Bette’s tale had policy wonks scratching their heads; it was hard to see, given what we know about premiums and how the health law works, how anyone could face that large a rate increase. Sure enough, when a local newspaper, The Spokesman-Review, contacted Bette Grenier, it discovered that the real story was very different from the image Ms. McMorris Rodgers conveyed. First of all, she was comparing her previous policy with one of the pricier alternatives her insurance company was offering — and she refused to look for cheaper alternatives on the Washington insurance exchange, declaring, “I wouldn’t go on that Obama website.”
Even more important, all Ms. Grenier and her husband had before was a minimalist insurance plan, with a $10,000 deductible, offering very little financial protection. So yes, the new law requires that they spend more, but they would get far better coverage in return.
So was this the best story Ms. McMorris Rodgers could come up with? The answer, probably, is yes, since just about every tale of health reform horror the G.O.P. has tried to peddle has similarly fallen apart once the details were revealed. The truth is that the campaign against Obamacare relies on misleading stories at best, and often on outright deceit. (our emphasis)Not only will Republicans shamelessly lie about Obamacare, they will lie about immigration reform, they will lie about BENGHAZI!!!, they will lie about who was responsible for the government shutdown, they will lie about gun control, they will lie about the economy and income inequality -- in short, they will lie about anything and everything to advance their cynical, social Darwinist, nativist, plutocratic agenda. If anyone is still surprised or shocked by this at this late date, please welcome them back to planet Earth for us.
UPDATE: The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is asking McMorris Rodgers to apologize for lying about the "Bette" story. A positive response is not expected.
(Photo: Rep. McMorris Rodgers - so many lies, so little time!)
