Attacking the Messengers on Health Care Reform

President Obama, Dick Durbin, the unions, and shills at MSNBC have taken to calling protesters who disagree with their health care agenda as shills for corporate interests or "the mob." Of course, this is simply attacking the messenger approach that happens when they are losing the battle of ideas. But more so, these folks have no leg to stand on:

For instance, Rachel Maddow calls conservative activists "shills for corporate interests," without noting the irony that she is a million shill for corporate giant General Electric. Nor does her claims that Big Pharma is behind the protests ring true. Big Pharma is spending millions on pro-ObamaCare ads, and running these ads on Maddow's own show!

Of course, free-market advocates also get attacked for being shills for special interests - but in most cases, as in health care, the special interest groups are the ones supporting big government and making deals on ObamaCare:

Among the groups involved in the deal were the largest insurance industry lobbyist, America’s Health Insurance Plans, as well as the American Hospital Association, American Medical Association, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).

Then in June, Obama announced a deal between PhRMA and AARP to save $80 billion on prescription drug costs over ten years. Separately, PhRMA joined with the liberal Families USA to take out an ad playing off the “Harry and Louise” spots that helped derail health care legislation in 1994, only with the opposite message. “We can get the job done this time,” the Louise character says in the new ads.

And the AMA, which once stood opposed to government-run medicine, endorsed the liberal House Democrats health care bill, which introduces a new government-run plan.

The "astroturf" charges are leveled by groups pouring millions into lobbying for ObamaCare.

Last July, the group Health Care for Americans Now announced the start of a $40 million campaign expressly for this purpose, and the groups were loaded with backers from big labor and groups such as MoveOn, Planned Parenthood, and ACORN. As I've reported elsewhere, the group received a $10 million grant from Atlantic Philanthropies, whose CEO, Gara LaMarche, was previously director of U.S. programs for the Open Society Institute, the philanthropic foundation founded and chaired by George Soros.

In June, I attended a news conference in which HCAN and other liberal groups announced they would spend $82 million in an effort to support President Obama's health care push and press for legislation that includes a new government-run plan modeled after Medicare. Howard Dean, former chair of the DNC, is involved in this supposedly grassroots effort.

And check out how leaders of the AARP walk on their own members who disagree with their pro-ObamaCare message.

What about charges of "unruly mobs?" Certainly there has been some protests where the debate whas less than civil. But ironically, this has been thrown out there by union goons, who have a penchant for trying to intimidate those they disagree with. And now these unions and their affiliates have a plan of attack to shout down (or beat up) any conservative protesters. If fact, their memo encourages pro-ObamaCare advocates to show up, be loud, but to "not debate on their 'policy' points." Great, wouldn't want this to be about the issues. Here are some of the results:

• Supporters of ObamaCare beat up one of the protesters in St. Louis, putting him in the hospital. The newspaper didn't get the whole story, as their lead reporter on scene was arrested for "disrupting" the event.
• Union thugs also got violent against senior citizens in Tampa; Buck Right has the linkage and video.
• Club for Growth has a video blog of health care protests, so you can judge for yourself if they are "the mob" or "corporate shills."
• Here is a photo essay of the "scary people" in "the mob"