In Prostates and Prejudices, Paul Krugman addresses one of Rudy Giuliani's most recent falsehoods; this one's about universal health care, or as Rudy likes to vilify it: "socialized medicine." Even rightwingers found this particular distortion of the truth to be "embarrassing."
And on Paul Krugman's blog, in a post titled, Socialized Rudy, we learn that Rudy Giuliani actually "got his prostate treatment from a government-run insurance plan."
Rudy got Hillarycare? Gawd, I am so looking forward to the Hillary v. Rudy debates!
Paul Krugman:
“My chance of surviving prostate cancer — and thank God I was cured of it — in the United States? Eighty-two percent,” says Rudy Giuliani in a new radio ad attacking Democratic plans for universal health care. “My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England? Only 44 percent, under socialized medicine.”
It would be a stunning comparison if it were true. But it isn’t. And thereby hangs a tale — one of scare tactics, of the character of a man who would be president and, I’m sorry to say, about what’s wrong with political news coverage.
Let’s start with the facts: Mr. Giuliani’s claim is wrong on multiple levels — bogus numbers wrapped in an invalid comparison embedded in a smear. . . .
To be fair, there has been some news coverage of the prostate affair. But it’s only a tiny fraction of the coverage received by Hillary’s laugh and John Edwards’s haircut.
And much of the coverage seems weirdly diffident. Memo to editors: If a candidate says something completely false, it’s not “in dispute.” It’s not the case that “Democrats say” they’re not advocating British-style socialized medicine; they aren’t.
The fact is that the prostate affair is part of a pattern: Mr. Giuliani has a habit of saying things, on issues that range from health care to national security, that are demonstrably untrue. And the American people have a right to know that.
Read more. . .
Related Post: Giuliani Lies About Health Care in Radio Ad - Media Yawns
Paul Krugman Media Universal Health Care Politics News Rudy Giuliani Radio Ad New Hampshire Hillary Clinton
