A certain former half-term governor of Alaska insisted last week that “death panels” are real. The chairman of the Republican National Committee hinted in a similar direction yesterday. And complicating matters, The Hill published a report last week — on its front page, no less — with this headline, “ObamaCare ‘death panel’ faces growing opposition from Dems.”
If Republicans are still talking about birth certificates, I suppose I shouldn’t be too surprised this garbage hasn’t faded away, either.
Alex Seitz-Wald had a good piece on this.
Simon Maloy has already taken down the paper’s use of the phrase, but what’s perhaps more troubling is the newspaper’s larger argument: that Democrats are suddenly turning against Obamacare, and especially the Medicare cost-saving panel it created. That doesn’t really ring true.
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The article has had its likely intended effect, however, snatching a Drudge Report link, a Rush Limbaugh shout-out, and links from all over the conservative blogosphere (and even some from liberal sites), and racking up thousands of social media shares.
So, Democrats aren’t really turning on the idea of an Independent Payment Advisory Board and “death panels” still don’t exist. Other than that, though, the argument’s in great shape.
Honestly, how much longer can these zombie lies hang on?
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