ABC, NBC Won't Air Ad Critical of Obama's Health Care Plan

[undeterred]

Source: Fox News

The refusal by ABC and NBC to run a national ad critical of President Obama's health care reform plan is raising questions from the group behind the spot -- particularly in light of ABC's health care special aired in prime time last June and hosted at the White House.

The 33-second ad by the League of American Voters, which features a neurosurgeon who warns that a government-run health care system will lead to the rationing of procedures and medicine, began airing two weeks ago on local affiliates of ABC, NBC, FOX and CBS. On a national level, however, ABC and NBC have refused to run the spot in its present form.

"It's a powerful ad," said Bob Adams, executive director of the League of American Voters, a national nonprofit group with 15,000 members who advocate individual liberty and government accountability. "It tells the truth and it really highlights one of the biggest vulnerabilities and problems with this proposed legislation, which is it rations health care and disproportionately will decimate the quality of health care for seniors."

Adams said the advertisement is running on local network affiliates in states like Louisiana, Arkansas, Maine and Pennsylvania. But although CBS has approved the ad for national distribution and talks are ongoing with FOX, NBC has questioned some of the ad's facts while ABC has labeled it "partisan."



Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/08/27/abc-nbc-refuse-air-advertisement-critical-obamas-health-care-plan/

---

Good for NBC and ABC for not airing lies.

[liberal N proud]

1. Maybe someone at NBC and ABC did some fact checking?

[Arkana]

2. So they're not going to allow people to lie to a national audience

on their networks?

I fail to see the problem here.

[babylonsister]

3. The League of American Voters...

League of American Voters
From SourceWatch

This article is part of the front groups portal on Sourcewatch. Join our team of citizen journalists researching and exposing industry secrets.
This article is a stub. You can help by expanding it.

The League of American Voters (LAV) is a Washington, D.C.- based 501(c)4 organization that raises money to run anti-health care reform television advertisements written by Dick Morris in key swing states. The organization's Web page says it opposes President Obama's efforts to reform the American health-care system "and other forms of socialism." It refers to regulation of the health care system as a "government takeover."

The organization's Web site contains photos of 26 unidentified people of all ages and races on the home page, which gives an impression of a widespread and diverse membership. The site seeks monetary donations and provides a way to donate via credit card, but gives no telephone number or email address and does not list its funders. The League of American Voters is not listed in Guidestar, a widely-used database of information on nonprofits. LAV solicits donations to run further anti-health care reform ads, and adds offers to send donors who give $250 or more an autographed copy of Dick Morris' most recent book, "Catastrophe," which is critical of the Obama administration.

snip//

The League of American Voters shares the same street address and suite number as Americans for Tax Reform and there is some overlap between the League of American Voters, Americans for Tax Reform and Tax Day Tea Party organizers.

more...

http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=League_of_American_Voters

[Rozlee]

25. Even "good" private insurance can be worthless

My son has insurance through his job at UTSA. When his wife was giving birth to my grandson, she threw a blot clot to her lungs and almost died. Their insurance dropped her lickedy spit. Said her history of poor blood clotting factors made her too high a risk. Now, she might lose her leg if she doesn't get hyperbaric treatments, which incidentally, cost the earth. My daughter's husband's insurance only covers five specialist visits a year and their baby, my little grand-daughter, has Goldenhars Syndrome. They used up those visits the first three months of this year. I can't even get a mortgage to help them, I'm underwater. So, even though my kids have "good" insurance, they can still go bankrupt or lose their homes trying to get healthcare for my grandchildren. This doesn't even cover what they spend on premiums, deductibles and co-pays as I'm sure you all know. One more food for thought not related to insurance companies. My grand-daughter's Goldenhars Syndrome. I'm 100% service-connected disabled from Desert Storm due to neuro-Behcet's, an illness native to the Persian Gulf. My daughter came back from two tours in Iraq in 2005 and had a miscarriage three months before she got pregnant with my grand-daughter. If you Google "Goldenhars" and "Gulf War", you'll pull up a host of articles that seem to show a correlation between the two. Makes you wonder what these kids coming back from Bush's wars will have waiting for them health-wise and for their kids.

[No Elephants]

33. I'm so sorry for the troubles of your family.

[crim son]

39. Rozlee, you're right.

I'm sorry your family has had to discover the truth about private insurers through tragedy. And welcome to DU.

