CNN Refusing To Run Health Care Ad Critical Of Insurance Industry
What on earth is going on at CNN?
The network — already taking criticism for declining to run an ad criticizing Lou Dobbs — is now refusing to run an ad nationally criticizing the insurance industry, the group that tried to place the ad tells me.
CNN’s reason: The ad “unnecessarily” singles out a top insurance industry executive by name for criticism.
The labor-backed Americans United for Change, a top White House ally in the health care wars, tried to book time on CNN and MSNBC for the ad, which hits the insurance industry for wanting to preserve the status quo and levels harsh criticism at insurance giant Cigna’s CEO, Ed Hanway.
“Why do insurance companies and Republicans want to kill health insurance reform? Because they like things the way they are now,” the ad says, and then slams Hanway’s annual salary of over $12 million and golden parachute retirement package of over $70 million.
Americans United for Change’s spokesman, Jeremy Funk, tells me that CNN refused to run the ad nationally. He says CNN emailed the following reason for rejection:
“This ad does not comply with our clearance guidelines because it unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person.”
That very well may be CNN’s policy. But AUC maintains that the mention of Cigna’s CEO was necessary to dramatize the enormous stake the insurance industry has in the health care wars. What’s more, AUC argues, the industry is made up of companies that are run by individuals deciding how to spend huge money to impact the health care debate — so why are they off limits?
“The bottom line question is: Would CNN run ads from Cigna that are positive about the company?” Funk asks. “If yes, why would they turn down an ad critical of the company for their role in trying to kill health insurance reform?”
By contrast, the ad will air nationally on MSNBC tomorrow. Here’s the spot:
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CNN, The Most Trusted Name in Right-Wing Censorship!
(they aren’t that bad yet, but it’s funny none the less)
At some point this actually begins to form a pattern. If they thought Dobbs was doing anything to their reputation, this will only further drag them down the rabbit hole.
They already suck – now they’ll suck AND have no credibility. Well done, CNN!
“…because it unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person.”
Just like they unnecessarily singled out and questioned the legality of Obama’s Presidency.
What does CNN have to gain out of this? Why would they protect people that profit off of other peoples misery by denying people coverage and upping their rates?
How typical of CNN. Since they backed out of running the Lou Dobbs ad by Media Matters, it’s clear that CNN is just another piece of garbage stinking up the airways. I’m curious as to whether faux news was also approached? I read that Dobbs’ rating have declined by 15%. I wonder what CNN’s ratings overall are like. I personally would never watch them again if I were a viewer. I only watch MSNBC’s The Ed Shultz show, Countdown, and The Rachel Maddow show. I’d advise you all to do the same!
They sure don’t mind accepting ads that single out an individual health care company or an ad that singles out a drug if the ads sing the praises of same.
No more CNN for me or anyone who cares about objectivity. There is none at CNN and that was what I used to respect about them.
Greg
I wonder if AUC might want to edit their ad to include like 4 more companies and their CEOs. It would seem that if they did that they would both send a stronger signal that this is the norm and not an exception in Cigna’s case AND they wouldn’t be singling out just one company or one person. Might want to ask them if they are considering it
Love It!!!! I wish they would name every insurance and pharma CEO with their salaries and bonuses listed and run the ads 24/7 on all channels. Maybe then some of these protestors would realize they are on the wrong side of the issue. It’s in their best interest to pass health care reform and they don’t see it because they believe all the BS talking points from conservatives funded by the big insurance companies. I’m going to donate again to Move On, AUC and OFA to keep the pressure on the insurance industry and help move legislation forward.
And it’s called “The Liberal Media”. Just Say’in!
CNN’s current terrible ratings indicate it has lost its core viewership. This news can only make the situation worse. The point has arrived where Jeffrey Toobin and Fareed Zakaria are the only two intelligent, authoritative voices on CNN. The departures of Aaron Brown and Miles O’Brien are proving to be the beginning of the end of CNN’s credibility as a reliable news source.
