Johnny got a spanking

blog_icon_isakson.jpgJohnny Isakson, it seems, is the latest Georgia Republican to learn that you don’t mess with your most rabid supporters by trying to do something foolish like talk common sense or acknowledge the obvious.


Georgia’s junior senator found himself immersed in the controversy this week over “death panels” and the “euthanization” of senior citizens that is consuming so many of the shouters and screamers at town halls on health insurance reform.

These crazies, who include former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, falsely charge that a provision in the health reform bill will empower President Barack Obama to create “death panels” that will kill elderly patients. The provision actually would extend Medicare coverage to end-of-life care counseling sessions between doctors and their patients, a cause that Isakson has long supported.

Isakson gave an extensive interview to the Washington Post on Monday in which he described as “nuts” the statements by Palin about these so-called “death panels.”

“I understand — and you have to check this out — I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin’s web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it where people would be euthanized,” Isakson told the Post. “How someone could take an end of life directive or a living will as that is nuts. You’re putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don’t know how that got so mixed up.”

In a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Obama noted Isakson’s comments on the bogus euthanasia allegations.

Those kind words from a Democratic president — and a black one at that — obviously caused a lot of political problems for Isakson, whose Republican base includes a large percentage of people who don’t even believe Obama is an American-born citizen.

It’s obvious what happened next: Isakson was bombarded with complaints from constituents outraged that he would actually agree on something with a Muslim Kenyan terrorist like Obama. Isakson’s office issued an angry statement Tuesday afternoon that tried to put some distance between him and Obama, even though the senator and the president hold virtually identical positions on the issue of living wills and end-of-life counseling.

“The White House and others are merely attempting to deflect attention from the intense negativity caused by their unpopular policies,” Isakson said. “I never consulted with the White House in this process and had no role whatsoever in the House Democrats’ bill. I categorically oppose the House bill and find it incredulous that the White House and others would use my amendment as a scapegoat for their misguided policies.”

Isakson is a conservative who will, on occasion, attempt to deal rationally with the issue at hand. But common sense doesn’t count for much these days in some quarters. Just ask Phil Gingrey, the Marietta congressman who earlier this year said something mildly critical about right-wing commentator Rush Limbaugh. Gingrey got such a fierce backlash from his base that within 24 hours he was on his hands and knees apologizing to Limbaugh and begging forgiveness. He hasn’t gotten out of line since.


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3 responses to “Johnny got a spanking”

  1. J.M. Prince Avatar
    J.M. Prince

    It’s official: Johnny’s too yellow to note again that Palin’s either a craven liar (more likely) or nuts. Via AJC’s Political Insider:

    http://blogs.ajc.com/political-insider-jim-galloway/2009/08/14/on-suddenly-shy-republicans-and-end-of-life-counseling/

    JMP

  2. J.M. Prince Avatar
    J.M. Prince

    Still more notice for Isakson’s rank cowardice & shameless pandering to the right wing birthers & ‘Deathers’ here: Via Wash Monthly’s Political Animal:

    “ISAKSON REGRETS TELLING THE TRUTH….”

    “The problem, from Isakson’s perspective, is that he’s now inadvertently defended reality, when his party is committed to doing the opposite. Republican senators aren’t supposed to debunk nonsensical talking points; they’re supposed to repeat nonsensical talking points.

    So, Isakson is left with an awkward task: walking back honest support for his own proposal.”

    And : “Isakson is trying to emphasize a difference that hardly exists. As Marc Ambinder explained, “In reality, the Senate language and the House bill pretty much do the same thing. Both expand the information and choices made available to the terminally ill. Both would incentivize the same behavior by doctors. Neither would create a death panel. Neither mandates counseling.”

    http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_08/019455.php

    And another notice: via Politico:

    “Isakson rejects Obama shout-out from town hall”

    http://www.politico.com/blogs/glennthrush/0809/Isakson_rejects_Obama_shout_out_from_town_hall.html

    And here’s a preemptive strike on the next brewing hypocritical BS Rethug talking point via brilliant mind of Chuck Norris: via the Huff Post

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rep-jim-mcdermott/he-neglected-to-tell-you_b_257472.html

    Yeah. The facts never matter to Senators in the highest & most august legislative body in the world, right? JMP

  3. J.M. Prince Avatar
    J.M. Prince

    Thanks for filling out the story some Tom. Like I said previously, sad & amazing to boot. The ‘KnowNothing party’ has been truly resurrected. And those are the days when we’re trying to be hopeful about it all! JMP

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