The Republican National Committee protested ABC News' plan for an upcoming special on President Barack Obama's health care plan, claiming the network failed to balance the President's message with any Republican response. RNC chief of staff Ken McKay sent a letter to ABC News, posted on The Drudge Report, criticizing the network and citing concerns that "this event will become a glorified infomercial to promote the Democrat agenda." ABC News' senior vice president Kerry Smith responded that the network "will have complete editorial control" of the health care special, slated to air June 24 from the White House. "To suggest otherwise is quite unfair to both our journalists and our audience."
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Comments (1-28) of 28 Add your comment
Good…this healthcare reform program is one of the worst ideas ever.
This evolution of political power in america is moving down a preditical path traveled by other totalitarian regime. The media must become the mouth piece for the states ideals. The population must already be so media driven that this is possible. America is sadly ready.
Healthcare reform should be a top priority for the country and the government. Bravo for airing it on a national network. The repubs had 8 years to fix healthcare and did nothing. So they should just shut the %&$* up now that someone is trying to do some good.
I think the older folks in Canada are tons happier with their health care system than ours. The U.S. has one of the worst health care system that is the most expensive. Sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it.
Sounds like TJ and Richard Young doesn’t know anyone with a prolonged illness. My aunt’s 7 month battle with cancer put her kids so much in debt that they are still paying it off a decade later.
Lisa – - Sounds like you want everyone else (including me) to pay for her treatment. How is that fair? And don’t for one minute think we won’t ALL pay for this…..
I simply cannot understand how ANYONE can be against a Universal Helth Care System. Seriously, it’s so obviously necessary and it would benefit absolutely EVERYONE, because EVERYONE gets sick, no?
Don’t you get it? Medicine has been turned into an cold, heartless bussiness; the money you pay only makes a few multi-billion dollar corporations even richer. Now, instead, you’ll pay that money in taxes and it’ll go to the hospitals. Some people DIE because they can’t afford it, and by “it” I mean “to live”.
If you so stubbornly refuse to SHARE (it’s not like you’re giving it up) health care with the less fortunate, what does that say about the mighty Americans and their society?
Sometimes I think these Republican and so-called conservatives dicks have brainwashed their people into opposing anything the Democrats come up with, even if it’s good for them, just for the hell of it: antagonism, pure and simple. Their nature, I guess: once a dick, always a dick.
Thank you ABC News. The deception that universal health care is wrong needs to be debunked. The right-wing gives so much proclamation that the US is number one in everything, meanwhile we are 37th in the world in healthcare!!!
Now there are people proclaiming that the WHO list that shows the US in 37th place is misleading. Are you kidding??? If we were in the top 10 I would give that theory weight – but we are barely in the top 40.
there are two problems with healthcare in this country that need to be fixed.
First, everyone should have access to it if they want (choice for private healthcare should still be around). The public health should be the first priority of any government.
Second, the cost of healthcare is ridiculous. Most families are one health crisis away from being broke due to current costs. With Government as a competitor that should bring costs down.
This is the reason I get upset with opposition parties (republicans right now) instead of fighting about what David Letterman said, they should be brining their ideas tot he table about this reform. Instead they cry “socialism” while people are dying and going broke. Instead of trying to fix it.
great… something else I get to pay for. I think maybe I should move to Cananda and get strung out on some of their social programming considering they have such a utopian society over there. Hey! on the bright side, at least I will be sponging from the Canadian working class and not my own brothers and sisters of these United States. (Im for the common sence party) or maybe the… (Anti-entitlement party?)Oh wait how about the (sick of people that believe the rest of us should be mandated to pay for others while struggling ourselves party)
This is ridiculous; Obama is our president, the president of both the Democratic and Republican parties. It’s totally absurd to have to insist that there’s got to be an opposing perspective to the President of the United States, who, unlike someone in the House or the Senate with majority and minority leaders, doesn’t have an equal and direct opponent.