I love it too! But remember, we all know any revolutionary change must be preceded by a passive, affirmative, non-challenging attitude. Hopefully CNN and other networks will join the likes of the evil Fox in denying the common folks the truth as Obama says it. In the end, everyone must feel so frustrated, so defeated, so lost, so futureless in the prevailing healthcare/network systems that they are willing to turn off the TV and change the future. This essential to the succes of Obama’s nationalization of health care. I have another great idea, why don’t we all get off our butts and get out and spread the word as opposed to sitting at our computer blogging about our hatred for CEOs? We need to tell our neighbors and anyone else who will listen the lies that are being spread. Tell them the time has come to take back our RIGHTS. While your talking to them, tell them the best thing we can do is send every single person in the senate and house HOME. Tell them the best way to cure what ails is by FREE CHOICE and TORTE REFORM. I KNOW WHAT’S BEST FOR ME, and it’s not what some Presidentially appointed Chicago croney Health Care “Ispector General” telling me what I can and can’t have done to MY BODY. GET YOUR HANDS OUT OF MY HEALTH CARE.
CNN = Contains No News.
Cigna PAC 2010: $37,500 total = 69% to Democrats. Rangel ($2500), Sestak ($2500), Hoyer ($2500), Specter ($2000), Bayh ($3500), Dodd ($2000), Dorgan ($2000). Perhaps the Dems should stop taking their money if they are so eeeeevillll?
Regarding my previous post: I should have included Christiane Amanpour as another of CNN’s quality correespondents. But her appearances are so rare that she might as well be a part-time employee.
Have any of you ever had a thought of your own, or do you have to have someone tell you everything? The reality is CNN is losing viewership because they refuse to do what they are paid to do. REPORT THE NEWS. What a bunch of idiots you people are. Quit drinking the kool-aid. If you don’t, you’re going to be stuck with the medicine dictated by Obama. I just hope you don’t try to go to the ER at the U of Chicago if you don’t have gold-lined healthcare insurance. Wake up, people.
sbj: agree. Well said, Peter. Now we have the Most Untrustworthy News on TV. I know, I know: what about Fox? ” We don’t do news; we concentrate on the noose”.
The cruelty of corporatized news. All hail first amendment.
Do any of you know how much Obama made last year? Why aren’t you polarizing him? He’s rich. He received millions for his “memoirs”. In addition, he was taking tax payer money (in the form of a salary) as a senator although he was on the campaign trail the entire year. Why aren’t you complaining about that?
I’ve removed CNN from my gmail page so i won’t be reading their site anymore. I’ll be leaving sports illustrated behind as well. No sense is supporting this downward spiral.
“# Lee | August 5th, 2009 at 02:27 pm
Do any of you know how much Obama made last year? Why aren’t you polarizing him? He’s rich. He received millions for his “memoirs”. In addition, he was taking tax payer money (in the form of a salary) as a senator although he was on the campaign trail the entire year. Why aren’t you complaining about that?”
Because his profit margins don’t rely on turning down people who are sick.
That’s it for me! That did it. Lou Dobbs was bad enough, but now this? I won’t be watching CNN anymore….not even Anderson Cooper who I thought reported the news totally honestly and unbiased.
Also, son in law is a sports fanatic and I won’t be gifting SPORTS ILLUSTRATED to him anymore.
“Do any of you know how much Obama made last year? Why aren’t you polarizing him? He’s rich. He received millions for his “memoirs”. In addition, he was taking tax payer money (in the form of a salary) as a senator although he was on the campaign trail the entire year. Why aren’t you complaining about that?”
Blah blah blahitty blah blah he’s a terrorist! Blah blah blah blah blah he’s a Socialist! Blah blah blah blah blahitty blah he’s not even a citizen! Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah he can’t be president because He’s Black!
Disgusted as I am with CNN generally, I can’t disagree with their decision here. There are plenty of egregious things the health insurance companies and Republicans are doing to stifle debate. Focusing on Ed’s salary is unpersuasive and, yes, it does unfairly single out an individual unnecessarily. Who not do an ad that focuses on examples of insurance company abuses against patients?
Lee: We can all see through your bizarre logic. That stuff about taking salary on the campaign trail applies to all politicians equally. Not just one you don’t like.
