Dean on Palin’s health care claims: ‘She made that up’
WASHINGTON (CNN) - Former Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean told CNN Sunday that former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin had deliberately made up charges that the Obama administration’s health care bill would lead to euthanasia.
“About euthanasia, they're just totally erroneous. She just made that up,” he said. “Just like the ‘Bridge to Nowhere’ that she supposedly didn't support.
“There's nothing like euthanasia in the bill. I practiced medicine for a long time, and of course you have to have end of life discussions - the patients want that. There's nothing... euthanasia's not in this bill.”
Dean was referring comments Palin made late Friday in a post on her Facebook page. In her post, the former Republican vice presidential candidate said President Obama’s health care plan would create a “death panel” that would weigh whether her parents or son Trig were “worthy of health care.”
She discounted the administration’s view that the president’s plan would cut health care costs, saying the only path to lower costs was less treatment.
"And who will suffer the most when they ration care?" she wrote. "The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course. The America I know and love is not one in which my parents or my baby with Down Syndrome will have to stand in front of Obama’s 'death panel' so his bureaucrats can decide, based on a subjective judgment of their 'level of productivity in society,' whether they are worthy of health care. Such a system is downright evil."
Palin has mostly steered clear of interviews with reporters since leaving office last month. "Democracy depends on you. That is why our troops are willing to die for you," she told the media in her farewell speech. "So how about in honor of the American soldier, ya quit making things up?" She spent several days last week in New York, meeting with her book publisher.
Of all of the things that have been said about Palin, there are two things that are undeniably true, and which you can determine by listening to or reading the things that she has said: 1) she is just plain stupid. 2) she is a liar.
Every single member of Congress who does not want health care reform to pass this year needs to have some moral and surrender the health insurance they have thanks to the taxpayers and live like the almost 50 million without insurance. Sara Palin comments who cares what she said, intellect is not precisely one of her virtues.
This country has a long and shameful history of bigotry – why change now huh?
These "Christian Conservatives" embrace this idiot from Alaska because well you know, Obama ain't like them...whereas they can identify 'more' with Palin, you know because, she's 'like' them....
People are so afraid of change they start making stuff up just to put the fear of god in you. That's a wonderful way to control people now ain't it. And an even better way to use "christian' values. (NOT!)
I'm so glad these "christian conservatives" are being revealed for "what" they really are – peple so caught up in their own false beliefs they would say and do anything because you know, they want something 'more like them' to run the country. And that's the truth.
SHAMEFUL
In 2003 Dean agreed to investigate 'claims' that GWB knew about the 9/11 attacks in advance – talk about making crap up. Dean's a walking crap-bin.
this is hilarious......you've got John Conyers (D) saying publicly he has not read this bill....it would take 2 days and 2 lawyers to explain to him what it all means...and he is in charge of the Ways and Means Committee...please! They made this so big and complicated that it is full of jibber jabber. Slow down Obama..almost 50% of the PEOPLE do not like the "change"/direction you are going. For one...get rid of the part where the ILLEGAL aliens here are covered...then we'll talk.
This is nothing short of crazy.
I am beginning to think that this woman is actually afraid of facts and prefers to live in her imagination. Because everything there makes sense, and it's safer there (no meddling media to question the warped reasoning).
I can not even believe that I have to explain to people at work A. What euthanasia is and B. How it is obviously not a part of the health care plan. This is the worst sort of fear mongering because it is pandering the product of fear to the uneducated. If you people have a sincere rational argument make it! If not SHUT UP!
My physician friends have pointed out that although there is a much in the bill about controlling physician reimbursement, there is nothing in the bill to provide relief for ovehead expenses. So doctors will still have the same costs – rent, malpractice insurance, staff salaries and benefits, etc., on substantially less income. ( and for those of you that say Medicare rates are fair – just one example – anesthesiologists receive around 30% of their usual fee from Medicare, and there is already a shortage in this specialty).Most doctors – believe it or not – went into medicine because they wanted to help people, not deny them needed care. However their prectice is a buisiness, and you can't stay in practice if you can't cover your overhead. If Obama cuts too deep and the program is too intrusive, I know quite a few good doctors who will simply retire rather than be government employees.
those saying there isn't an ACTUAL BILL YET are absolutely correct.
But when President Obama has already broken a promise to allow a bill a time to read it and have it online then why should we believe him??
Oh and the framework for the bills are what's taking shape now. Will it be exactly like that, NO, but NOW is the time to make your feelings known. Its amazing that activists of the past are now telling people to pipe down just because it espouses their agenda.
Maybe Bush should have told ACORN to pipe down? How would that have been taken by liberals???
