GOP backs away from end-of-life counseling

[kskiska]

Source: AP

WASHINGTON – Until last week, Republican Sen. Johnny Isakson was among the most enthusiastic backers of end-of-life counseling in government health care programs like Medicare.

That was before conservatives called it a step toward euthanasia and former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin likened the idea to a bureaucratic "death panel" that would decide whether sick people get to live. And even though those claims have been widely discredited, the issue remains a political weapon in the increasingly bitter health care debate.

Now, Isakson and other Republicans who eagerly backed the idea are distancing themselves from it or lying low in the face of a backlash from the right.

(snip)

The idea for government-backed end-of-life counseling — while delicate given the subject matter — has garnered significant consensus on Capitol Hill, fueled in part by cases such as that of Terri Schiavo, whose divided family fought for years over whether she would want to be kept alive in a vegetative state.

Just a year ago, Congress overwhelmingly approved legislation requiring doctors to discuss issues like living wills and advance directives with new Medicare enrollees. And the government already requires hospitals and nursing homes to help patients with those legal documents if they want support, under a 1992 law passed under Republican President George H.W. Bush.

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090814/ap_on_go_co/us_republicans_death_panels_4

[SpiralHawk]

1. Freakin flip-floppers

Once again, as usual, Republicons instictively choose the wrong side of the issue. Gotta give 'em credit for consistently weasling, wiggling and attaining FAIL.

[Wizard777]

2. The GOP was FOR DEATH PANELS before they were against them.

They actually passed the death panels as part of a 2003 medicare bill. So the tea baggers need to be expressing their anger concerning the death panels that already exist toward the GOP that created them back in 2003.

[Wizard777]

3. That's right Sarah It actually the GOP that wants to kill Trig and your Grandma.

The they already passed the bill back in 2003.

[GReedDiamond]

4. Typical Repugs: ideologues, partisan hacks, liars, cowards and...

...hypocrites. It's just another day in the lives of these taxpayer salaried, lobbyist-ass-kissing scumbags.

[husky92]

5. No Balls!

This is now what politics is in a nutshell. These right-wing jack-offs will change on the fly if the conservatives get wind of them supporting anything that hints at cooperation with the other side. Isakson is in favor of this along with other Republicans and the right wing nut-jobs hear of it and raise a stink and what happens next....he backs down. What a COWARD, no balls at all. It just shows hos afraid these Republicans are of the right-wing talkers like Limbaugh, Hannity and the others. Spineless weenies!!! Instead of looking out for their constituents as they like to say, Isakson saw the political climate and it's save my ass time. A sad state of affairs in this country.

[Voice for Peace]

6. I thought you meant end of life counseling for the GOP.

Maybe it's too late anyway... what say the death panels?

[defendandprotect]

7. Because Canada, France, UK aren't killing their senior citizens?????