ABC ObamaCare Special Turns Into Presidential Filibuster

[headhuntersix]

http://www.businessandmedia.org/articles/2009/20090625043708.aspx

Give a breakdown of the actual show based on who got to say what....

Call this a teachable moment, but even with ABC’s best-laid plans to kickstart the debate about health care reform and not allow the “Prescription for America” special to become an “infomercial,” as many have complained – the president spent more than twice as much time as his questioners vaguely answering or not answering the questions asked of him. But the network consistently presented the event as part of the need to fix a "broken system." When asked, every one of the 164 hand-picked audience members said they felt that health care needed to be changed.

President Barack Obama appeared on the ABC network in a town hall format broadcasted from the White House on two separate programs on June 24 – an hour-long primetime special during the 10 p.m. Eastern Time hour and later on the “Nightline” program that aired during the 11:30 p.m. Eastern Time hour.

ABC’s “Good Morning America” co-host Diane Sawyer billed the event as “a serious conversation” about the issue and she moderated the discussion along with her former “GMA” partner, now “World News” anchor Charles Gibson. ABC medical editor Dr. Timothy Johnson, a long-time network advocate for universal health care plans going back to Hillarycare, also participated in the event.


While Obama had to field some difficult questions -- from the audience and ABC -- he faced no Republican critics of his proposals. The network also allowed him to dominate the program with long-winded and vague answers. Out of the 75 minutes the network dedicated over the two programs (commercials excluded), the president managed to take 60 percent of that time: 45 minutes to give 19 vague responses – not exactly the “dialogue” advertised by ABC:

[headhuntersix]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/HealthCare/story?id=7919991&page=1

How do u screw up ur own propaganda piece?


President Obama struggled to explain today whether his health care reform proposals would force normal Americans to make sacrifices that wealthier, more powerful people -- like the president himself -- wouldn't face.

A special edition of "Nightline" from inside the White House.The probing questions came from two skeptical neurologists during ABC News' special on health care reform, "Questions for the President: Prescription for America," anchored from the White House by Diane Sawyer and Charles Gibson.

Dr. Orrin Devinsky, a neurologist and researcher at the New York University Langone Medical Center, said that elites often propose health care solutions that limit options for the general public, secure in the knowledge that if they or their loves ones get sick, they will be able to afford the best care available, even if it's not provided by insurance.

Devinsky asked the president pointedly if he would be willing to promise that he wouldn't seek such extraordinary help for his wife or daughters if they became sick and the public plan he's proposing limited the tests or treatment they can get.

The president refused to make such a pledge, though he allowed that if "it's my family member, if it's my wife, if it's my children, if it's my grandmother, I always want them to get the very best care.

"There's a whole bunch of care that's being provided that every study, that every bit of evidence that we have indicates may not be making us healthier," he said.

Gibson interjected that often patients don't know what will work until they get every test they can.

"Oftentimes we know what makes sense and what doesn't," the president responded, making a push for evidence-based medicine.

[Soul Crusher]

The more I think about this mess, the worse it gets.

Obamacare is going to go down in flames.   

[tonymctones]

The more I think about this mess, the worse it gets.

Obamacare is going to go down in flames.   

its true

[The True Adonis]

Obama is correct here in stating that everyone should have the very best healthcare free from limitation.

[Soul Crusher]

Obama is correct here in stating that everyone should have the very best healthcare free from limitation.

Tell that to the doctors who have 250k to pay back in school loans and are going to have their reimbursements slashed. 

[The True Adonis]

Tell that to the doctors who have 250k to pay back in school loans and are going to have their reimbursements slashed. 

Universities should be free of charge also.  This is a separate issue and needs addressing.  Universities need to be tuition free.

[Soul Crusher]

Universities should be free of charge also.  This is a separate issue and needs addressing.  Universities need to be tuition free.

You must have one of Obama's printing presses in your mothers basement to believe that nonsense. 

[The True Adonis]

You must have one of Obama's printing presses in your mothers basement to believe that nonsense. 

My mother is dead.

[Soul Crusher]

My mother is dead.

Sorry about that, I thought someone joked a few times about you living in the basement. 

My point was that there is simply no amount of money that will be able to cover all of theser things.  Its simple math. 

[The True Adonis]

Sorry about that, I thought someone joked a few times about you living in the basement. 

My point was that there is simply no amount of money that will be able to cover all of theser things.  Its simple math. 

There is always money for bailouts and wars.  Since we spend more per capita per person already on healthcare and college, a Universal system would certainly be a savings in both areas when compared to any other nation with these institutions.

[Soul Crusher]

There is always money for bailouts and wars.  Since we spend more per capita per person already on healthcare and college, a Universal system would certainly be a savings in both areas when compared to any other nation with these institutions.

I agree with you that we are spending too much on wars, etc. 

However, we have a 9 trillion dollar debt and almost 1.5 trillion dollar deficit now as it is.

 

[shootfighter1]

The fact that ABC broadcasted this infomercial is unacceptible.  We need a robust debate on something this large, it cannot be steamrolled through.

