally begin in 2015..."
-http://www.brac.gov/docs/final/Chap2IssuesforFurtherConsideration.pdf

As usual, the neo-conned anti-education stink is showing...; Reply to this comment

by MentalWanderer December 18, 2009 10:23 AM EST

So the White House threatened Nelson's provincial pork barrel... big deal. This is how politics has always been done in America. Its not about right and wrong or doing what's best; its about scoring for those who can score for you, and pushing on your enemies' pressure-points until they give in. America's Military-Industrial Complex is the centerpiece of RS (Redneck Socialism), and pours billions into local economies every day. Talk of base closures sends paroxysms of terror through every trailer-park in the country. Its a powerful tool that every president has used. In truth, you have to respect Sen Nelson's ability to take the heat. If you check his campaign contributions, you'll see that few recent democrats have ever received as much in contributions from the Health Insurance Cartel as he has -- far more than is needed to actually get elected in Nebraska. He is, predictably, very loyal to their interests and heels to the short leash they have on him. This is a guy you have to respect: when he is bought, he stays bought.

Reply to this comment


by ianlou December 18, 2009 12:57 PM EST: Good Point.

Lyndon Johnson Would Blackmail Legislators to get what he wanted.

Where was the outrage from the Three Stooges (Rush, Sean and Glenn) when Tom Delay was openly selling votes to K Street Lobbyists?
These three college dropouts never miss a chance to barf B.S.


by carol9173 December 18, 2009 9:31 AM EST: The weather outside is getting really bad here! Must be Bush's fault. Strong arm tactics, threats just to pass a crappy bill.; Reply to this comment


by stormerF2 December 18, 2009 7:55 AM EST: Chicago tactics,Should have seen them comming.Threats with lies and corruption to get what you want,not what is best for the country.; Reply to this comment


by abbe91 December 17, 2009 11:34 PM EST: Come on CBS, give us real news, like Palin's visorgate.; Reply to this comment


by maxcoffee-2009 December 17, 2009 10:40 PM EST: retm-w and srlovelylady... Does that fact that Nelson's spokesmen said that the clamis were untrue mean anything to you? Just wondering.; Reply to this comment