BUSTED!! Who Do You Trust?

Who do you trust? The supposedly right wing elements of the media or the liberal watchdogs that try to shoot them down? Try trusting me. Mediaite, a web site supposedly giving objective opinions on news stories, run by NBC legal analyst Dan Abrams (and we all know how neutral NBC has managed to be, though ironically, more on that later) reported on an exchange between a CNS News reporter and Robert Gibbs. According to Mediaite, the CNS reporter was attributing a Paul Ryan, Republican congressman from Wisconsin, quote to the recess appointment to head Medicare/Medicaid, Dr. Donald Berwick. The specific quote in question? "excellent health care is by definition redistribution". (What a shock that President Obama might want an appointment with such an opinion to bypass Congressional hearings this close to an election). Mediaite praised Gibb's handling of the reporter where he accused the CNS reporter of "playing political games" and "diving into his secret book of quotations". The story ends on this note "The lesson? Robert Gibbs won't entertain baseless questions from reporters who haven't done their homework. And when he does, he makes enough of an example out of them to keep the rest of the Press Corps on their toes." The title of the story? "Robert Gibbs Catches CNS Reporter Missapropriating Comments to New Health Care Chief". The outrage! The indignity! My God, man, how can we stand for these right wing conspiracy theorists who think President Obama and his appointees believe in redistribution of wealth!

Media Matters, which seems to be funded through various other groups such as Moveon.org by George Soros, dark lord of the Sith, criticized an MSNBC (GASP!!) reporter for suggesting that Berwick had made controversial comments and praising the British joke of a health care system.

Surely these upstanding left-leaning media sites wouldn't...but wait...

oh, there's video...oh, and a transcript for the hearing impaired...and there is Berwick, and I quote "any health care funding plan that is just, equitable, civilized and humane must - must - redistribute wealth from the richer among us to the poorer and less fortunate. EXCELLENT HEALTH CARE IS BY DEFINITION REDISTRIBUTION. BRITAIN, YOU CHOSE WELL." Emphasis added.

It's almost like they lied. So again, I ask, who do you trust? It sure as hell isn't Robert Gibbs.

Recess!!!

President Barack Obama is set to appoint Dr. Donald Berwick as head of the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services during the Congressional recess, bypassing Senate review of the appointment until at least next year. The recess appointment power, meant to be used in a time of emergency for temporary situations of need, not as an end run around Congress, was criticized by President Obama in 2005 when as a candidate for Senate, he referred to recess appointees as "damaged goods". The hypocrisy has become so common as to be mundane at this point.

Of greater interest is the strategy of using this method of appointment. Berwick was expected to face grilling by Republicans over his controversial views in favor of rationing health care. Democrats were afraid of this issue essentially reopening the debate on the health care bill. This also avoids that debate coming before the November Congressional elections. Think about it, President Obama, who derided people who suggested there would be rationing of care under his health care plan, is going to appoint a man in favor of such rationing and doesn't want a public discussion about it. Transparent, not so much. Accountable, certainly not. Cynical, of mais, bien sur!