Canadians aren’t happy, they are coming to the US for surgeries. And don’t bash republicans for this, you think Dems would have let Bush do anything? They tied his hands early and often. McCain’s plan was much better than Obama’s according to most analysts (and most Democrats now). These people do not understand supply and demand. If you take away the price for demand (as this plan will do), demand approaches infinity and will always be higher than supply (which still has a price). This means you HAVE to wait for care and do you really think its best for urgent operations to wait to sort things out? I hope Texas secedes because I will move there.
AMERICA’S NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY!
It’s official. America and the World are now in a GLOBAL PANDEMIC. A World EPIDEMIC with potential catastrophic consequences for ALL of the American people. The first PANDEMIC in 41 years. And WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES will have to face this PANDEMIC with the 37th worst quality of healthcare in the developed World.
STAND READY AMERICA TO SEIZE CONTROL OF YOUR NATIONAL HEALTHCARE SYSTEM.
We spend over twice as much of our GDP on healthcare as any other country in the World. And Individual American spend about ten times as much out of pocket on healthcare as any other people in the World. All because of GREED! And the PRIVATE FOR PROFIT healthcare system in America.
And while all this is going on, some members of congress seem mostly concern about how to protect the corporate PROFITS! of our GREED DRIVEN, PRIVATE FOR PROFIT NATIONAL DISGRACE. A PRIVATE FOR PROFIT DISGRACE that is in fact, totally valueless to the public health. And a detriment to national security, public safety, and the public health.
Progressive democrats and others should stand firm in their demand for a robust public option for all Americans, with all of the minimum requirements progressive democrats demanded. If congress can not pass a robust public option with at least 51 votes and all robust minimum requirements, congress should immediately move to scrap healthcare reform and demand that President Obama declare a state of NATIONAL HEALTHCARE EMERGENCY! Seizing and replacing all PRIVATE FOR PROFIT health insurance plans with the immediate implementation of National Healthcare for all Americans under the provisions of HR676 (A Single-payer National Healthcare Plan For All).
Coverage can begin immediately through our current medicare system. With immediate expansion through recruitment of displaced workers from the canceled private sector insurance industry. Funding can also begin immediately by substitution of payroll deductions for private insurance plans with payroll deductions for the national healthcare plan. This is what the vast majority of the American people want. And this is what all objective experts unanimously agree would be the best, and most cost effective for the American people and our economy.
In Mexico on average people who received medical care for A-H1N1 (Swine Flu) with in 3 days survived. People who did not receive medical care until 7 days or more died. This has been the same results in the US. But 50 million Americans don’t even have any healthcare coverage. And at least 200 million of you with insurance could not get in to see your private insurance plans doctors in 2 or 3 days, even if your life depended on it. WHICH IT DOES!
Contact congress and your representatives NOW! AND SPREAD THE WORD!
God Bless You
Jacksmith – WORKING CLASS
Ah Carlito another of the simple solution crowd. It must be the cold hearted conservatives denying healthcare coverage.
Actually there is a very simple solution. Buy health insurance! Oh, but how can I do that I’m poor. Well lets see. #1 take your EIC and/or income tax refund and pay for health insurance. # 2 Pay for health insurance before you smoke, drink alcohol, gamble, talk on a cell phone, buy a big screen, have satellite or cable TV, or eat out at restaurants. People seem to forget what our grandparents did. They paid the bills first. Especially the important bills.
With coverage for disadvantaged children and families There is no one other than many of the elderly in America who can not afford healthcare unless they choose not to.
TAX *THIS*, Mr. Obama:
******
http://community.whptv.com/forums/thread/4183573.aspx
******
@Rosiemeow
Soda is already taxed. You’re really not making much sense.
This broadcast by ABC crosses the line. Those of you that can’t understand that ABC needs to be an independent news agency and NOT a propaganda arm of the Obama administration have doomed this country. You are victims of a very bad public education system and you don’t understand the importance of an independent press in the cause of freedom.
What I can stress at this point is that if think what ABC is planning is wring let them know http://abc.go.com/site/contactus.html?lid=ABCCOMGlobalFooter&lpos=CONTACT
and contact the White House at (202) 456-1111.