I want to respond to Lee. Sorry pig but you are one of those right wing people that are upset because a Black Man is Pres. I wish all of you would go back to the south and leave everyone alone. As to CNN – I am upset because I use to like them. Now I find MSNBC the only worthy news station. Anderson Cooper was one of my favorites but I guess I have to stop watching.
Bye bye CNN. I was willing to let the Lou Dobbs thing pass. But now, refusing this add, they’ve lost all credibility in my mind. Hello MSNBC!
“That stuff about taking salary on the campaign trail applies to all politicians equally. Not just one you don’t like.”
Taxpayers paid for Commander CooCoo Bananas’ ‘04 campaign.
Did CNN have a problem airing any ad which had the CEO’s for the banks or any ad against the Auto industry. Just wondering.
Also Lee I guess you have a good insurance that you don’t pay for. Did you every ask how much Bush made he was a born with a sliver spoon in his mouth and was rich when he became president. And another question have you tried going to the ER right now. This article is about CNN not OBAMA
Hey Lee, did you ever show such concern about GW Bush and his misdeeds, even once? Never? I agree with Tena……blah, blah, blah!!! We have some serious problems in this country that I know affect you and it isn’t just taxes. If you once showed you cared about this country rather than protecting the rich white men, I might listen to something you had to say. But you never show anything but a desire for unimportant distraction. Come on, step up and show you care about this country! To everyone else, turn off you televisions. It is a narcotic and CNN is a complete disaster and has been for a long time now. They pitch entertainment, not news or journalism. This is nothing new!
Wait a minute! Isn’t Buchanan still on Maddow/MSNBC? Can’t watch that. Now CNN, too? That leaves … what? CNBC?
R.salkin: I think you miss the point. If a CEO takes in 12 million as slary plus extras then he should be asked how he makes that money; how much his company takes in premiums? how much his company turns down in claims. We have seen to many greedy people in the corporate world; and their greed is simply not acceptable.
No more CNN in this house…agreed that MSNBC has it all over them with Olbermann and Maddow
I like that, Contains No News = CNN. There’s no doubt that these stations, cable, NBC, CBS and ABC are mouthpieces for corporations and the rich. I’ve been thinking about Walter Cronkite and how there are very very few real journalists anymore. Everyone posing as an journalist/analyst has got their schtick, their “brand” and the sly innuendo in their tone of voice. Bringing down their advertising revenues and the number of viewers could help. Corporate News Network?
CNN has a propensity for mingling in military PSYOPS training for journalists in the past It is revealing for all to see, that when the cards are on the table, CNN is of, by, and for Corporate and only Corporate.
They are the model of the fallen Fourth Estate and should be summarily struck against whenever possible. The truth is just too painful to handle for CNN, proving they are unfit to present the news.
In case CNN didn’t get it: Corporatism is the enemy of any democracy. The tendency to flip fascist is just too great and too profitable to act fairly, I guess.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/preemption.html
As a recipient of two”socialized medicine” systems, the VA and Medicare, I can say without equivocation, “Give me socialized medicine any day. Before I turned 65, I paid literally tens of thousands in health insurance costs and I was usually enrolled in a supposedly less expensive HMO. My medical care was so so, but then I’ve always been athletic and healthy. But I got into the VA system for the lower costs meds and at 65, Medicare, and can choose my own physician. It’s the best, no doubt about it. So the fools who are against a public option are ******** themselves if they listen to the lies of the Insurance Industry. Eventually the whole country will come to its senses and extend Medicare to everyone. I’ll probably be dead by then, but I never thought things would get this far, so maybe there’s hope.
“Contains No News = CNN.”
Me too – but they haven’t contained any for years now – this ain’t new.
I already sent a note last week to CNN letting them know I was disgusted and that I won’t be watching their stations on TV, listining to them on the radio or going to their web site. After everything else, this does not surprise me.
I stopped watching CNN during the primaries because could see, even then, that they were turning into a Fox Simili. This makes me sure I made the right decision. What a bunch of nambie pambies. No wonder their ratings are in the toilet, especially after the Lou Dobbs situation.
I bet CNN would run the Hilary Hit Piece
I just turned CNN off and I won’t be turning it back on.
