A few days ago President Obama made a special trip to the White House press room to announce that the AMA (American Medical Association) is now supporting the current healthcare plan grinding its way through Congress. The president's point was to emphasize that America's doctors are now lined up behind the effort to nationalize America's healthcare system.
At least, that was the intended impression. But, as is so often the case, there's another side to the story.
Dr. Robert Bentley is a practicing physician and a Republican candidate for governor of Alabama. On November 4 his office issued a press release to set the record straight on the president's announcement of AMA support. The truth is that less than 20 percent of America's doctors are members of the AMA (something I didn't know) which radically changes the import of "the AMA's" backing of ObamaCare. Dr. Bentley said in the press release, "The vast majority of practicing doctors are not members of the AMA. Most doctors that I know are completely against 'ObamaCare.' By standing on national television and telling the American people that this endorsement means your doctor supports the liberal agenda, the President grossly exaggerated the truth."
It would have been easy for the President to say in his announcement that "the AMA, in which 20 percent of America's doctors hold membership, has announced support for . . . ." Even of that 20 percent, there are no doubt many AMA members who don't support the president's plan.
The lesson for me is to resist the temptation to leave out part of the truth if I know doing so will help my agenda.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment