C-J on lies and hyperbole on health care

From the editorialists of the C-J...

On its face, the allegation that the House bill on health care reform advocates euthanasia for older or infirm citizens [so-called "death panels"] would seem so ridiculous that no one would take it seriously. Guess again....

The writer(s) take pot-shots at Gov. Palin and then quote Sen. Grassley, saying that he "destroyed his own credibility with his remarks":

“...you have every right to fear...You ought to plan these things out. And I don't have any problem with things like living wills. But they ought to be done within the family. We should not have a government program that determines if you're going to pull the plug on grandma.”

The whole point of the part of the bill that is being twisted by Ms. Palin and Mr. Grassley and too many others: It makes the counseling an individual's choice between that person and his or her doctor....

We would call what they've been spreading lies....

Given the rationing that will increase under the most popular current proposals (and its concentration on the elderly)-- and the centering of those rationing decisions within a government agency-- I'd call "death panels" hyperbole rather than lies. But maybe one man's hyperbole is another's lie.

In any case, it's certainly misleading (a lie?) for the C-J editorialists to imply that Grandma will get her health care cake while others eat it too-- without higher costs for someone.