Dear Friends,
“Outrage. That’s my adrenaline.” The woman referred to the as the “First Lady of the Press,” Ms. Helen Thomas, was not actually talking about Santa Fe. She had been manipulated by what the Obama administration called a “town hall” meeting to promote health care reform. In an interview on July 1, 2009, Ms. Thomas said, “Nixon didn’t try to do that. They couldn’t control [the media]. They didn’t try. What the hell do they think we are - puppets? I’m not saying there has never been managed news before, but this is carried to “fare-thee-well” for the town halls, for the press conferences,” she said. “It’s blatant. They don’t give a damn if you know it or not. They ought to be hanging their heads in shame.”
The disgust Ms. Thomas expressed was as the result of the insistence by President Obama that all questions be submitted prior to the meeting. That same shamelessness characterized Congressman Ben Ray Lujan’s manipulation of a “town hall” here in Santa Fe on Monday night. Hosted by the Social Justice Committee of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Santa Fe, the event was staged to help the Congressman promote the Health Care Reform Bill, HR 3200, of which he is a co-sponsor.
The Ben Ray Lujan manipulation didn’t stop with screening questions. First, seating was limited to 150 persons. Of those, 72 seats were reserved for Unitarian Church members and those close to Lujan. Their support was obvious when the Congressman reached his first applause line. The front rows erupted, as did about a third of the hoi polloi behind.
To set the tone for the evening, Mr. Lujan had written a piece for the ABQ Journal Santa Fe headlined “Stakes Too High for Shouting Match.” A member of the host church’s Social Justice Committee stated that anyone shouting or making derogatory remarks “will be forcefully removed.” Rev. Jim Grant, the church’s pastor, gave a “make nice” speech. Then everyone had a timed 30 seconds of quiet time to meditate on making nice.
Besides Mr. Lujan, the panel consisted only of two avid supporters of the proposed bill including the so-called “Public Option”: Dr. Taylor Tyler, a physician from Los Alamos, and Lydia Pendley, a private citizen who is president of Health Care Action New Mexico. Rationalizations for the government takeover of the health care system were followed by the forceful demonizations of insurance companies. All the Democratic talking points were reinforced: how terrible insurance profits are, how those with pre-existing conditions are denied insurance, how claims are denied, how inflated health care CEO salaries are. Some how, unstated was the fact that 80% of American like their coverage.
Nothing was said of the government’s failure in its current programs; Medicare and Medicaid, nor about tax increases, bloated government bureaucracies, health care rationing, failed systems in other countries, government funded abortions, or the lack of a “conscience clause” to protect medical personnel from having to terminate life. No one mentioned New Mexico’s Insurance Pool that insures those with 53 preexisting conditions such as AIDS and metastatic cancer. It was an evening of “let’s all make nice about this wonderful new Obama government program.”
Dr. Taylor produced his personal evaluations of various elements of the plan. Although he had given failing grades (Fs) to certain aspects, he did not fault the program, saying only, “Low grades do not necessarily mean failure, but those things that need to be worked on.”
“Government can do it better. The public option is the answer,” was the mantra, with the adoring crowd applauding on cue. Congressman Lujan states that he favors a single payer system, and both Ms. Pendley and Dr. Taylor agree that was the only solution.
One question made an alternate point: “If most Americans are insured, why do you have to revamp the whole system?” The question went unanswered, as Mr. Lujan stood up to proclaim, “This bill would improve health care for those who are already insured.”
Another question dealt with cost. Mr. Lujan answered by completely mis-stating the Congressional Budget Office’s estimate stating “the CBO says the plan will yield $6 billion more.” The CBO reports an estimate of “a deficit of 239 billion over the next decade.” [See Wall Street Journal, Aug. 6, 2009, page A12.] Many other questions were not addressed, such as the question “Will my taxes pay for abortions?” [Yes!]
Yesterday in Santa Fe, there had been some concern that outside supporters might be bused in. However, there was absolutely no need for such a visible measure. When you fill half the room with guaranteed supporters, when you control who can sit where, when you control what questions are being asked, when extensive security ensures that no opposing voices will be heard - you’ve gone beyond Nixon.
Nixon had nothing on this evening of blatant, shameless propaganda.
Please, please pray for New Mexico, our leadership and our future. God bless you.
God bless New Mexico.
Jose Vasquez
New Mexico Watchman