First “Faux news” now CNN. Apparently both believe that some individuals and/or groups are allowed to use their positions for self-serving purposes, but then claim that they should not be criticized. In this case, neither business, nor business leader, is to be criticized. The question for CNN is “Why?” Could it perhaps be that they have the same fundmental value of “money and those who have money” should be above criticism. Congratulations to both Fox and CNN for doing exactly what the press and other media did in NAZI Germany, regurgitating the “party line” in order to cover their own survival. Such is what happens when groups and/or individuals place their own selfish and self-serving interests ahead of the “greater good” in any society. Congratulations also to both networks for becoming the unofficial “censors” of what we should be permitted to hear.
“The question for CNN is “Why?” ”
In the corporate state, the media is the corporation is the media – or something like that.
I’ve already stopped watching CNN except for Larry King for my MJ updates.
Why not add in about ten more insurance execs stats into the ad content? Then what would be the excuse?
CNN just lost me, that’s it, last straw.
Lee, how ’bout staying on topic or do you broadcast your bigotry in every comment regardless of the subject matter…loser.
“Why not add in about ten more insurance execs stats into the ad content? Then what would be the excuse?”
I think that is the very best solution to it. Then let CNN come up with another excuse.
Every commercial singles out a specific company or person. So they back every ad they show? They must guarantee every product and politician they advertise then.
Including the Fox News Ads and the Insurance Companies!
Glad they were blocked from my TV’s on July 21st.
To Lee: He’s brave. He deserves. He has 400 percent more threats against his life than George W.
He’s very brave to risk. What do YOU risk for your country?
CNN is RAPIDLY turning into Fox. Perhaps the owners have the exact same interests.
They should just change the content of the commercial to say, “One CEO from one of the largest insurance companies that this network will not allow us to criticize…” and hit them simultaneously.
I stopped watching CNN when Lou Dobbs was exposed for hiring illegal Mexican immigrants while he was raving his Mexican immigrantion rants – what a hypocrite. I stopped watching Dick Cheney’s best friend, Wolf Blitzer, shortly after the Dobbs exposure, because Blitzer began his off-the-cuff sarcasitic comments regarding Senator Obama and the Democrats in general.
I left the GOP 5 years ago after over 40 years of support. I became uneasy with the Bush-Cheney adminstration, the actions of the Rubber Stamp GOP Congress who appeared to be moving us toward a Monarchist Religious State. Thank God the mid term elections of Bush last term eleminated the GOP control.
The same heart-felt personal convictions which motivated me to make a political move then are the same convictions (today) which lead me to believe that CNN and FOX are both Republican Propoganda networks. I only watch MSNBC for Shultz. Olberman and Maddow. Chris Matthews is still a Republican at heart and his support for the GOP comes out too often. O’Reilly, Limbaugh, Dobbs, Blitzer, Brown, Chuck Todd, David Gregory, Andrea Mitchell and Scarbourough are all too Republican biased to report objective facts.
First Lou Dobbs now this! So long CNN can’t say I’ll miss you…..well
This goes to show – “CNN is the New FOX!” or “CNN, FOX-Lite!”
….this is the last straw…i am done with CNN = Contains No News.
Come on CNN, would you rather they listed every health insurance executive instead to be fair? It was a dramatization to make a point, replace the Cigna CEO with any other and the same argument still applies.
CNN is just FOX lite – they are another example of phonies pretending to be mainstream while they are right wing from top to bottom – minus Jack Cafferty who is the only sane one on their air.
Gergen and Borgia are not bad either.
Isn’t it obvious? It’s not because CNN is becoming ‘right-wing’ leaning so to speak…it’s about advertising dollars.One ad from Americans United for Change vs. the insurance industry/drug companies that run ads hundreds of times per day. No doubt there were some threats from the insurance companies and drug companies to pull their adds if Americans United for Change made it on CNN airwaves.
Or…..CNN = Corporate Non News
Whatever their policy for naming directly people at fault in an ad, they still categorically refuse to run this ad. All the while they are running the ad with the old couple that is pro-insurance. I saw it last night at the gym during campbell brown. If it is a legit reason, fine. Otherwise, they are being a tiny bit biased allowing ads.
Now we know why Ted Turner regrets selling his creation, CNN In so far as my watching CNN; from now on, “include me out.”
