Death Panels

Some inconsequential blogger who goes by the name "Jonathan Chait" is unfairly attacking Mark Halperin, taking him to task for falsely claiming that Obamacare will institute death panels. Here's what I have to say to Mr. Chait (undoubtedly a pseudonym-- these pseudo journalists love their pseudo names!):

1. Nobody criticizes Mark Halperin-- not on my watch! He's the exemplar of everything a journalist should be!

2. Mark Halperin ably defended himself by invoking Howard Dean, who has stated that the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPB) "is essentially a health-care rationing body." Since a health-care rationing body is basically a death panel, argument over, right? But "Chait" says not! The all-too-clever "Chait" points out that the IPB isn't a health-care rationing body, it's a medical price-setting body. But don't let him confuse you with the facts! "Chait" is violating the rules of our political discourse while Halperin is following them to the letter! This chain of logic is easy to follow:

• Obamacare is a liberal program.
• Howard Dean is a liberal. 
• Therefore, if Howard Dean says something negative about Obamacare, that an "admission against interest," and henceforth is true for the purposes of debate, even it isn't true in the real world.

Therefore, I declare "Chait" to be out of bounds. Halperin wins this one, game set and match.

3. If the liberal "Chait" would just pay attention, he would realize that Halperin was making a brilliant argument  in favor of Obamacare!  Here's Halperin (at about the 8:30 mark): "we do need to do some of that [death panels, that is] in this country because we can’t afford to spend so much on end of life care." See? Halperin likes death panels! If "Chait" would get off his high horse, he would see that Halperin is a death panel supporter, and therefore a true friend of Obamacare!