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The Spectacle Blog
In recent weeks, top Democrats have made a number of arguments to play down opposition to the health care bill. They've said that Americans like the individual components of the bill and that support would grow once it passes (as Speaker Pelosi infamously put it, "we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it"). President Obama has even been arguing that the American people don't want lawmakers looking at polls. But this morning House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer tried a new tactic: lying about what's in specific polls.
"Since the President addressed the nation on health care, the support has gone up 18 points," Hoyer said on ABC's Good Morning America. "And a Wall Street Journal poll that just came out shows a majority of those responding indicate they're for the bill."
Yet the problem about telling a specific lie rather than making generally misleading or silly statements, is that when you're specific, it's easier to point out when you're lying.
From the referenced Wall Street Journal poll:
The survey found that opinions have solidified around the health-care legislation, with 48% calling it a "bad idea" and 36% viewing it as a "good idea" when presented with a choice between those two. That gap is consistent with surveys dating to the fall.
Since the WSJ/NBC poll began surveying the issue last April, support for the bill has been in the 33 percent to 39 percent range, but 48 percent is the highest level of opposition yet recorded by the survey.
Yet instead of calling Hoyer out on his demonstrably false statement, George Stephanopoulos just said that the poll presented a "mixed message." While it's true that other questions in the poll presented a more complex portrait of public opinion, the fact is that there's no way to interpret this poll as showing majority support for the legislation. Republican Whip Eric Cantor was standing right next to Hoyer and missed an opportunity to call him out on the lie.
In other comments, Hoyer implied that Democrats would in fact use the "deem and pass" strategy, or "Slaughter Solution," to pass the Senate bill without actually voting on it.
"We're gonna have a clean up or down vote on the Senate bill," Hoyer said. "That'll be on the rule."
Forgetting any arguments one would make about the use of this procedure, does this make any sense from a political standpoint? If Hoyer is going the act as if a vote for the rule is actually a vote for the Senate bill, then why not just go ahead and vote directly on the Senate bill?
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More Blog Posts by Philip Klein
http://spectator.org/blog/2010/03/17/hoyer-falsely-claims-wsj-poll
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BornAmerican| 3.17.10 @ 10:37AM
Are these Dems insane? This IS NOT what the founders of this great country had in mind, in fact, it demonstrates why we have a Constitution! If they persist in this course of action, it will tear this country apart, and it will be a cause for impeachment or recall for the party leaders.Last time I checked, this was still America - not a dictatorship under the rule our our new Tyrant Obama and his miscreants, Pelosi and Reid. I think the words are "government for the people, BY THE PEOPLE" - not do what we think is best!This has to stop! Where are our leaders? Where are the uncorruptable individuals in our goverment that believe in the voice of the people??????
Gene| 3.17.10 @ 12:49PM
Do we have such a preson in D.C.??
Not Likely| 3.17.10 @ 4:05PM
So I take it you've chosen to ignore the fact that the GOP has used the "deem and pass" route dozens of times in the past? Woah those crazy Dems!
SoCon| 3.17.10 @ 4:20PM
"Demonpass" has NEVER been used to pass a massive, trillion dollar piece of legislation that directly affects every man, woman and child in this country. Ever.
Nice try, though, Kool-Aid drinker.
Not Liekly| 3.17.10 @ 4:42PM
So can you point out in the parliamentary rules which the Constitution gives them the power of enacting where it puts a limit on the size of the bill that can be passed through a "deem and pass" maneuver? I can answer that for you: you can't. So again, what does following the rules laid out prior to the session have to do with "tyranny" and "in what way following the rules will lead to impeachment? I can answer that for you: absolutely nothing, and it won't. You're just whining and moaning with no factual basis.
SoCon| 3.17.10 @ 5:06PM
Go ahead; twist it, turn it and parse the Constitution to death--you power-mad liberals are going to get flamed in November.
We'll see who'll be squealing like stuck pigs then.
Not Likely| 3.17.10 @ 5:53PM
Just as I suspected, you've got nothing. Better get back to your weepfest, the rest of us are busy running a country.
SoCon| 3.17.10 @ 6:25PM
Yeah, with likely long-term 10% unemployment, 20% under-employment, NEW Obama trillion dollar debt, tanking approvals for Obama and ALL democrats, democrat DOJ lawyers who've defended violent terrorists, the threat of losing our AAA credit status, endless democrat corruption and scandals, "TRANSPARENT" congressional democrat backroom deals behind closed doors in the dead of night legislation and the loss of international respect for America--we're painfully aware that democrats are running the country--into the ground!
Democrats CAN'T govern--it's obvious to anyone NOT drowning in liberal Kool-Aid.
Save the date: November 2, 2010. We have.
Gene| 3.17.10 @ 5:57PM
If this passes by Nov. it will be to late.
SoCon| 3.17.10 @ 6:28PM
The democrats will be sorry if they sneak this piece of garbage through congress. Mark my words.
It will never be too late if the people fight back.
We've got the numbers on our side.
Gene| 3.17.10 @ 5:19PM
NOTE I DIDN'T DEFFERENTIATE BETWEEN DEMS & PUBS...
Obozotheclown| 3.17.10 @ 10:39AM
The intellectual dishonesty of the democrats has fallen to a new low. While reconciliation has been used by both parties it was never intended to be and has never been used to pass sweeping new legislation, its a tool to pass funding. Even wachos like obamao, reid and pelosi cannot with a straight face say that $1T in new spending, hundreds of new laws and regulations and sweeping new tax code enforced mandates are 'budget changes'. Their falling stature with voters is making the democrats desparate to 'not waste' their brief moment in history. Shameful.
SaveAmerica| 3.17.10 @ 10:40AM
sniff sniff - the reek of desperation is strong with this one… Every voting citizen should out raged by the abject arrogance of this administration and their utter contempt for every American Citizen. If this bill were at all sound it would have been passed with out the subterfuge, lies, and back door deals. This is BAD FOR AMERICA and WE WILL make them answer for these crimes at the POLLS.
Bill from WV| 3.17.10 @ 10:48AM
The lack of Cantor to have the cajones to call Hoyer out on the lie is just the reason there is a Tea Party Movement, and the reason there will be both Democrat and Republican losses this fall.
How can you trust the Republicans when they will NOT stand up and call out the Democratic leasdership when they intentionally try to mislead the American public ?
Nothing has changed with Republicans, except they have rolled out old promises!
They sre still members of the Professional Politicians Promises Party!
I wish them luck in their new professions!
Bill
JCD in NC| 3.17.10 @ 11:07AM
They consistently lie about everything. Congress is simply corrupt for the most part. There are some democrats that live up to what it was when I was a democrat but the other are rotten to the core. I am no longer a democrat!!! Both parties need to LISTEN!!!
John3| 3.17.10 @ 11:17AM
True Journalism is DEAD. No one is brave enough to say the TRUTH as it is. Everybody is in this bandwagon of being tolerant and politically correct--which are all very dangerous tenets. Just look at the mess we are in. Let us accept truth as it is--then we will make some progress in solving problems. If we continue to define issues based on our political party or personal views, we are all doomed!
martin j smith| 3.17.10 @ 11:42AM
Here is totalitarian action at work: The Big Lie and secrecy. That's it !!!!. Someone said Liar !!! to Obama --that was a gem Now it has to be repeated over and over to all Democrat leaders.
SoCon| 3.17.10 @ 12:51PM
A liberal lying to millions of Americans is a NEW tactic?
I don't know where you've been but it's seems like standard democrat behavior to me.
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