Many in the medical community oppose nationalized healthcare, in fact, I haven't spoke to one doctor yet who favors it.  Many of us favor reform but not a full public plan.

[The True Adonis]

The fact that ABC broadcasted this infomercial is unacceptible.  We need a robust debate on something this large, it cannot be steamrolled through.

Many in the medical community oppose nationalized healthcare, in fact, I haven't spoke to one doctor yet who favors it.  Many of us favor reform but not a full public plan.

The majority of physicians in the United States support a single payer system.

http://www.pnhp.org/

[shootfighter1]

Dude, you quoted a site that is entitled "Physicians for nationalized healthcare".  Thats not representative of all physicians.  I would be cautious of polls coming from medical organizations too.  Many physicians don't belong to groups like the AMA.  They are more of the political docs.

Again, many docs want reform but not nationalized healthcare.

[Soul Crusher]

Dude, you quoted a site that is entitled "Physicians for nationalized healthcare".  Thats not representative of all physicians.  I would be cautious of polls coming from medical organizations too.  Many physicians don't belong to groups like the AMA.  They are more of the political docs.

Again, many docs want reform but not nationalized healthcare.

Why would anyone ever go into medicine under a system like Obama is proposing?

[Option D]

Tell that to the doctors who have 250k to pay back in school loans and are going to have their reimbursements slashed. 

Then maybe schools shouldnt cost so much...like that dude you showed me

[shootfighter1]

The only way I can see it is if they alleviate medical school and residency loans.  Its so difficult coming out of school with $100,000-200,000 of loans.  Then it takes more loans to start a practice.  Meanwhile, you are 30 years old before you start making any real money, when most of your peers have been in the workforce for 8 yrs already.

I think nationalized healthcare will impose a lot more regulations, mandates, extra pre-certifications, clearances, paperwork...all the shit that we hate already.  I have worked with medicare, medicaid and workers comp...all are more difficult to work with than private insurance.

I also think they must focus on primary care medicine (family practice, internal medicine, pediatrics).  These are the fields that the physicians get paid the least and there is the most dissatisfaction with current systems.  I also believe that something should be done to decrease deductibles and co-pays for primary care, as that is a hurdle for preventative medicine.

[Soul Crusher]

Then maybe schools shouldnt cost so much...like that dude you showed me

Oh I agree, but that is not going to happen.  The cost will stay the same and the system we have will be awful for docs.  What is going to happen??


We are going to get a flood of docs from india and other countries who dont have the school loans to deal with.

Its insane.  . 

[The True Adonis]

Dude, you quoted a site that is entitled "Physicians for nationalized healthcare".  Thats not representative of all physicians.  I would be cautious of polls coming from medical organizations too.  Many physicians don't belong to groups like the AMA.  They are more of the political docs.

Again, many docs want reform but not nationalized healthcare.

I know I did.  You claimed that you weren`t aware of any physicians supporting Universal Healthcare. 

If you look a little further, you will see the polls from independent pollsters on the site where the question is asked amongst physicians, "do you support a single payer system. Yes or No", to which the majority in all polls answer "yes". 

I can post them if you would like or do not have the time to search for them.

[shootfighter1]

Also, remember this.  In speaking of nationalized healthcare, some are talking decreasing payments for visits/services.  If this happens, it will make it harder for non-hospital owned primary care physicians to stay in practice...we will also have to see even more patients than now to stay in business.

The overhead for a medical practice, including licensures, staff, complying with mandates, malpractice, benefits, medical and office supplies is incredibly high.  Anything that will increase this is a nightmare for clinics.

I fear that if the government steps in, they will work mainly with hospitals because of the necessity of big system mandates and regulation, which is not where primary care is the best for patients.  We can't hire more staff to deal with extra bullshit that gets in the way of care.

[MCWAY]

Universities should be free of charge also.  This is a separate issue and needs addressing.  Universities need to be tuition free.

No, they don't!!!

IF you smoke the ACT/SAT in high school, OR if you good in a certain popular sports (i.e. football), then you get offered a full-ride scholarship.

Otherwise, there's no such thing as free-of-charge college education. You could, of course, join the military and get the GI Bill.

[Option D]

No, they don't!!!

IF you smoke the ACT/SAT in high school, OR if you good in a certain popular sports (i.e. football), then you get offered a full-ride scholarship.

Otherwise, there's no such thing as free-of-charge college education. You could, of course, join the military and get the GI Bill.

YEAH...They should be

[shootfighter1]

Adonis, I was saying no doc I know or speak to personally.  I'm sure there are docs that do favor some kind of public system or single payor system, as you point out, but the majority of docs are very very concerned with a nationally run system.  Big hospitals have already taken a lot of power away from physicians, many see this as another layer of bureacracy in medicine.

[The True Adonis]

Adonis, I was saying no doc I know or speak to personally.  I'm sure there are docs that do favor some kind of public system or single payor system, as you point out, but the majority of docs are very very concerned with a nationally run system.  Big hospitals have already taken a lot of power away from physicians, many see this as another layer of bureacracy in medicine.

59 percent of all United States Physicians support Single Payer Healthcare.