RNC Suggests Dems May Deny GOP Health Care

A Survey Sent in the Mail by the Republican Party Suggests Democrats May Restrict Care to Republicans

(AP)  The Republican national party has mailed a fundraising appeal that suggests Democrats might use an overhaul of the health care system to deny medical treatment to Republicans.

A questionnaire accompanying the appeal says the government could check voting registration records, "prompting fears that GOP voters might be discriminated against for medical treatment in a Democrat-imposed health care rationing system."

It asks, "Does this possibility concern you?"

Katie Wright, a spokeswoman for the Republican National Committee, said the question was "inartfully worded."

She said, however, that people should worry because government officials would have access to personal financial and medical data.

CBSNews.com Special Report: Health Care

A revamped health care was one of President Barack Obama's main campaign subjects in last year's election. About 50 million of the 300 million Americans lack health insurance. Obama's Democratic Party has large majorities in both chambers of Congress, but he has said he wants backing from both parties.

"The RNC doesn't try to scare people," said Wright. "We're just trying to get the facts out on health care. And that's what we do every day."

Jon Vogel, executive director of the Democratic House campaign organization, called the opposition party's letter "shameless fear-mongering."

In a fundraising e-mail of his own seeking to raise $100,000 by Aug. 31, Vogel wrote the Republican accusation was "just a preview of the falsehoods, fabrications and outright lies Republicans will be pushing when Congress returns in September."

The allegation is the latest instance in which some critics of the health care effort have made inflammatory unfounded claims, such as conservatives who claimed the legislation would create "death panels" that they said could lead to euthanizing elderly people.

The suggestion that Republicans might not receive care is included in a "Future of American Health Care Survey" containing 13 questions, most of which are critical of the Democratic health care effort. The technique, referred to as a "push poll," is used often in political campaigns by both parties and is designed to spread negative information, not to sample public opinion.

Another question asks, "Do you believe it is justified to ration health care regardless of whether an individual has contributed to the cost of the treatment?"

The survey is accompanied by a two-page letter signed by Michael Steele, chairman of the national Republican party. The letter accuses Democrats of "moving swiftly to bring European-style socialized medicine here," but does not mention the possibility that Republicans might be denied coverage.

Wright did not immediately respond when asked who had crafted the wording of the survey questions, and which Republican officials had signed off on it. She also said she did not initially know how many of the surveys were mailed or to whom.

House Democratic legislation would give officials access to limited information about the earnings of people who apply for federal insurance subsidies to see if they qualify, said Matthew Beck, Democratic spokesman for the House Ways and Means Committee.

The question suggesting possible denial of care for Republicans was first reported by The Columbian newspaper of Vancouver, Washington.

[pr_boxer]

I guess the RNC leaders know their party members will believe anything they or Rush "The Nazi" Limbaugh tell them. See, the GOP is made up of the "Children left behind" they grew up, and never caught up.

[pr_boxer]

I guess the RNC leaders know their party members will believe anything they or Rush "The Nazi" Limbaugh tell them. See, the GOP is made up of the "Children left behind" they grew up, and never caught up.

[lewwaters]

And neither CBS nor our fish wrapper, the Columbian can express any offense at blatant lies sent out to Democrats in their "fact Check" card for healthcare townhalls.

http://dccc.3cdn.net/1aa7eb30369019f33a_drm6iyjf8.pdf

Republicans who take offense at blatant lies for some reason don't merit news splashed all over the nation.

Democrats, America is waking up to your lies and the slipping polls show it.

CBS, keep up the double standard, it is backfiring on you.

[robham777]

The prestigious Mayo Foundation has estimated that the number of pages of federal regulations and related paperwork that doctors and hospitals must comply with in order to treat Medicare and Medicaid patients totals more than 132,000 pages--almost 111,000 of which govern Medicare alone. This is roughly six times the size of the impossibly complex Internal Revenue Service code and its federal tax regulations

The application for CARS was 20 pages and I heard a physician on the radio claim that the medicare paperwork for a claim is in the neighborhood of 60 pages. There is also a report from Cato suggesting that compensation of federal employees is double that of the private sector workers. Meanwhile the RNC commits suicide leaving the Democratic party unfettered to dramatically expand the scope of the federal government. Why can,t they close the deal?

[hakori]

The next thing they'll be saying is dems want to kill your grandmother...oh wait

[bradkt1]

This GOP fundraising letter was sent to those who were dumb enough to believe it and send them their money...fellow Republicans.

Do you really think that anyone with an ounce of common sense believes that one of the major political parties is going to propose legislation that would deny health care to members of the other political party?

It doesn't say very much about the GOP when the GOP leadership has this kind of contempt for the intelligence of their own people...nor does it say very much about the intelligernce of any Republican who actually believes this.

[babooph]

The main fear a US citizen should have is that some republican will get elected.

[bajajohn1]

Once again the republicpuke spin machine spins out of control With this pamplet they have left orbit. Go ahead and believe you will not get health care and then, well, you might die.

[mgpm-2009]

You have got to be kidding! WTH, do the RNC think their people are STUPID? I can't believe it...it's hard to think that ANYONE can believe this!

