http://blog.thehill.com/2009/05/08/words-designed-to-kill-health-care-reform-sen-jeff-merkley/

Because of your use of “common sense”, Senator Jeff Merkley thinks that all you really want is to keep the system the way it is:

Words Designed to Kill Health Care Reform (Sen. Jeff Merkley)
The Hill’s Congress Blog
May 8th, 2009

[...]

But I was shocked when I read a memo from Republican strategist Dr. Frank Luntz laying out plans to dismantle any effort to give all Americans access to quality health care. Dr. Luntz, the man who developed language designed to promote preemptive war in Iraq and distract from the severity of global warming, is at it again — this time with a messaging strategy designed to sink our historic opportunity for health care reform.

Let’s be clear: this is not a strategy to push certain ideas about health reform. It is a strategy intended solely to kill reform efforts altogether. In his own words, Dr. Luntz has stated, “You’re not going to get what you want, but you can kill what they’re trying to do.”

[...]

So expect a massive misinformation campaign coming to a health care debate near you. Opponents using Dr. Luntz’s doublespeak will argue for a “balanced, common sense approach” to health care but what they really want is to keep the system the way it is.

[...]

By Ore. Dem. Sen. Jeff Merkley

Funny, your balanced, common sense approach to health care reform doesn’t seem like doublespeak to me.

I think I’ll print this out and carry it to any and all meetings I go to on the subject. (with proper accreditation of course!)

I’d rather just allow every filer to separately deduct the amount he pays for health insurance, even if he doesn’t itemize.

Yes. I really wish someone on Team McCain had been smart enough to bring this up during the campaign. Create an incentive for people to buy insurance instead of a 50′ plasma.

I suggest we overwhelm the flag@whitehouse.gov site with copies. Spread the word.

Hm, I don’t know about that. I e-mailed and reported myself for fishy, unAmerican blogposts — twice! — and I haven’t even received the courtesy of a response. Or a subpoena. At least not yet.

I fear that Linda forgot to detail some junior assistant subaltern staffer to monitor the flag@whitehouse.gov e-mail server…

Dafydd