I just received this urgent message from the Democratic National Committee, which seems to be implying that Senator Kyl is a liar who should be “called out”:
After decades of fighting to dismantle Medicare, GOP leaders like Senator Jon Kyl are taking to the airwaves with a cynical campaign of deception about how health reform will affect Medicare.
Kyl, one of the top Republicans in the Senate, has claimed that reform would cause the rationing of care for America’s seniors. It’s a claim that both AARP (which represents over 40 million seniors) and the non-partisan fact-check website PolitiFact have repeatedly debunked as absolutely false.
But it’s no surprise that Senator Kyl has resorted to lying and scaring seniors to block reform. After all, he has publicly stated that insurance companies don’t need to be “kept honest,” and he even opposes requiring them to provide coverage without discriminating against pre-existing conditions.
Senator Kyl, we’ve had enough of the fear-mongering and lies — we’re calling you out.
Call ’em out: Jon Kyl. Watch the video, spread the word, make a call.
Contrary to Kyl’s claims, reform would help seniors who are still paying too much for prescription drugs, while making Medicare more efficient and more financially-secure in the long-run.
But his lies don’t end at Medicare. He’s claimed that comparative effectiveness research (a key tool to increase quality of care while lowering costs) would lead to rationing, another claim clearly debunked by the independent FactCheck.org.
Kyl has also claimed that the debt from health reform would not be sustainable, even though President Obama has promised not to sign a bill that adds to the deficit — and even though Republican Senator Olympia Snowe has said the Senate Finance committee bill will be deficit neutral.
And, of course, Kyl has trotted out that most-debunked of lies, that reform will result in a government takeover of health care. No independent observer is buying that one.
Kyl’s lies add up to a clear plan to score political points by tanking reform that Americans need. So, together, it’s time to give Senator Kyl the same treatment as Rep. John Boehner and Gov. Tim Pawlenty before him: It’s time to call him out.
http://www.democrats.org/CallOutKyl
Keep up the fight,
Jen
Jen O’Malley Dillon
Executive Director
Democratic National Committee
UPDATE: DNC promises ‘rain of hellfire’:
The increasingly aggressive Democratic National Committee on Friday launched a new “Call ’Em Out” website targeting prominent Republicans for statements they have made about President Barack Obama’s health reform plans.
“Help debunk the outrageous lies and misinformation about health reform,” the site says.
DNC spokesman Hari Sevugan said: “The message to opponents of change who would lie or misrepresent the truth should be clear. We are going to respond forcefully and consistently with the facts, and you will no longer be able to peddle your lies with impunity. Through tools like ‘Call ‘Em Out,’ you will be met with a rain of hellfire from supporters armed with the facts and you will be held to account.”
The website is part of a larger, more aggressive approach taken by the White House through the DNC to push back against smears, distortions and misinformation. It’s taken various forms, including hitting back on Republican Medicare attacks with a TV ad that ran nationally and in 10 targeted members’ districts.
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