Editorial Staff uses SOME Kaiser Foundation Research Again

May 19 Editorial

In today's editorial, "Washington should take time on health care reform" more Frank Luntz and big business health-care talking points with no documentation on their statements are made. It is essentially the same piece that was written last Monday, which I broke down as not just straight propaganda, but plagiarized straight propaganda.

The only difference this go 'round, is that the paper is saying Congress should take extra time to figure things out regarding this issue. Now, I am no apologist for Bill Clinton that is for sure, but this certainly brings to mind this editorial written a little more than eleven years ago:

There are numerous examples (the war on Iraq is a fine example). Many more recent ones where the fine writers at The Oklahoman show incredible bias on issues regarding whether we should act right away, or take time to figure things out (or stall) but I thought this example was kind of funny. Especially when you recall that the lying under oath incident didn't occur until four days after this was written!

But back to the issue at hand, The Oklahoma ONCE AGAIN quotes The Kaiser Family Foundation study that stated "...about 80 percent of insured Americans say is excellent or good, according to a study last year" but ONCE AGAIN leave out The Kaiser Family Foundation study that stated:

" ....poll says 80 percent are dissatisfied with the cost of health care."

And once again, they leave out a study done with residents of 30 rich countries polled by Gallup. Americans came in 18th in terms of satisfaction with their care, despite the fact that we out-spend everyone else on the list by an incredibly significant amount. Ireland, Switzerland, and Belgium topped the list.

Another statement in the article was interesting. "...'Our goal is to have a healthier America,' Pelosi said last week after a meeting with President Barack Obama. No House Republicans were present." While this apparently is true, what is more important to note are things like zero representation in any important discussions with the Obama-Pelosi crew with single-payer advocates. This is worth noting because this is the main thing The Oklahoman is ranting and raving about! Note this excerpt from a recent column by Amy Goodman:

"Barack Obama appeared this week with health-industry bigwigs, proclaiming light at the end of the health-care tunnel. Among those gathered were executives from HMO giants Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Health Net Inc., and the health-insurance lobbying group America’s Health Insurance Plans; from the American Hospital Association and the American Medical Association; from medical-device companies; and from the pharmaceutical industry, including the president and CEO of Merck and former Rep. Billy Tauzin, now president and CEO of PhRMA....Still absent from the debate are advocates for single-payer, often referred to as the “Canadian-style” health care. Single-payer health care is not “socialized medicine.” According to Physicians for a National Health Program, single-payer means “the government pays for care that is delivered in the private (mostly not-for-profit) sector.” read the rest of the column here.

The Oklahoman continues to be nothing short of a complete disgrace.