Columbia Journalism Review calls out Gupta's "clean bill of health" to McCain's healthcare plan

[berni_mccoy]

http://www.cjr.org/campaign_desk/paging_dr_gupta.php?page=all

Perhaps CNN’s in-house doctor, Sanjay Gupta, ought to stick to things medical. Gupta’s attempt to explain John McCain’s health plan offered a confusing and ultimately misleading picture of how the candidate’s proposals might work. McCain, you may recall, has proposed giving every family a $5,000 tax credit and every individual a $2,500 credit to help buy insurance policies in the commercial market. So it was reasonable for Gupta’s show to ask: How far will five grand really get you? Too bad it didn’t answer the question.

Gupta began by citing a study done a couple of years ago by America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), the insurance industry trade association. Gupta was wrong at the outset when he called AHIP “the largest provider of health insurance.” AHIP is a lobbying organization for its insurance company members. It does not—does not—provide health insurance. Gupta said AHIP had found that the average family’s premium was $5,799; he didn’t say that the data had been collected two years ago, and he didn’t explain that any study done by an insurance trade association is necessarily of limited value. (In fact, no organization has adequately studied the so-called individual market, where McCain wants people to buy their policies with his tax credit.) The take-away for viewers, though, was that a family could buy a policy for the amount offered by McCain’s tax credit.
...

Let's see:
Gupta misleading about drugs that haven't been released... Check.
Gupta misleading about the facts in Sicko... Check.
Gupta misleading about McCain's health plan to paint it in a positive light... Check.

Yep, corporate shill and political hack.

on edit: corrected from Columbia Journal to CJR

[Captain Hilts]

1. He's a surgeon, not a physician, per se. nt

[Maru Kitteh]

36. How many surgeons do you know that are not physicians?

And where the hell do you live?

In this country at least, all surgeons are physicians, although not all physicians are surgeons.

[Hope And Change]

2. Gupta is a corporate whore.

[last_texas_dem]

3. But, but, but- he's on TV. And he's hawt...

[Thrill]

4. As long as he sells Obama's plans

I don't have a problem with him. And I doubt Obama would of hired him if he felt he couldn't do that.

[berni_mccoy]

5. The problem is he won't sell them HONESTLY. He'll spread falsehoods to push points.

That's unacceptable for the head of the OSG and it's exactly what the Bush Admin has been guilty of.

[ellacott]

7. Then he'll be fired

and replaced by someone else. We have no way of knowing what he'll do.

[berni_mccoy]

8. "We have no way of knowing what he'll do"... um, yes, we do, it's called past performance

and character, of which he's got the wrong kind.

[ellacott]

12. Actually that's not true

He has no past history as a Surgeon General so we can't judge how he'll act.

[berni_mccoy]

14. You've never hired anyone, have you?

[ellacott]

17. So untrue, funny but not true

There's only one way we're going to find out.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

18. His past performance shows no problems.

:shrug:

[berni_mccoy]

19. As a spokesperson he's got performance problems. Didn't you watch the embarrassing lashing he took

from Moore?

Oh, and I noticed you left out the character bit... guess you don't think that's good either.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

22. There's nothing of substance there.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=132&topic_id=8066468&mesg_id=8067026

[tkmorris]

31. In Gupta? You're right

No substance at all.

[Barack_America]

21. Doesn't this thread address a problem with his "past performance"?

And a pretty serious one if he's not aware of the distinction between a lobbying organization and an actual provider of medical insurance.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

23. There are no valid problems.

Just petty, childish ones.

[Barack_America]

26. As you like to say, didn't you just move the goalposts?

And do you really not care if the American people are presented with truthful and factual information, or are you just determined to defend Gupta no matter what?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

27. Did I move the goal posts? No.

When I originally said "no problems" it was pretty clear to any intellectually honest reader that I meant "no valid problems" not phony problems of the "ZOMG, Nobama thinks there are 57 states!" variety.

"are you just determined to defend Gupta no matter what?"

Give me an honest complaint against Gupta, and I won't defend it.

[berni_mccoy]

32. He couldn't tell a 'valid problem' from a turd

You're best off not responding to that dude.

[Barack_America]

9. That's some pretty low standards.

And exactly what prompted me to write my "why not Billy Mays" post earlier today.

[K Gardner]

6. Good find, Bernie.

[Barack_America]

10. Rec. #5.

Good find indeed.

[mvd]

11. I've been supportive of all his nominees to this point even when..

I've had philosophical differences. But I think at this point, I'd vote against confirmation of Gupta. Obama will make some mistakes, we have to realize. Have high hopes for his Presidency.

[berni_mccoy]

13. Exactly right. I remember one of the mistakes during the campaign

His "presidential seal". that was one the campaign admitted was a bad idea.

They are people and they are going to make mistakes.

I am totally happy with Obama and his presidency. That doesn't mean I'm going to like every decision made by him or his administration.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

15. You're still harping on the seal?

What about the greek columns?

:rofl:

[berni_mccoy]

16. I never *harped* on the seal. Stop stalking will you. When you are wrong you are wrong.

[lob1]

20. K&R. Gupta does not represent us, he represents big pharma.

[JFKfanforever]

35. Yes, he does. We know that but...

Obama somehow missed this factoid.  Who the heck was advising
him on this unfortunate appointment?

[skids]

39. I'd like to know the answer to that question, actually. n/t

[dcindian]

24. There is a consistancy to his tendacy to mislead that suggest an agenda.

An agenda which is apparently and often gleefully supported by the many of the far Reich but supposedly Democratic posters on this board.

I left the Republican party when it went to the right of me and now I see the Democratic party is headed much the same way. That is if you judge it by the extremist right wing posters bullying and belittling those of us concerned about this appointment.

[berni_mccoy]

25. I believe in giving people the benefit of the doubt, but in this case, Gupta has exposed himself

Others here that defend the pick are either people who don't care, or, for those that defend with fervor, sharing the same mentality of the freepers who blindly supported Bush.

I doubt there are many here that are long-time trolls, just people who are misguided by the excitement of the new Administration. But that doesn't mean you aren't correct about their bullying and intimidation tactics.

[kath]

28. Yet another corporate shill.

I'm SOOOOOOOOOO fuckin' sick of this shit.

[pleah]

29. K&R

[Cha]

30. Ooooops. Gupta

has some 'splainin' to do.

[berni_mccoy]

33. Yes he does, and I hope to see some of these questions raised *before* senate confirmation.

Hopefully, the vetting team is digging...

[Cha]

37. I don't think the Senate is going

to ask him about lying about Michael Moore's Sicko but I'd like to wrong.

[Usrename]

34. Misleading? You are too kind. Much too kind.

He's a lying shill for big pharma.

:mad:

[depakid]

38. CNN and their primadonna surgeon lying and distorting? Will wonders never cease

Not exactly the best and the brightest public health has to offer....

Oh well, I guess CNN will have to find another liar to spread their propaganda.

[eridani]

40. In other words, he's advocating for the continued indirect murder of 18,000 per year

As long as he has a high income, sick people without money ought to just fuck off and die.

[fadedrose]

41. Never cared for the guy..

As soon as he came on CNN, I always muted or changed channels.
Didn't like him and still don't. He doesn't seem like the type of guy we progressives wanted in that post. I always considered him a filler so that the anchors could use the bathroom.

He no doubt would have been great as Surgeon General if McCain had won, however...........

[berni_mccoy]

42. What I don't understand is how many people here are ready to accept him for SG when he clearly

supported McCain's healthcare plan.