[cat54mom]

I generally vote Democratic, but after registering as a Republican in one primary several years ago, I received RNC "surveys" for a year. Most of the questions were of the "Do you still beat your wife variety", with no real selection of answers except the one they wanted you to choose. For the privilege of submitting your opinion, you paid a fee. In contradiction of the spokeswoman's claim of the question being "inartfully worded", I am sure it is very carefully and intentionally worded. I can't refute the article's statement that both parties use these types of surveys, but I can say that we have not received a survey with this degree of bias from the Democratic party in my 30 years of voting. If the proposed health care plan is so bad, the Republican party shouldn't have to use blatant lies like this to defeat it.

[debinok1]

WAKE UP!!! This is nothing more than a smoke screen to cover what they are doing behind our backs. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY will have ANYTHING if people continue to allow the government to divide this country.

The healthcare debate is a trojan horse, what it hides is more dangerous than any disease.

If the bill moving its way through the Senate is passed and nothing is done to overturn the Patriot act, THIS government will be on its way to ABSOLUTE CONTROL.

[reveal5]

You know what? The GOP is doing their best to keep Americans from hearing the truth about healthcare reform..They know that Americans like healthcare reform when hear the truth about it. When Americans learn the truth about reform, they support reform. So the GOP is attempting to stop Americans from hearing the truth about healthcare reform. Reform would curtail all those $100000 or
$200000 checks coming into GOP coffers. The GOP wants those hundreds of thousands of dollars being paid from your insurance premiums.

[rafterman1]

Yes, both parties are not above blurring the lines on issues. But the GOP in recent years has resorted to out and out LYING. Swift Boat, Death Panels, now this. The GOP is so fearful that their masters in the insurance industry will stop the money flow that they are resorting to brownshirt tactics, all in a desperate effort to keep the rich insurance industry rich. Sad.

[Sharonkathleen]

WHAT HAPPENED TO THE GOP? THERE WAS A TIME WHEN THE GOP HAD CLASS, WERE PEOPLE YOU COULD BELIEVE IN.. THEY HAVE GOT TO BE STILL THERE.. BUT THEY ARE BURIED IN THE TRASH, THE LIES OF A PARTY WHO HAS TRADED IN THEIR MORALITY AND CARRY THE TORCH OF HATE, AND ARE ENORMOUS HYPOCRITS. SOMEBODY SEND OUT A SEARCH PARTY FOR THE OLD GOP.. WE NEED THEM BACK.

[robham777]

by reveal5 August 28, 2009 9:29 PM EDT

the GOP is taking advantage of intellectually and psychologically challenged, "at risk" fringe folks. The GOP is psychologically abusing fringe "at risk" Americans.

You may be right about the role of the GOP, but that does not not negate the fact that there are many people who do not share your faith in the democratic party, and who are constantly viewing their options in representative government as a choice between the lesser of two evils.

[reveal5]

Some Dems are taking the money too. The point is, if you look at the 3 to 1 dollar advantage of monies received by the GOP from big insurance compared to dems..If you look at the organised misinformation campaign mounted by the GOP to take advantage of the "challenged" fringe folks. If you look at the organised effort to deprive Americans of freedoms of speech and assembly by the GOP...It's not difficult to see, in this instance, that the dems are playing a much cleaner game and not getting nearly the amount of insurance contributions in their campaign coffers that the GOP is.

[debinok1]

Tin, I used to agree with you, I really thought that this was all about money. As more information finds the light of day, I am less convinced that money is the true motive.

There is a bill in the making that would give the President the authority to shut down the internet.

Here is a sample: U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/28/taking_liberties/entry5270834.shtml?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Private sector computers, thats us, the people. They want the ability to shut down our connections if they feel the NEED. This goes way beyond money, this is ABSOLUTE CONTROL.

[tincup356]

Wake up fools..... Congress will pass a health care bill ,,,when BOTH parties can get everything in for ALL their lobby dollars owed,,,in other words this will be one of those bills in which both sides will get their lobby favors in somewhere in the deep middle of the fine print somewhere,,,,,you can bet on it,,, BOTH parties have already been paid to get certain legislation into the bill ,,,,,they won't shortchange the lobby industry...that is their cash cow.NEITHER party represents the people...if you think otherwise...you are sadly mistaken, they are bought and paid for , LOBBY DOLLAR harlots.

[reveal5]

The Gop keeps right wing fringe America in a virtual state of hysteria. Challenged folks are taken advantage of by the GOP with organised misinformation campaigns engineered to cause anger paranoia,and fear. The GOP is taking advantage of intellectually and psychologically challenged, "at risk" fringe folks. The GOP is psychologically abusing fringe "at risk" Americans.

[debinok1]

Divide and Conquer, they got the division down pat, next the conquest of the american people. Everyone is so busy fighting over this and no one is paying attention to what their other hand is doing.

The government still has all of the powers they had under Bush and they are trying to take even more.

If you do not believe me read it for yourself.

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/28/taking_liberties/entry5270834.shtml?tag=cbsnewsSectionsArea;cbsnewsSectionsArea.1

Healthcare will be the least of our worries if they keep giving themselves power.

[robham777]

Fortunately for the Democratic party, the Republicans at this point are devoid of any competent leadership. At least the Democrats, though only by a slim margin, have a somewhat cohesive message.