Only one side lying on health care
The headline on WHT page 3A on March 15 reads: “AP Fact Check: Both sides loose with facts in health debate.” That headline is highly misleading.
It suggests that there is some sort of parity between the “alternative facts” (aka lies) of those in favor of the bill and the loose facts of the opponents. The article itself does not support the headline.
The article enumerates the demonstrably false statements of Trump’s Press Secretary Sean Spicer, Budget Director Mick Mulvaney and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price. Liar-In Chief Trump is caught on three whoppers.
Balanced against these six false statements is one difference of opinion on the opponents’ side. Sen. Chuck Schumer says that the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is … virtually unassailable” whereas House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi has questioned analyses by the CBO on two previous occasions.
That is not a mistaken “fact” but rather a difference of opinion about the fallibility of the CBO analyses.
The effort to make it appear that both sides are playing fast and loose with the facts does your readers a disservice. There is no parity of loose facts. Supporters of the Ryan-Trump health care bill are simply lying to the public to gather support for a bill that removes affordable health care for 24 million American citizens.
Who benefits from this proposed bill? Well, for one, the rich, who would see their taxes decreased. Your readers have a right to know what is really at stake, so they can vigorously oppose this deeply flawed bill.
Marvin Feldman
Captain Cook