This is not a benign event. This is another turning point in our nation’s history. Will the US remain a represenetive republic or a socialist state? Its up to you.
I’m sure those of you opposed to Obama’s health care proposals have enough health insurance to go to the doctor when needed. Not all of us do. Not all of us, even those of us who do work 40 hours a week and make an okay living, can afford the ridiculous price of health insurance. Priveleged people need to take their heads out of their perfect world asses and think about OTHER people for a change. I wish those of you who are so anti-Obama would lose your health care for one month, and see how the other half lives. Jerks.
Of the “45.7 million” who don’t have health insurance: 12 million are covered under SCHIP and/or medicaid; 7 million are illegal; 7 million are single adults under 35 who make more than 40k a year and choose not to have insurance and another 10 million are non resident aliens.
Under federal law, everyone has the right to emergency treatment, which is widely defined. Do the math, a government option will force an estimated 120 million who now have employee insurance to be dropped. Others will have their insurance taxed and small businesses will be forced to provide insurance. This number is from a census question that asked who did not have health care at SOME point in the year, so the number itself is in question as a percentage of those people now do have insurance.
Medicaid, medicare and veterans health all show us how great government run health options are.
Wake up, people. This plan fosters entitlement & will cost another trillion $ we don’t have.
Of the “45.7 million” who don’t have health insurance: 12 million are covered under SCHIP and/or medicaid; 7 million are illegal; 7 million are single adults under 35 who make more than 40k a year and choose not to have insurance and another 10 million are non resident aliens.
Under federal law, everyone has the right to emergency treatment, which is widely defined. Do the math, a government option will force an estimated 120 million who now have employee insurance to be dropped. Others will have their insurance taxed and small businesses will be forced to provide insurance. This number is from a census question that asked who did not have health care at SOME point in the year, so the number itself is in question as a percentage of those people now do have insurance.
Medicaid, medicare and veterans health all show us how great government run health options are.
Wake up, people. This plan fosters entitlement & will cost another trillion $ we don’t have.
Jane I am sorry to tell you this but not all of us who don’t have health insurance think its someone else’s job to give it to us. I don’t have it either but I don’t want government to take from others to give to me and my family. It is MY responsibility to take care of MY family through MY hard work. Sure I could be lazy and expect someone else to do it for me but what would happen to our country if all of a sudden the 250 + million who do have insurance suddenly dropped it to let the government handle it all? What happened to JFK’s quote..” ask not what your country can do for you ask what you can do for your country”. What I can do is take care of myself and mine.
Seriously – we need to just start calling ABC the Propaganda Network. They are definitely in the beginning stages of the propaganda networks in communist countries. Why some people can’t see this right in front of their eyes is beyond. All they have to do is read about how Communist countries are formed.
Hey Nudge -
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124208505896608647.html
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/05/12/senators-consider-soda-tax-help-fund-health-care-overhaul/
Any questions?
If you are uninsured and does not have insurance, you should check out the website http://UninsuredAmerica.blogspot.com – John Mayer, California
If you are outraged, boycott ABC sponsors
If you are uninsured check out this site.
http://myhealthquote.net/
The problem with ABC’s advocating of this proposal is that ABC, who uses public broadcasting airwaves, is essentially failing to do its job. There is no objective view, no fullness of information. Rather, this is pure advocacy on MY DIME!!
While I believe that ABC should broadcast more about exactly how Pres. Obama’s healthcare proposals would work, they should also allow for the plans detractors to weigh in. Otherwise, it turns into a one-sided propaganda piece from an entity that is supposed to merely report news – not advocate one position over another.
The fact that ABC is quickly becoming the moutpiece of Pres. Obama’s Whitehouse is terrifying. How are we supposed to be informed if all we hear is one side of the argument?!
The main point is the fact that the vast majority of Americans agree that we need different type of healthcare system. The system is flawed and not serving the people. The medical costs & bills are the number one reason behind 90% of personal bankruptcy filings. The system need major overhaul and somehow, but somehow we still do not have consensus or wide political will and agreement to do something regarding this.