White House "Reality Check"

"Dear Gary,"


I got another e-mail from the White House today-this time from "my old pal", David Axelrod (Well, it's starting to feel that way.) This e-mail informings me of-and provides a direct link to-the White House's new website called "Reality Check" (about health care reform, of course).

I'm not going to do the White House's work for them by putting up my own link, but you can do it yourself if you Google "White House Reality Check.gov". (If that doesn't work, try Googling "propaganda.gov".) Once inside, you can choose from a number of videos to watch White House hacks and flaks pitching the health care program by shooting down those "fishy" rumors.

For example there is former ABC News reporter Linda Douglass, who is now director of the "White House Health Reform Office". (You know that, of course. That was established under Teddy Roosevelt.) Talk about choreography! Watch Ms Douglass as she artfully directs our attention to her computer screen to make a point and puts on her glasses to read the screen. She then turns back to the camera and takes her glasses back off. How natural! "Linda Douglass, ABC News-Washington."

Then there is some doctor named Kavita Patel who works under "Senior Advisor" Valerie Jarrett. You remember Valerie Jarrett, don't you? Worked on Obama's campaign? Was being pushed by President-elect Obama for the empty Senator seat in Illinois? You know the appointment that ex-Governor Rod Blagoyich was trying to sell? Jarrett dropped out of consideration when they found out the story was about to break with Blago's indictment.

Yes, that Valerie Jarrett.

So Dr Patel, Jarrett's assistant, explains to us that we can keep our own private health insurance if we want to. (Until they are driven out of business by the government, that is). She also answers the concern about health care rationing by informing us that insurance companies already engage in rationing. (Not much of a reassurrance there.)

Or you can watch Christina Romer, the Chair of the Council of Economic Advisors, tell you how the plan will help small businesses rather than drive them out of business. Ms Romer, if you didn't know, comes out of the world of academia and was co-author of Obama's economic stimulus and recovery plan. Now she is telling us how great government health care will be.

There's more, but once you get through that, you'll be ready to take a baseball bat to your computer. These people really think we're stupid, don't they?

OK, Dave. I spread the word for you. Hope you get a lot of hits.