Conservatives For Patients Rights Lies, Claims Comcast Pulled Down ‘Misleading’ HCAN Ads
Conservatives For Patients Rights Lies, Claims Comcast Pulled Down ‘Misleading’ HCAN Ads
Since March, Conservatives for Patients Rights (CPR) — headed by disgraced hospital CEO Rick Scott and represented by the same public relations firm that brought us the Swift Boat Veterans For Truth — has been actively distorting the health care reform debate.
While the health industry is trying to remain at the negotiating table, CPR is attacking the reform effort in a somewhat schizophrenic media campaign. The group has linked to progressive health care proposals from its website before running ads arguing that Democrats had no health care plan, conflating the budget resolution with health care reform legislation, and claiming that President Obama seeks to import Britain’s health care system into America.
Now the group that did so much research on Obama’s health care reform that it ended up attacking a non-existent health care proposal is soliciting contributions on the false premise that it scored a major victory over its ideological rival, Health Care For America Now, which has been running ads criticizing the group’s activities.
This morning, Rick Scott sent a letter to subscribers claiming that, “after reviewing HCAN’s ad, Comcast has determined that it is misleading and has been pulled off the air”:
As you may know, the liberal group Health Care for America Now recently started running a mudslinging TV ad against me personally. After reviewing HCAN’s ad, Comcast has determined that it is misleading and has been pulled off the air. …But they were taught a lesson. … Unfortunately, this surely won’t stop HCAN and its allies from continuing their campaign to use any means necessary to achieve government-run healthcare. In fact, HCAN reportedly plans to spend $40 million for big government healthcare. That’s why I need your help. Your contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, $1000 or more to CPR Education*, our charitable affiliate, will help us to continue to get our message out and fight the misleading tactics of the advocates of government-run healthcare.
The letter came as a surprise to Health Care For America Now, who told me they had purchased a week of ads from May 6 to May 13 and assumed that their ad buy had just expired. The group contacted Comcast, who issued the following clarification: “Comcast has not pulled any ads produced by HCAN off our systems. The media buy for the ad in question expired on May 13.” HCAN has bought more airtime and the ad will soon return to the airwaves,” Jason Rosenbaum of HCAN told me.
So CPR either never contacted Comcast or knowingly misrepresented — in fact, lied about — their statement. Either practice is emblematic of the group’s approach to the health care debate.
Cross-posted on The Wonk Room.
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Fox is very generous in taking a man with a record $1.7 billion rap sheet hanging over his head and presenting him to the world as “Founded 2 Health Care Providers.”
May 15th, 2009 at 1:25 pmA conservative lies….surprise, surprise!!
May 15th, 2009 at 1:25 pmWhen you have nothing of substance lies are all you got.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:26 pmIf your are going to lie, at least lie good. These guy’s are as transparent as my Gramma’s underware.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:27 pmRick Scott is a convicted liar – why would anyone believe anything this crook has to say?
May 15th, 2009 at 1:33 pmC’mon guys, you’re in this together, the corporate brotherhood, providing crappy service and slimy maneuvering to the detriment of consumers. I suppose these crappy cable and “health” care companies weren’t meant to be. It was only a matter of time before one accused the other of being a backhanded liberal.
**sniff sniff**
May 15th, 2009 at 1:34 pmLet me get this straight he said Obama want to bring in Great Britains health care, well I`m all for it considering their model for their health care is based on our V.A. for our soldiers so if it`s good enough for our soldiers it`s good enough for the rest of us and other country`s around the globe that use our V.A. and medicare as models for their health care.This guy Rick Scott also had to pay a 1.7 billion dollar for cheating the gov`t and over billing and had the nerve to say he was innocent, he can go to hell in a hand bag for all I care,just typical shilling for his buddies in the industry.Lies are all knows when it comes to health care.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:37 pmComcrap is one of the most conservative companies I know, if anyone is willing to lie to get extreme conservative ideas pushed through it’s comcrap.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:46 pmteabagger repugs are the club where the crooks hang out.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:47 pmIn fact, HCAN reportedly plans to spend $40 million for big government healthcare. That’s why I need your help. Your contribution of $25, $50, $100, $250, $1000 or more to CPR Education*, our charitable affiliate, will help us to continue to get our message out and fight the misleading tactics of the advocates of government-run healthcare.
