Will You Stand With The U.S. Chamber of Commerce In Opposing Health Care Reform?

[TomCADem]

The AARP, AFL-CIO and Health Care For America Now have supported the bills being considered by Congress. Yet, we have a very vocal group of folks who insist that we should oppose the health care reform bills under consideration while reciting various right wing talking points. For those who argue that we should oppose these bills, consider your allies in this fight:

http://www.mercurynews.com/politics-government/ci_13795829

Health bill foes solicit funds for economic study

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an assortment of national business groups opposed to President Barack Obama's health care reform efforts are collecting money to finance an economic study that could be used to portray the legislation as a job-killer and threat to the nation's economy, according to an e-mail solicitation from a top Chamber official.

The e-mail, written by the Chamber's senior health policy manager and obtained by The Washington Post, proposes spending $50,000 to hire a "respected economist" to study the impact health care legislation, which is expected to come to the Senate floor this week, would have on jobs and the economy.

Step two, according to the e-mail, appears to assume the outcome of the economic review: "The economist will then circulate a sign-on letter to hundreds of other economists saying that the bill will kill jobs and hurt the economy. We will then be able to use this open letter to produce advertisements, and as a powerful lobbying and grass-roots document."

James Gelfand, the e-mail's author, confirmed its authenticity in a brief telephone conversation Sunday evening. He said the campaign against Democratic health legislation would only be launched "if that's what it found," but declined further comment and referred questions to a Chamber spokesman.

[BzaDem]

1. Sorry. The cognitive dissonance is too hard for many people here to beat.

They'll come up with some bullshit story of how if we don't enact this, the health insurance companies will all simultaneously go out of business (or some other fantasy about how the status quo would somehow be worse for them). Or they'll play pretend and talk about how a failure to enact this would immediately result in a single payer system passing both houses of Congress. Trying to use facts and reason with these people is like trying to use facts and reason to convince someone of the theory of evolution that doesn't already believe it.

[TomCADem]

5. What? You Mean That A Single Payer System Will Not Emerge ...

...from the flames of a failed health care reform bill like a phoenix? But this talking point is said so often and forcefully that I was starting to believe it. Indeed, I was told that the "opposition" is really "support." Oh, and black is white, and up is down.

[JanusAscending]

2. HELL NO!!

I hope they go broke from all the TV ads they're putting out there! Especially here in Ct. They are making LIEberman look like the good guy , and Chris Dodd, and Chris Murphy the bad guys. Their commercials are such BLATENT LIES that I am boycotting the channels which are running them (which is just about all of them)!! I see no useful purpose for them to even exist!!

[CaliforniaPeggy]

3. I would NEVER stand with those people against Obama.

NEVER.

K&R

[HughMoran]

4. Your point aside - the C of C is committing suicide with this heinous act

They and any businesses who associate with these right-wing hacks are going to go down so hard for this act they're going to wish they had the sense to stay out of this fracas.

[TomCADem]

9. Time Magazine Has An Interesting Article Regarding Small Business Opposition To HCR

The spokesman acknowledges that small businesses stood to benefit from reform, but opposed it on the ground of government involvement. In other words, ideology was the primary basis for the business group's opposition, not whether small businesses stood to benefit.

[HughMoran]

10. Well, my small business owner is very much hoping that reform passes

We can't afford to hire people who need healthcare coverage - so that pretty much rules out experienced people.

[LoZoccolo]

6. Did anybody forward this to Dennis Kucinich?

He might be interested.

[depakid]

7. Seems to me, you need to gty out more

[BrklynLiberal]

8. The C of C is a corporate tool...and I would not vote with them if they paid me.