So, Senator Jim DeMint (R-SC) held a town hall meeting at the Beacon yesterday, and if you only read the Spartanburg Herald-Journal, you’d think the whole thing went just dandy …
U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint said Thursday he doesn’t want the same people who botched the response to Hurricane Katrina to get into the health care business.
DeMint, R-S.C., brought his battle against President Barack Obama’s health care reform to Spartanburg, where he found a friendly audience. A crowd of about 375 people — and one pig — attended the event, held in the midday sun at The Beacon Drive-In.
Why it was even downright folksy …
The loudest squealing came from Arnold, the pig, who raised a ruckus when owner Marvin Jackson carried him off The Beacon’s patio. Jackson said he brought Arnold to show his disdain for pork spending.
Meanwhile, the Huffington Post — granted, a media outlet with an open bias — saw it very, very differently.
The crowd was almost universally supportive, even worshipful, with one attendee hailing him for being considered the most conservative senator of all. The lies and misinformation that came both from the crowd and the stage probably exceeded what many might have imagined. And DeMint denounced the one person who pressed him with a tough question, saying she had come “fully” loaded with “Democratic talking points.”
The same thing happened earlier in the day at his town hall in Greenville, when a woman raised some critical questions. DeMint referred to them as “talking points.” Don’t expect him to be criticized on Fox, a la Barney Frank, for “putting down” an attendee.
Also at Greenville he referred to the suspension of the cash for clunkers programs and asked, “what if the government had to suspend all surgeries’?
Here are some of the highlights of the Spartanburg town hall.
DeMint said that if the Democrats’ plan goes through “hundreds of millions will lose Medicare” coverage.
- One guy said insurance companies are NOT making big profits–only like 6% –and Obama was telling lies about it. DeMint agreed that profits not excessive.
- DeMint said “non-partisan” analysts agree “a hundred million” will lose insurance at their jobs under Obama plan.
- A woman quoted “Jewish spokesman” Ben Stein as tracing the decline of America to taking prayer out of school. She declared that America was a “Christian” nation. DeMint said, “I can’t add anything to that.”
- Another woman said she had a relative in London “who is dead because of national health care.” And willing to document it.
- When a questioner said that the Democrats wanted to cover illegals, DeMint said it sure looked that way and would no doubt happen if not checked.
- A man said he wanted an ethics probe of David Axelrod, but did not say why. DeMint said a real concern but didn’t want to get into it because “I am not partisan.”
- Finally, a woman stood up and politely asked why he continually put down government programs while also backing insurance companies. He quickly accused her of coming “loaded” with “Democratic talking points” as the crowd hooted.
Why didn’t this stuff make it into the SH-J‘s story, I wonder? All of these things which are misleading or simply false. Isn’t it THEIR JOB to hold politicians accountable for the things they say and do? Did writer Bob Dalton actually listen to what DeMint said? To what the crowd said? Did he not think this stuff was important enough to mention?
In one story, DeMint is depicted as being boldly concerned with a pragmatic concern: The government just can’t run anything right. (Never mind that DeMint is part of the government.) In the other, DeMint is a cowardly blowhard who won’t even answer a simple question directly, and instead actively engages in fearmongering to cater to the crowd.
There’s likely a truth somewhere in the middle, but what should be clear is that there’s quite a lot of unadmitted bias in the SH-J story. Dalton doesn’t question DeMint, or call him out for his tactics. At least the Huffington Post is honest about what they’re doing. Boos and hisses to the SH-J — and Bob Dalton specifically — for today’s story.
Steve Shanafelt
Ok. I wonder if DeMint has read the bill.
SEC. 242. AFFORDABLE CREDIT ELIGIBLE INDIVIDUAL.
12 (a) DEFINITION.—
13 (1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this divi14
sion, the term ‘‘affordable credit eligible individual’’
15 means, subject to subsection (b), an individual who
16 is lawfully present in a State in the United States
17 (other than as a nonimmigrant described in a sub18
paragraph (excluding subparagraphs (K), (T), (U),
19 and (V)) of section 101(a)(15) of the Immigration
20 and Nationality Act)—
21
That puts limitations on who illegal aliens. Also earlier there is a section on coverage of children. It looks like there are some exclusions to those not born in the US at least until their first year, then it may refer to the above.
Therefore his touting that the bill will give free reign to medical coverage is wrong. Heck many of them are getting it now as it is, as Medic-aid doesn’t seem to be all that strict on residency status. Why not work on fixing that Mr. Demint?
The first half of the bill covers insurance and some reforms, limitations etc. It does the same for Medicare and Medic-aid. Again if people bothered to read it, one would see that much will stay the same, if it is implemented and managed properly but with streamlining.
I am not happy with the extra paper work and burden that it looks like it will put on doctors who will be required to accept all that coverage options. I know of several practitioner who decided to reduce paperwork by not accepting insurance like Medic-aid. Most of the doctors in the Mary Black system do NOT accept it, and there are few pediatricians in Spartanburg that do. More paperwork will mean more staff, which will mean higher payroll.
Finding a way to streamline things on the physicians and hospital’s end of this is hopefully in the works, but I didn’t find it in my brief foray.
I urge everyone to get a copy of this bill, just read it. There is some good stuff in there, and of course some not so great things in there. Stop listening to the politicians or the talking heads, just read the thing yourself and come up with your own opinion.