This is the part that really jumped out at me, for two reasons. The “health industry” is the very last entity in this country that needs contributions of any kind, much less $25 contributions from individuals. They could fund this campaign from petty cash.
Second, where did HCAN come up with $40 million? Seriously? Or are the corporate thugs lying again?
May 15th, 2009 at 1:50 pmSo CPR either never contacted Comcast or knowingly misrepresented..
Of course they “knowingly misrepresented”, that’s what they do.
This was not in the quote here but part of what Scott said was:
They don’t want to debate the substance of what we want in health care reform — choice, competition, accountability and personal responsibility…
I find that really funny. CPR wants “health care reform”, but has no plan. Also, his “choice, competition, accountability and personal responsibility” is exactly what President Obama is calling for with his public option plan. They are the ones who don’t want any competition.
May 15th, 2009 at 1:52 pmLying a lot, in a loud voice, is how bigtime CEO’s become bigtime CEO’s.
It also helps to be 6′4″ or taller. Shorter guys can make up for it by being even louder, or having an intriguing accent.
No one should be allowed to become that crazy-rich talking care of sick people. Very comfortable, fine, moreso than many, a-ok, but not the way Rick and his peers are – it’s icky to think their mansions are built out of others’ misery, or that more should be miserable to maintain them in the fashion of Royalty.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:05 pmSidenote:
Went to the Center for Patients Rights website to submit a comment regarding their claim about Comcast pulling HCAN’s ads.
As far as I could see (and I looked pretty hard), there is no way to submit a comment, provide feedback or even make contact with anyone there. The “information” is all one way: top-down.
Reminds me of the “chairside manner” of Lisa’s dentist on an episode of The Simpsons: “Hold still while I gas you.”
Ralph Novy
May 15th, 2009 at 2:06 pmwatchout5,
May 15th, 2009 at 2:31 pmIf you want to hear some real competition for Comc***’s position, try Bott radio network.
The effort required to post that comment #12 must have exhausted our little friend OS.
May 15th, 2009 at 2:36 pmCorporations make money when people are sick.
Big Pharma makes money when Doctors prescribe expensive pills.
The only real health care reform cannot emerge until profit is taken out of the process.
These greedy entities will spend any amount of money it takes to preserve their golden egg, including lying, slander, and harm to others. They are dangerous, unpatriotic & bordering on illegal.
Why are corporate profits more important than America’s health?
May 15th, 2009 at 2:56 pmOS Says:
Pot….kettle…..
<<<<<<<<
Room….MORON
May 15th, 2009 at 2:59 pmNote Rick Scott’s CPR is a tax exempt 529 policital organization. Senator Chuch Grassley and Gail Wilensky called for taxing nonprofit community hospitals as part of health care reform.
Donations to safety net providers could soon be taxable, while hack political groups continue raking in tax free dollars. America’s leaders are horrific.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:19 pmPharm corps want you chronically ill so you keep buying thier magic pills that mask and aleivate symptoms, rather than cure or prevent illness. Pharms want you to take pills rather than getting off your ass getting a healthlier lifestyle, cutting down on the cheetos, dumping the soda, getting off the couch and using your brain.
May 15th, 2009 at 3:41 pmRick Scott-Lawyer who wound out pay for performance and did joint ventures with doctors.
Barack Obama-Lawyer who wants pay for performance and public-private investments to solve America’s problems
May 15th, 2009 at 8:35 pmRick Scott robbed this country of billions of dollars in government health care money and is not in prison. If I rob a bank and give part of the money back can I stay out of prison? NO!!
Robbing the health care system is MUCH MORE EVIL then robbing a bank!!!!!!!!!!!
If we’re not going to put criminal bastards like Rick Scott in prison then can we at least remove him from the health care industry?
If this bastard pulled this stunt on Wall Street he would be prevented from trading in the market for life!! Why is this bastard still at the table??? Why does he own anything???? Ever heard of RICO?????????
He should be broke and in prison!!!!!
Until the criminals in the “more have” class go to prison or are removed from the game they will continue to phuck all us peons over and over an over again.
May 16th, 2009 at 9:00 amRick Scott’s new company is owned by a private equity underwriter (PEU). Sitting on the board is ex-Bush Medicare Chief Tom Scully.
Nancy-Ann DeParle was a PEU for CCMP Capital Partners before Obama named her White House Health Czar.
May 16th, 2009 at 2:42 pm