The insurance lobby's lies

	pacquiao -- After fighting health reform with lies, deceit, and multi-million dollar ad campaigns, the health insurance lobby -- America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP) -- recently released a report on the "effects of health reform." Surprise! It's full of flawed claims that reform would increase costs. Many journalists and experts called the report "deceptive" and "implausible." Even the firm that wrote it now admits they only looked at parts of the health reform plan -- because that's what the insurance lobby paid them to do. It's exactly what we should expect from an industry that's been fighting tooth and nail to kill reform, and is now preparing an all-out assault. We're not going to take it sitting down. So this week, we're calling out the health insurance lobby. The lobby has invested millions trying to convince Congress to oppose reform. So this week, we're not simply debunking lies: The best way to Call 'em Out is to cut through the spin and tell our representatives to say "no" to deceitful lobbyists and "yes" to reform. Call 'em Out: Health Insurance Lobby. Send a message urging Congress to stand with voters, not lobbyists. This isn't the first time the health insurance lobby has lied, cheated, or used misleading reports. This false report is just the latest salvo in a multi-million dollar offensive that appears designed to frighten voters and bully Congress into opposing reform. In fact, just days after releasing the report, the lobby announced they will spend a million dollars on a television ad filled with debunked claims of Medicare cuts that could scare seniors away from supporting health reform. We need your help to call out the insurance lobby and make sure our representatives understand that we're counting on them to stand strong against their pressure. Visit Call 'em Out: Health Insurance Lobby, and help fight back. Share a video debunking the health insurance lobby's lies with your friends. Spread the word about their deceit on Facebook and Twitter. And most importantly, tell your members of Congress to say "no" to insurance lobby pressure. Soon, health reform will be taken up by the entire House and Senate, and the insurance lobby will take their attacks to a new level. Their lies will grow more extreme -- and it will be more important than ever that our voices are louder than those of the Washington lobbyists. Call out the health insurance lobby today: http://www.democrats.org/CallOutAHIP Thanks for helping us set the record straight about reform, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Inspired

	pacquiao -- We woke up yesterday to tremendous news: The Nobel Committee has awarded this year's Peace Prize to President Barack Obama. The President made a conscious decision from the beginning of his presidency to promote American ideals through re-invigorated diplomacy, talking to rivals as well as allies, and inspiring us all to put what binds us together ahead of what pushes us apart. Yesterday's news is a clear sign that the United States has returned to its long-standing role as a world leader. It's also a reminder of why we all worked so hard to elect Barack Obama as president of the United States. Hearing the President announce that he will accept the award as a "call to action," I was inspired once again: "...I know that throughout history, the Nobel Peace Prize has not just been used to honor specific achievement; it's also been used as a means to give momentum to a set of causes. And that is why I will accept this award as a call to action -- a call for all nations to confront the common challenges of the 21st century." The news has left me deeply proud to be an American. So I want to congratulate President Obama, and give every American the opportunity to join me in saying "Congratulations, Mr. President." Send a message of congratulations to the President. President Obama's efforts to bring world leaders together are helping the people of the world face monumental challenges like nuclear arms proliferation, conflict resolution and climate change. His deep commitment to constructive solution and building alliances is bringing about a safer America and a more peaceful world. It's exactly the change we fought so hard for. The prize reflects a world that all Americans want to build. For our nation, it brings a sense of enormous pride. But it also brings a sense of deep humility about the work that remains if we are to resolve the global problems facing humanity. As President Obama continues to work for a world in which conflicts are resolved peacefully and prosperity is widely shared, we will stand with him. And today, we're taking a moment to simply say, "Congratulations": http://www.democrats.org/NobelCongrats Sincerely, Governor Tim Kaine Chairman
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Bachmann's "pants on fire!" lies

	pacquiao -- "A gross distortion." "Pants on fire!" "False." That's what the independent PolitiFact site said about Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann's health reform lies. In fact, PolitiFact has rated six of her statements, and all of them have been either "false" or "pants on fire" false. As PolitiFact's Bill Adair said, "she has the distinction of a perfect record." Let that sink in for a second. Together, we've made thousands of calls and written hundreds of letters calling out folks who are lying about reform. But Bachmann is in a class all to herself. Too many Americans live with the painful consequences of our broken health care system to let Bachmann's reckless lies go unchecked. So this week, we're calling her out. Call 'em out: Michele Bachmann. Watch the video, call her office, spread the word. In the last week, while Republicans such as former Senator Bill Frist and former Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson were putting progress ahead of partisanship by speaking constructively about reform, Rep. Bachmann was on the floor of the House of Representatives spreading fear and lies yet again. And Bachmann specializes in making lies personal -- like her outrageous claim that Ezekiel Emanuel, one of President Obama's health care advisers, believes health care should be reserved for the non-disabled -- so "watch out if you're disabled." ("We rule Bachmann's statement 'False,'" says PolitiFact). Bachmann has promoted the death panels lie ("False," say the Associate Press and New York Times). She's lied about illegal immigrants receiving taxpayer-subsidized care under reform. And she claimed reform was a "national takeover of health care." The nonpartisan FactCheck.org plainly refuted her on both accounts. Last week, she even claimed reform will create "sex clinics" at schools, allowing students to have abortions without parental consent. That earned her one of her many "pants on fire!" false ratings from PolitiFact. It all adds up to someone who will tell any lie, distort any fact, and shamelessly scare folks about reform in order to kill it. We've had enough -- so we're calling her out: http://democrats.org/CallOutBachmann Thanks for helping us set the record straight about reform, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Absolutely false

