As I've often done before, I've looked at the disconnect between the truth and the media - whether it is the hysterical ranting of a Rush Limbaugh or a Faux News, to the blogosphere where any old crank can set up a webpage and get noticed. ("Guilty, your honour!")
Given that a large part of the success of the Obama campaign was its use of the Internet, it is surprising just how
incredibly good The Republican Party are at utilising blogs and forums to disseminate information. I mean, seriously good. Their best tactic is to plant a specific quote or idea and then let the many blogs, who spend their time complaining that they don't have a voice, take over.
The latest to hover on the radar concerned the recently passed Health Care Bill. The quote in question is
"it shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection."
This quote is being used as "evidence" that the evil Nazi that is the current President has not only passed the Bill, but done so in such a way that it is impossible for subsequent Governments to overturn it in the future. According to the right wing blogosphere, once this is made law, it cannot be overturned... ever.
The LaRouche Public Action Committee in a blog posting entitled
Reid Did It! Nazi "Eternity" Section in Health Bill Put in Secretly Behind Closed Doors says
"The fascist secret clauses in the Senate health-care bill ? attempting to forbid any future Congress from changing any of the provisions relating to the dictatorial, genocidal Independent Medicare Advisory Board ? were inserted into the bill during closed-door meetings in Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's office, not by an amendment duly considered by the Senate."
The blog at
The Weekly Standard -
"Senator Jim DeMint (R-S.C.) pointed out some rather astounding language in the Senate health care bill during floor remarks tonight. First, he noted that there are a number of changes to Senate rules in the bill--and it's supposed to take a 2/3 vote to change the rules. And then he pointed out that the Reid bill declares on page 1020 that the Independent Medicare Advisory Board cannot be repealed by future Congresses:"
You can Google for 12,500 references to this by clicking
here.
My Spidey Sense tingled like crazy. Blimey, this is pretty huge, even if it is impossible to pass a law that cannot be overturned. So I went to the
Library of Congress, clicked the link to
search legislative information, and had a look for
H.R.3590 - atient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Engrossed Amendment as Agreed to by Senate). Right, now search for "Sec. 3403 Independent Medicare Advisory Board" or similar and click on it - it should take you to that part of the Bill. This part of the Bill is about oversight, what has to be reported, finances and so on. It is about the legislature checking that the Bill is working as it should. And sure enough subsection (d) (3) (C) says:
`(C) LIMITATION ON CHANGES TO THIS SUBSECTION- It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.
Wow. Blimey, so it is true then. They put this in and it can't be repealed ever. Ever, ever, ever.
Except...
Except...
Let's look at the quote.
"`(C) LIMITATION ON CHANGES TO THIS SUBSECTION- It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change"
Pretty heavy, eh? The Senate nor the House of Representatives can change this bill. Ever. Shit. That's a lot. Does this mean that it can't be changed?
Well, no, because it ignores the President or the Supreme Court. But still, pretty shitty?
I admit it. I've tricked you. I've pulled the same trick the bloggers have, except in a more blatant way. I've taken the quote out of context but also I've omitted one very, VERY crucial word. I deliberately cut it out when I quoted it above.
"Subsection"
That quote in full:
"(C) LIMITATION ON CHANGES TO THIS SUBSECTION- It shall not be in order in the Senate or the House of Representatives to consider any bill, resolution, amendment, or conference report that would repeal or otherwise change this subsection.
If you read it properly, you realise the clause only applies to Subsection 3403. This doesn't apply to the entire Bill. That is why it says "subsection". It specifically mandates the oversight part of it cannot be changed. It enshrines that the legislative
MUST ALWAYS be able to change the Bill.
The right wing crazies ared jumping up and down, trying to tell people that black is white. That this clause means the Bill cannot be changed, when in fact it solidifies that the Senate/Congress must always be able to change it.
This is how the media works - they decide on a sound bite, take it out of context and jump up and down about it. It is like when you see a quote on a cinema poster that says "EPIC - Some Twunt, Sunday Mirror" when the review
actually says "The director has served up an epic turkey, a pile of rancid pus that darkens the cinema screen."
The problem is, as Mark Twain said, "A lie can be halfway around the world before the truth has got its boots on". And on the Internet, that is a lot of willing liars and a small world.