Shot in the Dark

Eurasia Has Never Been At War Yadda Yadda Bla Bla

If you read this blog, you know that “Politifact”, the WaPo’s “Fact-Check” column, accepted as the sine qua non of political fact-checking by many in the industry (and more of the less-informed outside it).

Those people might not know that “Politifact” has been carrying President Obama’s water on the key claims about the Democrat’s flagship Obamcare legislation since the  beginning.  What they might not know is that : “Politifact” and its editor, Angie Drobnic Holan, have not only completely flip-flopped on the story, but are burying the fact that what they called the “Lie of the Year” in 2013, they called “True” with a side order of “you are an ignorant redneck for even asking” in 2008:

The highlight of Holan’s 2013 “Lie of the Year” article was that it completely ignored Holan’s own “True” rating of the “keep your plan” claim back in 2008. A sidebar to the article listed as “related rulings” Holan’s 2013 articles about Jarrett and Obama, and Jacobson’s 2012 article rating the claim as “Half True.” The text of the article cites also the 2009 “Half True” report. But nowhere does the “Lie of the Year” piece even acknowledge that its author once gave Obama’s promise its 100 percent “True” seal of approval.

Now, if you’re a conservative, you know “Politifact” is a Democrat propaganda machine.

The only real question is; do the media – especially those that call themselves “no rant, no slant” objective journalists – know?

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20 responses to “Eurasia Has Never Been At War Yadda Yadda Bla Bla”

  1. Dog Gone Avatar
    Dog Gone

    I guess you are unfamiliar with details like these, which alter the whole assertion that Obama was incorrect (not lied) when he stated people could keep their health insurance.

    http://www.law360.com/articles/486263/anthem-blue-cross-sued-over-plans-canceled-under-aca

    The reality is that policies have been canceled that did not have to be canceled to comply with the ACA, in order for the insurance companies to make more money by deceiving their policy holders.

    This is far from the only example of such lawsuits relating to cancellations improperly and inaccurately being blamed on the ACA. Nor, if you follow the history of class action suits by policy holders, are such deceptive and even outright fraudulent actions by insurance companies all that rare. Many of them have a rather long history of what might most kindly be characterized as playing fast and loose with ripping off their customers.

    And yet, conservatives want to prolong the issuing of policies that give little coverage for the dollar, and where people end up in bankruptcy, as some sort of banner for free choice, when it is purely exploitation of the stupid and gullible, to the detriment of us all.

    But you’d rather bash than fact check. Ah, conservatives.

    Happy New Year to you and the family, and of course, to the Mitchketeers.

  2. bikebubba Avatar
    bikebubba

    DogGone, the options here are:

    1. Obama lied.

    2. Obama didn’t understand the law he fought for enough to know the perverse incentives in it, nor did he understand the perverse incentives he was setting up with his executive order implementing the law.

    Obama ain’t stupid. He passed the bar and has a Harvard Law degree. Hence, he lied, repeatedly, and even lied about his lie this year.

    And yes, conservatives like myself would like to extend the possibility of major medical plans for the young and healthy that do not subsidize people between 50 and 65 with preexisting conditions. Are you really unclear why this would be the case?

  3. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    DG,

    Before I waste time answering your comment, let me just point out that unearned condescenscion is not evidence.

    Keep that in mind.

  4. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    I guess you are unfamiliar with details like these, which alter the whole assertion that Obama was incorrect (not lied) when he stated people could keep their health insurance.

    http://www.law360.com/articles/486263/anthem (yadda yadda)

    No, DG, I’m familiar with them. But Obama wasn’t incorrect. He lied.

    Oh, at the very most charitable, we could assume he was too stupid to know the truth – that you can not increase the demand for health insurance without increasing the supply of healthcare without causing problems like…losing plans and doctors. Or that you can’t require plans to adopt more expensive standards and “allow” people to keep less comprehensive plans. He could be that stupid. Of course, that’d conflict with the narrative that Obama is the smartest president ever, but that’s not my problem.

    So what is it? Is he stupid, or is he lying?

  5. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    The reality is that policies have been canceled that did not have to be canceled to comply with the ACA, in order for the insurance companies to make more money by deceiving their policy holders.

    Let’s accept for a moment that your paragraph is true.

    What piece of legislation provided the impetus for these cancellations? That allowed the insurance companies (who had donated handsomely to Obama’s various campaigns, naturally) to make all this extra money?

    I’ll only give you three guesses!

  6. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    This is far from the only example of such lawsuits relating to cancellations improperly and inaccurately being blamed on the ACA. Nor, if you follow the history of class action suits by policy holders, are such deceptive and even outright fraudulent actions by insurance companies all that rare.

    That’s both true, as far as it goes – I suspect I’ve spent more time working in the health insurance business than you have, and I don’t have a whole lot of illusions about the field – and utterly irrelevant.

    The problem isn’t that corporations make money. It’s that corporations were utterly in bed with Obama in setting this law up. .

  7. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    And yet, conservatives want to prolong the issuing of policies that give little coverage for the dollar,

    And now you’re parroting the party line. And it’s a really obnoxious one at that – as if the customer is too stupid to figure out what he or she really wants, needs, and can afford for their insurance buck.

    Why should a healthy 26 year old guy be forced to pay for comprehensive coverage he doesn’t need, auxiliary services he doesn’t want, and pap smears he can’t use if he tries?

