Lie of the Year

PolitiFact.com, which monitors the factual truth of public statements, has selected for its "Lie of the Year" designation the Republican mantra that brands Obama's health care reform plan as "government takeover of health care."

And who deserves the dishonor for coining and selling that phrase as the Republican talking point? None other than Frank Luntz, the word-smith darling of conservatives. His self-described specialty is “testing language and finding words that will help his clients sell their product or turn public opinion on an issue or a candidate.”

Now, there is nothing inherently wrong with that. Our friend and colleague Drew Westin does the same thing. It's how you use it. Drew, I'm convinced, tries to help Democrats get across their positive programs in a way that people will get the truth. Luntz and his clients seem to me to use language to obscure the truth, misrepresent the facts, and fool the voters.

What a difference.

Quoting from PolitiFact:

PolitiFact editors and reporters have chosen "government takeover of health care" as the 2010 Lie of the Year. Uttered by dozens of politicians and pundits, it played an important role in shaping public opinion about the health care plan and was a significant factor in the Democrats' shellacking in the November elections. . . .

By selecting "government takeover" as Lie of the Year, PolitiFact is not making a judgment on whether the health care law is good policy.

The phrase is simply not true. . . .

PolitiFact reporters have studied the 906-page bill and interviewed independent health care experts. We have concluded it is inaccurate to call the plan a government takeover because it relies largely on the existing system of health coverage provided by employers.

It's true that the law does significantly increase government regulation of health insurers. But it is, at its heart, a system that relies on private companies and the free market.

OK. But let's go a step further. What is so wrong with government run health care? I, for one, would welcome it in some form, because we could have a better health care system at lower costs -- just like in France, which is considered in most cases to be the best in the world.

In fact, I do have it now, in the form of Medicare. Along with my AARP supplement, I am totally satisfied with it, as a patient. As a physician, I would have complaints because they reimburse too little, often not even meeting actual expenses of the doctor's office, and maybe require too much paperwork.

Sure, for the wealthy, the U.S. probably offers the best health care. But if you look at a system and at the overall health of a nation, we are way way down the list. At a much higher cost than anywhere else.

So -- "government takeover of health care"? Bring it on.

But then I am not your average Joe six-pack who just wants to prove his masculinity and protect his insecure sense of autonomy -- and is easily manipulated with clever word-smithing by the likes of Frank Luntz and his Republican clients.

Ralph