	pacquiao -- After decades of fighting to dismantle Medicare, GOP leaders like Senator Jon Kyl are taking to the airwaves with a cynical campaign of deception about how health reform will affect Medicare. Kyl, one of the top Republicans in the Senate, has claimed that reform would cause the rationing of care for America's seniors. It's a claim that both AARP (which represents over 40 million seniors) and the non-partisan fact-check website PolitiFact have repeatedly debunked as absolutely false. But it's no surprise that Senator Kyl has resorted to lying and scaring seniors to block reform. After all, he has publicly stated that insurance companies don't need to be "kept honest," and he even opposes requiring them to provide coverage without discriminating against pre-existing conditions. Senator Kyl, we've had enough of the fear-mongering and lies -- we're calling you out. Call 'em out: Jon Kyl. Watch the video, spread the word, make a call. Contrary to Kyl's claims, reform would help seniors who are still paying too much for prescription drugs, while making Medicare more efficient and more financially-secure in the long-run. But his lies don't end at Medicare. He's claimed that comparative effectiveness research (a key tool to increase quality of care while lowering costs) would lead to rationing, another claim clearly debunked by the independent FactCheck.org. Kyl has also claimed that the debt from health reform would not be sustainable, even though President Obama has promised not to sign a bill that adds to the deficit -- and even though Republican Senator Olympia Snowe has said the Senate Finance committee bill will be deficit neutral. And, of course, Kyl has trotted out that most-debunked of lies, that reform will result in a government takeover of health care. No independent observer is buying that one. Kyl's lies add up to a clear plan to score political points by tanking reform that Americans need. So, together, it's time to give Senator Kyl the same treatment as Rep. John Boehner and Gov. Tim Pawlenty before him: It's time to call him out. http://www.democrats.org/CallOutKyl Keep up the fight, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Call 'em out: John Boehner

	pacquiao -- As the Republican leader in the U.S. House of Representatives, John Boehner could use his important position to forge honest consensus around reforms that most Americans overwhelmingly support. Sadly, Boehner is choosing to be a leading peddler of health reform lies instead. When Boehner repeated his claim that reform would result in a government takeover of health care, it was clear he's been too busy trying to score political points to read the overwhelming evidence -- including a post from the non-partisan FactCheck.org -- debunking this claim. And cruelly scaring seniors with lies about benefit cuts, even though his own party voted to gut Medicare? On his side of the aisle, that's become standard operating procedure. Then of course there's Boehner's blatant lie that reform will provide taxpayer-funded abortions, a claim rejected even by groups that oppose abortion. His lies have been thoroughly debunked, but John Boehner just won't stop -- so we're calling him out. Call 'em Out: John Boehner. Watch the video, spread the word, write a letter. "Call 'em out" is our new campaign to expose Republican officials who lie about health reform, and we've got the attention of the media and GOP politicians alike. MSNBC noted that Democrats were going on the offensive, and thousands of folks like you called Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty and told him to stop lying about reform. Now it's John Boehner's turn. Share our video about how Boehner won't tell the truth about reform. Spread the word to your friends on Twitter and Facebook. Write a letter to the editor setting the record straight. While thousands of Americans go without desperately needed care and millions more wonder if their coverage will be there if they get sick, John Boehner's only "plan" is to lie and spread falsehoods to score political points. We're not going to take it. We're calling him out: http://www.democrats.org/CallOutBoehner Keep up the fight, Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Call 'em out: Tim Pawlenty

	pacquiao -- For months, special interests and their Republican allies have been smearing health insurance reform to try to defeat it. Enough! As President Obama said last week, "I will not waste time with those who have made the calculation that it's better politics to kill this plan than improve it... If you misrepresent what's in the plan, we will call you out." So we're starting a new campaign called "Call 'em out!" When a Republican official violates the public trust by lying about reform, we'll be right there to expose the lies and hold them accountable. First up? Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty, who has claimed that health reform will lead to death panels -- a claim so thoroughly debunked that even former Republican Congressman and conservative pundit Joe Scarborough spoke out about Pawlenty's false claims. Now it's time for us to call him out. Get started at the new "Call 'em out!" action center. Set the record straight about Pawlenty's lies by calling him out on Facebook or Twitter. Expose his shameful tactics to his constituents in Minnesota by funding our ad campaign. Call and tell him to stop lying about health insurance reform and playing politics with the nation's well-being. And spread the word about his false statements and extreme views by sharing our web ad with friends and family. If health reform is only a political equation to some GOP politicians, it's time to change the equation. Every Republican official must understand: If you lie about reform, the American people will call you out! Click here: http://www.democrats.org/CallEmOut Thanks for keeping the debate honest and fighting for the change Americans need. Jen Jen O'Malley Dillon Executive Director Democratic National Committee
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Not the first, but the last

pacquiao -- I just finished laying out my plan for health reform at a joint session of Congress. Now, I'm writing directly to you because what happens next is critical -- and I need your help. Change this big will not happen because I ask for it. It can only come when the nation demands it. Congress knows where I stand. Now they need to hear from you. Add your voice: Ask your representatives to support my plan for real health reform in 2009. The heart of my plan is simple: bring stability and security to Americans who already have health insurance, guarantee affordable coverage for those who don't, and rein in the cost of health care. Tonight, I offered a specific plan for how to make it happen. I incorporated the best ideas from Democrats and Republicans to create a plan that's bold, practical, and represents the broad consensus of the American people. We've come closer to real health reform in the last few months than we have in the last 60 years. But those who profit from the status quo -- and those who put partisan advantage above all else -- will fight us every inch of the way. We do not seek that fight, but we will not shrink from it. The stakes are too high to let scare tactics cloud the debate, or to allow partisan bickering to block the path. Your voice, right now, is essential. See my full plan and call on your representatives to support it: http://my.barackobama.com/SupportReform Ours is not the first generation to understand the dire need for health reform. And I am not the first president to take up this cause, but I am determined to be the last. Thank you, President Barack Obama

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