Joan Walsh, Salon: Palin's "Trig & Obama's Death Panel" posts would be funny if it weren't so sad

[Amerigo Vespucci]

Sunday August 9, 2009 01:08 EDT
But seriously, folks: Obama death panels?



I've been writing about "town hells" and anti-health care reform hysterics, as well as the crazy Birthers, for a few weeks. Every few days, I think: Maybe we're giving these fringe folks the oxygen they need; maybe we should ignore them. But it all got even loonier today, and it can't be ignored.

Alex Koppelman wrote about it immediately: Sarah Palin (or her handlers) posted a message on Facebook decrying the "death panels" she says – wrongly, bizarrely, viciously -- Obama's health care reform will establish. She also claimed such panels might well have ended the life of her son Trig, born with Down's Syndrome.

Where to start? It would be funny if it weren't so sad, and if Palin wasn't a contender for the Republican nomination in 2012 (trust me, she is too unhinged to prevail, but she'll get a lot of attention.) Palin's entire statement is so ignorant, so bollixed rhetorically and morally, it hurts to read it. The next time any Republican apologist tries to claim the "town hell" turnouts are spontaneous, let's remind them: OK, sure, it's spontaneous alright; spontaneous combustion super-ignited by the most stupid and divisive lies we've seen in a long time.

But looking at history, maybe it's not that long a time since we've seen this level of fact-free right-wing hysteria. The 2008 Democratic primary was painful to me because even as some liberals were trashing the Clintons and their "baggage," it should have been clear to anyone with a memory that Obama would face the same insanity they did – accusations they murdered Vince Foster, trafficked in drugs, and then, of course, the sexual witch hunt known as impeachment. It was clear Democrats should take the character assassination the Clintons suffered, and multiply it by at least 10 for Obama, given his race. It was all fairly predictable; and it can all be fought -- and will be fought -- but even now, a lot of Democrats appear dull and flat-footed and unprepared for the GOP hate spewing from so many sewers.

http://www.salon.com/opinion/walsh/politics/2009/08/08/palin_death_panels/index.html

[BlooInBloo]

1. Obama deathpanel attacking trig...

[Amerigo Vespucci]

2. That really is the "word picture" she's painting...

...although I agree with the consensus that the "Trig Death Panel" rant came from Palin's hack publicist, not Palin.

[BlooInBloo]

3. That one came from Dave Weigel, actually...

http://twitter.com/daveweigel

[Hansel]

4. I still think they need to take it to Palin on this.

The issue Palin is talking about is the end-life consultations and we know she understands that. Instead of playing her game, I think it needs to be turned around on her like this:

"Why would Sarah Palin even begin to entertain the idea that one of her child's end-life options is euthanasia just because he has Downs Symdrome? It's really kind of disturbing that she would go there."

Don't let her get away with blaming Obama for an option that she herself dreamed up. It is seriously disturbing that she would ever ever think about this with her own son. The Democrats and the media need to call her on it because it is truly ghastly. She knows there are no "death panels". She knows exactly what the program is. She, not Obama, is responsible for thinking that one of the options is to euthanize her Downs Syndrome son and she needs to own the responsible for thinking it.






Edit for spelling

[Frustratedlady]

5. I came across Mike McConnel's radio program today and heard a

woman commenting about the Cash for Clunkers and what the next step would be...Cash for Cripples...Cash for Children? That would be a way of getting rid of the ones who didn't pass the Death Panel. Not word for word, but the thought is the same.

I listened for as long as I could stand it, but couldn't believe how McConnel could twist and turn the facts.

It shows how these clowns can control the ignorant...their listening base.

I could only handle a couple minutes. What trash.