    Other than to keep the Democrats’ stupid plan afloat, I mean?

  8. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    and where people end up in bankruptcy, as some sort of banner for free choice,

    Um, have you seen the deductibles that people are being saddled with?

    I’m going to guess not.

  9. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    But you’d rather bash than fact check. Ah, conservatives.

    DG, with all due respect, on the rare political issue where I don’t know the answer, I believe I can reliably just take whatever position is opposite to your assertion, and eventually be proven right.

    And, by your leave, I will bash that which reduces the citizen to a slave. Every f***ing time. Until they pry the First AND Second Amendments from my cold, dead hand.

    But Happy New Year to you too. And to all the drooling incompetents at Minnesota Progressive!

    The Happy New Year to you is, at least, sincere.

  10. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    How to tell Dog Gone has no ability whatever to evaluate evidence:

    Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co. was hit with two lawsuits Monday accusing it of tricking policyholders into giving up health care plans that they would have been able to retain when the Affordable Care Act went into effect for plans that would have to be canceled.

    In separate lawsuits filed in California state court, policyholders Paul Simon and Catherine Coker accused the California-based insurance giant of misleading them into forsaking their grandfathered plans under the ACA for plans that must be canceled under…Anthem Blue Cross Life and Health Insurance Co. was hit with two lawsuits Monday accusing it of tricking policyholders into giving up health care plans that they would have been able to retain when the Affordable Care Act went into effect for plans that would have to be canceled.

    In separate lawsuits filed in California state court, policyholders Paul Simon and Catherine Coker accused the California-based insurance giant of misleading them into forsaking their grandfathered plans under the ACA for plans that must be canceled under…

    That is the entirety of the Law360 she claims proves that Obama did not lie when he said “If you like your plan, you can keep it. Period.”
    Love the word “period”. It means “without qualification”.

  11. Mitch Berg Avatar
    Mitch Berg

    DG,

    See what PM just did?

    This happens not just “commonly” with the “evidence” with which you claim to “check” “facts”, but nearly every time. And I say that to be charitable; I am not aware of a single exception to the rule.

    You seem to regard a single citation, no matter how tenuously related to your thesis, and proof that you are right beyond question and the debate is not only over, but stupid.

    It’s not logical, factual or especially rewarding debate for anyone (except, I gather, you, and I honestly don’t get why).

  12. Mr. D Avatar
    Mr. D

    This would be equally probative:

    Dog Gone Puppy Mill and Fact Checking Services, LLC was hit with two lawsuits Monday accusing it of tricking customers into giving up puppies that they would have been able to retain when the Affordable Humane Treatment of Animals Act went into effect for puppy mills that would have to be otherwise closed.

    In separate lawsuits filed in California state court, policyholders Bikebubba and Powhatan Mingo accused the Minnesota-based canine giant of misleading them into forsaking their puppies under the AHTAA for puppy mill facilities that must be closed under…

    The accusation is proof in Fact Check Land.

  13. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    The most bizarre thing is that even the plaintiffs say that their plans were canceled because of Obamacare.
    Dog Gone has chicken noodle soup for brains.

  14. Seflores Avatar
    Seflores

    James Taranto asked them the other day to clarify if all of John McCain’s campaign promises were true based on the idea that he hadn’t broken any of them. Someone responded that they still have Obama’s promise that he “would make sure Iran did not get a nuclear weapon” as “in the works”.
    https://twitter.com/jamestaranto/status/417330983596077057
    They exist to justify Democrat Dominated Media Culture’s non-bias claim.

  15. Seflores Avatar
    Seflores

    Just to clarify, Taranto was noting the Politifact operation at the Tampa Bay Times which is a Pulitizer Prize winner (heh).

  16. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    This is making the rounds:

    have never been treated so poorly by any insurance company in my whole life. I have never experienced such terrible customer service in all my years on this earth. I can’t imagine how long a company would last in this country if they followed the same protocol as the ACA/Health Insurance Marketplace does. Most companies can fix a glitch in their systems pretty easily, or can connect you to someone who can. Not the ACA/ Health Insurance Marketplace, you spend all that time on hold to just be told, so sorry but you have to wait for someone to get back to you in a 90 day time span.

    Government health care. You aren’t a customer ready to hand over money, you are a problem to be managed.

  17. kel Avatar
    kel

    “Government health care. You aren’t a customer ready to hand over money, you are a problem to be managed.”

    Managed by a dedicated union employee.

  18. Joe Doakes Avatar
    Joe Doakes

    But Dog Gone, didn’t you confidently assure us on November 8th, in a comment responding to Mitch’s post “And Now I’m Confused,” that the canceled policies were junk policies? That they failed to meet the minimum standards of Obama-Care so it was a Good Thing they were canceled so people could sign up for the much better policies offered under Obama-Care?

    Were you lying then, or are you lying now?

  19. Powhatan Mingo Avatar
    Powhatan Mingo

    You’ll be disappointed if you look for honesty or consistency, Joe Doakes. It’s all hate, all the time on the left these days.
    When the word comes down to lay off the insurance companies, the next group they will attack will be the doctors themselves, for acting on their own interests rather than that that of the collective. It’s an old, old story, and it always ends the same way.

  20. It’s The 2013 Shootie Awards! | Shot in the Dark

    […] Award: This one goes to the entire mainstream-media “Fact-Checking” racket, which seems to have morphed more into a “Democrat Ministry of Truth” than it even started […]

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