Domenico Montanaro writes: For the second straight year, the health care overhaul inspired the biggest political lie, according to the independent fact-checking Web site Politifact.

Last year, it was Sarah Palin's claim that there were "death panels" in the bill. The winner this year, is the term "government takeover" used by multiple Republicans, including incoming Speaker John Boehner.

Politifact:

In the spring of 2009, a Republican strategist settled on a brilliant and powerful attack line for President Barack Obama's ambitious plan to overhaul America's health insurance system. Frank Luntz, a consultant famous for his phraseology, urged GOP leaders to call it a "government takeover." ...

The line stuck. By the time the health care bill was headed toward passage in early 2010, Obama and congressional Democrats had sanded down their program, dropping the "public option" concept that was derided as too much government intrusion. The law passed in March, with new regulations, but no government-run plan.

But as Republicans smelled serious opportunity in the midterm elections, they didn't let facts get in the way of a great punchline. ... uttered by dozens of politicians and pundits, it played an important role in shaping public opinion about the health care plan and was a significant factor in the Democrats' shellacking in the November elections.

Second place was Rep. Michele Bachmann's claim that President Obama's recent overseas trip to India would cost $200 million a day.



http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2010/12/17/5668817-biggest-lie-of-2010-government-takeover-of-health-care

yea, they perpetuate misinformation across the board on the Fox News Channel. Using fear and hate to further their agenda in this country

i find it incredibly funny and sad that Americans are actually AGAINST universal health care...

POPPYCOCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

here is an example of how universal health care works here in my country...you fall down on any city sidewalk, an ambulance show up to administer first aid, and, if necessary, takes you to the hospital. total cost to you..zero. Paid for by your taxes...everyone has access to that.

you dont want that?? then sorry, but I think someone has tainted the water you all are drinking.

what is the misinformation you are talking about?

This,

OLBERMANN: Let me jump in, Wendell. APCO, that PR film seems to contradict some of the remarks you made. APCO did not conduct research on Michael Moore's family. We did not suppress turnout for his movie. Explain what you know about the personal research that was done on Michael Moore and his family.

POTTER: I think whoever wrote that, I think, she was just protesting too much. The industry did an enormous amount of research on what we thought was going to be in the movie and on Michael Moore as a movie maker. I, myself did. I have seen every one of his movies, read all three of his books, seen all 24 episodes of "The Awful Truth." I know where you went to school. I know when you dropped out of college. I know who you are married to. I know a lot about you. Everybody in the industry knows a lot about you. We needed to know as much as we could, not that we necessarily were going to be using that if we didn't have to. One of the things that I was afraid about doing what I'm doing was that I would be attacked not by the industry directly by but its allies to try to attack my character and reputation. So that's what's goes on in a lot of the campaigns like this.

MOORE: When you were doing this research and this spying on myself and my family, what, I mean, to what ends, really? Obviously, they don't really want to have the debate on the issue, whether or not a for-profit health insurance system is what's really best for Americans?

POTTER: right.

MOORE: It seemed like their main goal was if people get in to see that film, we are doomed. We have got to make sure as few people see that film as possible. The way to do that is to smear Michael Moore, call him Anti -- American, say Anti-American and say he is not telling the truth. You said the other day that you guys were ready for Plan "B" if that failed, If the movie was getting too much traction, that it might be necessary to push me off a cliff, right?

>> what exactly did that mean? means he wants people to buy his books, go see his movies...harry potter just set it all up...

POTTER: I was in that meeting and those words, indeed, were said. It was not literal, obviously. It meant we would do what we had to do to create ads and op-eds that we would get CONSERVATIVE PUNDINTS to place in newspapers with the whole objective of, as they call it, reframing the debate, to try to move the attention from them to you as a filmmaker.

You must watch FOX News.

Also,
The number 1 reason the health-care industry is almost bankrupt here in America, and the reason health insurance costs keeps increasing at an absurd rate is because not everyone has health insurance.