[sicksicksick_N_tired]

43. Are these 501(c)4 organizations allowed to be so secretive?

Anyone out there got the filing money for a lawsuit? :shrug:

[gateley]

4. I'm frankly surprised and somewhat impressed --

Good for them -- whatever the reasons.

[NRaleighLiberal]

5. More on the so-called non partisan League of American Voters (haha) -

If you go to their web site, and click "Staff", you get info on one person - Bob Adams.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Adams_(politician)

Now tell me that this is a non partisan group, after reading about the esteemed Mr. Adams. :sarcasm:

[babylonsister]

13. And the toe sucker himself, Dick Morris (#3). nt

[Uncle Joe]

24. mmmm, with a name like Toe Jam, it's got to be good!

:beer:

[bluestateguy]

6. this is how the playbook goes

1. Network(s) refuse to air the ad

2. Spurned group squawks very loudly

3. Other networks and websites fuel the controversy by airing the ad in the context of the controversy over whether or not it was right to air the ad.

4. People remember the content of the ad, and don't much care about the controversy over whether or not to air the ad.

Either way the message gets out.

[pinto]

15. Good point. That has been the ploy in the past. Make the ad a *news story*.

Good catch.

[Alhena]

17. Exactly- it would be better to just run the silly ad

[Festivito]

30. Ding ding ding...

Have it run next to one that refutes it and let people decide who does best.

[Wednesdays]

49. But...but...that's just like (*gasp*) the Fairness Doctrine!

:spank:

Can't have that!

[Festivito]

51. Not fairness! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! /nt

[jbnow]

46. A local station here has played it, always followed by an ad

by AARP talking about how special interests are trying to scare you with lies that directly refutes some of the lies in the bad ad.

It could be coincidence or maybe AARP suggested it or maybe whoever puts the ads in locally. Whatever, it is very funny.
I've seen the AARP ad far more often

There was a horrible ad about Obama before election. I wrote the local station and fact checked the 3 lying assertions in it and asked if they knowingly ran dishonest ads. I never saw the ad again but it could have been a coincidence too.

I hate those. Whatever happened to truth in adveryising? Is that only for products?

[high density]

7. What's wrong with an ad that lies?

That is normal for the Repuke fear political ads. No reason to stop now. Take their money and STFU.

[Sebastian Doyle]

8. OK, it's good that they aren't running this piece of shit ad

But how is it any worse than the ads from AHIP or PHARMA or other bullshit pro corporate, anti reform ads that they ARE running?

Actually, I'd say some of those ads ARE worse, because they're promoting a FALSE reform. (i.e corporate friendly)

[WriteDown]

9. I found that owning an Apple does not make me cooler or....

more hip. I hope they pull those lying ads as well. :)

[tabasco]

11. Maybe you're not bright enough to distinguish between factual lies and puffery.

You do seem the type.

[WriteDown]

12. Politics is all puffery....

Some seem to not grasp that concept.

[tabasco]

32. Is that why you spend so much time

astroturfing?

[WriteDown]

34. Personal attacks?

FAIL.

[LanternWaste]

45. I imagine many believe that to be an absolute.

"Politics is all puffery...."

I imagine many may believe that to be an absolute. Other may believe it to be conviction.

[No Elephants]

35. With all due respect, that is not a fair test of Apple.

[Doremus]

37. Heeheee

Good one. :)

[WriteDown]

38. We can only imagine...

your visage.

[Adam Kirur]

10. After all the coverage they've given to the town-hall "protesters"

...I shoukd think they ought to do something to even the scales!

[DebbieCDC]

14. A national nonprofit with 15,000 members

Well, gee, they sure speak for the majority of Americans don't they? And is the "neurosurgeon" the ad features a real doctor or one from a casting call?

It seems maybe ABC & NBC are doing some fact-checking -- WAY past time.

[xxqqqzme]

16. They have 15,000 members an can afford a national

campaign supporting insurance corporations?? Something stinks!

[MercutioATC]

18. On what basis is ABC refusing to run the ad by declaring it "partisan"?

I've seen the ad. It's bullshit...but by MY admittedly biased standard of what is "bullshit".

