The Associated Press, which like most of the mainstream media, is pretty Obama-friendly, has produced an excellent piece that fact-checks the president’s speech earlier this week. The AP shows that seriously misleading statements were made in the speech, including the president’s promise not to sign a bill that would add to the deficit.
I urge you to read the entire article, as you need to know this stuff. I am going to quote only one item—one that has a lot of resonance for citizens who feel they have a good insurance plan.
OBAMA: “Nothing in this plan will require you or your employer to change the coverage or the doctor you have.”
THE FACTS: That’s correct, as far as it goes. But neither can the plan guarantee that people can keep their current coverage. Employers sponsor coverage for most families, and they’d be free to change their health plans in ways that workers may not like, or drop insurance altogether. The Congressional Budget Office analyzed the health care bill written by House Democrats and said that by 2016 some 3 million people who now have employer-based care would lose it because their employers would decide to stop offering it.
In the past Obama repeatedly said, “If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period.” Now he’s stopping short of that unconditional guarantee by saying nothing in the plan “requires” any change.
You’ll also be interested in what the AP shows about the claim that made Joe Wilson a household name—that illegal aliens won’t be treated under his system.