Those saying "pipe down until something actually happens" are complete hypocrites to THEIR CAUSES of the past.
Palin is a moran (it would be an insult to morons to refer to her as a moron). I think Dr. Dean has a far better grasp of the US health care system than the Wicked Witch of Wasilla.
The folks on here who say the health care bill will lead to "death panels" or that you will have to wait weeks for health care, you need to turn the Fox News and right wing talk radio off and start thinking for yourselves. Don't let the hate mongering talking heads on these "media outlets" continue to herd you like sheep.
I thought the pot calling the kettle black was a joke but I guess I was wrong. Here is the real thing.
The President and Congress want to kill old people????????????? Hahahahahahahahahahahahaha.... And you have people screaming, yelling and declaring that this foolishness true. Are these the same people that beleive the fake birth certificate floating around is real and that Obama is not an American.... People wake up. You can't be this stupid... Aren't most of the people in the Congress old... hahahahahaha... WOW Palin is acting "Stupidly"
Howard Dean tells it like it is! Palin's crazed comments need to be countered with the truth.
I doubt Howard Dean has even read the bill. The rationing that seniors like me will be subject to amounts to nothing LESS than Euthanasia.
Let's think about this for a minute. Obama has already said that the elderly should "learn to live with" the ailments caused by getting older. I'm sorry, but anyone that thinks there won't be someone sitting up there deciding who should get what care, is sadly mistaken. They are talking about cost control. It won't come from reducing the amount paid to hospitals. It won't come from reducing the amount paid to insurance companies. It will come through refusing care to people who "don't deserve to live." The bill doesn't have to "state' it. Read the bill. Look at the language. Don't believe what those "honest" politicians are saying. Read it!
She is a facebook poster, which gives her the credibility of any 14 year old girl, she is a quitter from her governorship, because it was getting in the way of her book deals. She has proven herself uninformed, ineloquent, incapable of strategy, ideas, or anything but lookin pretty.
WHY DOES ANYONE give her any time in print???
I love this quote: "And who will suffer the most when they ration care? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course."
We already ration health care. Those who are "good" enough to afford it, get it. The people most likely not to get coverage? The sick, the elderly, and the disabled, of course.
Someone paid these Corporate Fascist shills and they will try to write a book about it soon.It will be a race to see who can get printed first,or the bagmen will offer them more cash for silence.hahaha
Americans are out of touch because most of them are completely misinformed by the likes of Sarah Palin, Rush Limbaugh and Conservatives for Patient's Rights. These individuals and lobbyist groups see absolutely nothing wrong with spreading erroneous and false information because it helps line their pockets and furthers their cause. The best way to arm yourself is with reliable information–check out the facts for yourself, turn off Rush Limbaugh and pick up a friggin newspaper. STOP READING BLOGS. Blogs are full of nothing but one person's (typically uninformed) opinion. The greatest danger to America ignorance, and we have plenty of it.
Jan,
you are absolutely right.
And you know who pays for the shortfalls in Medicare, Medicaid and Charity care so that those anesthesiologists can afford to stay in business.
The private plans, that's who. That's why they're going up in cost, no other reason.
Every month around here we get notices from insurers that XYZ hospital is leaving their network, WHY? Because they need a 30,40,50% or more INCREASE in their reimbursement due to lessening medicare payment schedules. An insurer has two options:
1-agree and raise everyone's rates to cover the new costs
2-deny it and lose the network hospital and many affilliated doctors that come with them.
This is the problem and the proposals going forth do nothing to address that issue.
Palin: go back to Alaska and shut up
This Palin broad is a raging lunatic! She opens her big mouth before she even reads the bill. And because she is so stupid, she wouldn't understand it if she DID read it! Yeah, she comes out with that stupid smile and hokey language and continues to sound like the illiterate that she is. Couldn't handle the pressure of being a governor, so just go away and quit using your kids...yet again. You want them off the radar...and yet you're the worst offender of keeping 'em out there. Start taking care of them instead of your gigantic ego.
Isn't it pathetic that this woman can garner all this attention from otherwise intelligent people just by making herself sound more off-the-wall than she already is! Tells you something about ourselves doesn't it?
Sarah Palin... Dick Cheney in a dress.
"Gwen", You say that Obama has produced a birth certificate and it has been studied by scholars. A) When was it produced, because I haven't heard anything about this. B) Who studied it? When you say scholars, name – names!
"Jeri", I am a disabled Veteran! 16 years in the Marine Corps.
Everybody – Who's actually the fool spewing the lies – Sarah Palin or Howard Dean. Who's the fool that would actually believe either one of them?