How can Obama's plan cover 50 million new patients without any new doctors? It can't."

Well, it CAN, technically, but logic would dictate longer wait times.

"It will hurt our Seniors"

That's a judgment call. I disagree, but "hurt" is subjective.

"and Medicare as we know it" (with graphic of "Medicare as we know it will no longer exist")

Cutting a net of $200B over 10 years (yes, that's DOES change Medicare. Whether that will "hurt Seniors" or not is speculative.

"rationing coverage and care"

That happens now, both in government and private programs.

"limit life-saving medicines" (with graphic of "explicitly limiting patient access to treatments")

It's true, but it's also true now.

"impose long delays on cancer treatment and other vital surgery" (with a graphic of "Government health plans always ration care"

There ARE anecdotal examples of this, but this claim fails to consider the "delay" and "rationing" that people without insurance suffer. Again, there WILL be "rationing"...as there is now.

"It's happening in England, and in Canada. Don't let it happen here."

The proposed system DOES bear resemblance to systems in Canada and the U.K.



So, should it be banned from the airwaves? It makes use of anecdotes and predictions and it tells some half-truths, but I don't see any actual lies.

I don't think that banning this ad is any more or less fair than the decision some networks have made to refuse to air some of the liberal ads.


That said, I support health care reform and a part of me is glad that this ad won't air (at least on some networks).

[jtb33]

26. Interesting...

I guess that's right...

[undeterred]

41. All loaded phrases and exaggerations.

It is quite biased against change in the health care system.

[MercutioATC]

42. Ever seen a TV commercial?

That's what they do.

I'm asking why, in the absence of any actual factual lies, should this ad be denied airtime by the networks.

[nc4bo]

50. I get your point too but when did a Swifer ad ever scare people

like these ads seem to be doing?

Guess I'm just po'd that the pukes are so darned good at what they do.

[BlueIdaho]

19. Frankly, I'm shocked.

You mean these guys have standards? Could have fooled me...

[undeterred]

20. I got an email from this group a couple of days ago:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6387863

[wryter2000]

21. I guess I'm going back to ABC

Thanks for the information. :hi:

[unblock]

22. named "league of american voters" in an effort to create confusion with "league of women's voters"

a VERY different organization.

by right-wing organizations would never intentionally do that, oh no.

[nc4bo]

23. Sorry this is not true. I saw this very ad this morning on my local news channel.

I posted about it here in another thread.

Somebody is lying.

[katkat]

31. nc4bo, local not national

It says in the initial post local affiliates are running it, only the national airing was nixed.

[nc4bo]

44. Grr.....ok katkat thanks!

What is the difference really? The ads are showing and boy that one with the doctor would be terrifying for the uninformed or older people. It actually shocked me and I KNOW better.

We really have to do better than what we're doing now.

[fascisthunter]

27. WOW...

Bob Adams, you are a liar... so I pity you not.

[Politicalboi]

28. The toe sucker is involved

No wonder it's nothing but lies. I bet Obama's health care plan doesn't cover lacerations in the mouth due to hang nails.

[Vidar]

29. Good for ABC & NBC.

[No Elephants]

36. So, Fox and CBS are airing it, then. What about CNN, MSNBC, et al.?

[Bandit]

47. Well MSNBC isn't following that decision. I saw this ad in the middle

of the Rachael Maddow Show of all places...She never said one word about it either..

[FedUp_Queer]

40. Now wait a minute folks...

We can't be censor-crazy like the right is. Oh wait...this one actually says something that's not true, that it's a government-run health care proposal. Never mind.

[nc4bo]

48. Ok - after understanding then misunderstanding then understanding again...

Shame on NBC and ABC or any network that chooses to air lies and terror because that's what it is, a choice and the almighty dollar is once again placed over and above truth.

Whether it be on a local OR national level. A lie is a lie.

There is no difference between national or local - the fear/terror ads are still being aired.

The right thing for corporate media to do (ALL of them) is to refuse to air untruthful political ads, period. I don't care how much money they stand to lose.

[Myrina]

52. Did they ever think maybe it wouldn't air because its FALSE?!?

:freak:

[4_TN_TITANS]

53. I just don't understand why non-insurance related business

isn't falling all over itself to get a public option passed. The savings would be mindboggling for businesses.