Osborne Ink ::

Having succeeded in putting off legislation until after the August recess, Republicans and Blue Dogs are using the delay to launch a tidal wave of bullshit to kill the bill:

If this line of attack sounds familiar, that’s because you’ve seen it in science fiction:

“Fiction” is the operative word here. The criticism is completely baseless:

The provision would require Medicare to cover advanced care consultations for the first time, but it does not mandate individuals to take advantage of the benefit, proponents say. The consultations would take place between the patient and a doctor or nurse practitioner, not a government bureaucrat. And there would be no requirement for the individual to sign a directive or living will at the end of the discussion.

“This measure would not only help people make the best decisions for themselves but also better ensure that their wishes are followed,” AARP Executive Vice President John Rother said in a statement. “To suggest otherwise is a gross, and even cruel, distortion — especially for any family that has been forced to make the difficult decisions on care for loved ones approaching the end of their lives.” (Emphasis mine)

Why would the Executive VP of AARP want to eat your grandmother?

It is a special characteristic of the right wing of the lobbyist-governmental complex: anytime there’s a debate on reform, they inject Teh Wacky™ into the public discourse. Thus the Party of Ten Commandments regularly tells the most outrageous lies. The hypocrisy is palpable:

I can’t recall, for example, this degree of nipple-twisting from Republicans and Blue Dogs about spending and fiscal responsibility when the Bush administration was pitching a blank check invasion and occupation of Iraq on the heels of invading Afghanistan — all during a recession — while also passing a $1 trillion tax cut for the wealthiest one percent the year before.

Yet affordable, accessible health care for everyone is a bridge too far, right?

H/t to Bob Cesca

ADDING: Over at The Plum Line, Greg Sargent reports that a Republican Senator introduced identical legislation this Spring:

On May 22nd, Senators Collins and Jay Rockefeller introduced the “Advance Planning and Compassionate Care Act,” according to a press release sent over by a source. The measure provides Medicare funding “for advance care planning so that patients can routinely talk to their physicians about their wishes for end-of-life care,” the release says.

WHY DOES SENATOR COLLINS WANT TO EAT YOUR GRANDMA??!