CNN sucks, MSNBC rocks. Enough said.
Another company in the pocket of The Private Health Care industry.
Looks like the Chicken Noodle Network has come full circle, like a three ring circus!
CNN is now very closed to Fox news. They seems to be controlled by lobbies as well. With Fox news, CNN is in the front of this dishonesty war against President Obama and the health reform.
I also disagree with the posting above( Lazare St Gare who August 5th, 2009 at 02:17 pm). For me, Anderson Cooper and Jeffrey Toobin also are biased. Larry King has recently lost his integrity,honesty, and objectivity.
Jeffrey Toobin is just so arrogant and intellectually lazy that he couldn’t be objective. I couldn’t imagine that the same person criticized Justices Roberts and Alito whereas he isn’t philosophically different from them.
I would like to see ads that highlight exactly who is responsible in many areas … for example the Federal Reserve private bankers … who are they exactly … and big pharma … let’s get their names out there so we can know who is robbing us … the fact is that CNN is using our airways … our whole system is rigged to protect the criminals.
CNN = Conservative Nitwits News
Stop watching CNN – pass it on!
Who’s the bigot here? I don’t recall mentioning anything about color/race. I find it so amusing that liberals immediately turn to the race card. You don’t know what color I am, nor, if you were a GOOD little liberal, would you CARE. I could care less what color my president is. I’m just someone speaking my mind, which, until further notice, I’m allowed to do. In addition, you have no idea who I voted for. Why don’t you try an intelligent debate? Oh wait, you can’t. You obviously aren’t intelligent. If you were, you wouldn’t have to play your race card.
so why are they running ads sponsored by the man at the center of one of the largest healthcare scams in history.
We don’t have to accept fascism.
Picket and elucidate the complicit sponsors-particularly those with a monied interest in the Military-Industrial Complex.
It’s time to call fascism out.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/we_are_the_law.html
I used to work at CNN. The employees’ health insurance package was total ****, but that was a while ago. I somehow doubt it’s gotten better, because it’s a pretty cheap company, but the talent (on-air people) were well-paid.
Meanest, nastiest place I ever worked (especially the talent and the directors).
I’ve noticed for quite some time now that CNN in general seems to be hostile toward any real health care reform. It’s not always explicit; sometimes it’s all in the way they phrase seeminly innocuous statements about the health care reform effort to make people have doubts.
Maybe we ought to be suspicious of CNN polling too.
I’ve always been willing to let CNN off the hook for supporting that Lou Dobbs xenaphobe — UNTIL NOW! Because NOW I know they are just another carnival barker for the right wing — “Fox Lite”, if you will.
CNN=Complicit News Network.
Lee
Who are you talking to? We don’t know what color you are, who you voted for, nor do we care.
Your argument is illogical because the amount of money the CIGNA CEO relates directly to the upward spiral of health care costs. The amount of money made publishing books (by the president or anyone else) is not relevant to health care costs. Time for you to relax.
CNN is clearly jealous of Fox News and is hoping that if they get down in the gutter with them it might help their ratings.
I am no longer a CNN watcher. I just can’t take them serious anymore. If they aren’t even objective I can’t justify watching their coverage. CNN now really sucks.
The problem with reforming the health care system is not Socialism but Capitalism. The galactic profits made from a dysfunctional system are the new “robber barons” of today. Profiteering doesn’t just apply to warmongering like Blackwater, Halliburton and Cheney. It permeates every level of society.
Bring it on!
CNN and others will take all that lobbyist ad money on behalf of the big insurance cos., etc., though.
Health ins. companies and big pharma companies are mostly public companies.
List them all: names, salaries, bonuses and PROFITS.
Bombard the airwaves.
If average people cannot afford good health insurance, or any at all,hospitals are going bankrupt, why are the insurance companies floating in profits?
I have a good policy and all should have access to some degree.
There are some things that are just not commodities.
Just another example of the bias set in place by the corporations that now own the media. If CNN runs Dobbs and his racist rants with impunity then it is obvious that they deserve to loose their licensing. It is further obvious that they are not presenting the news with impartiality but advancing an agenda by the selection of what they present. I don’t think the founding fathers meant we could have free speech except when it bothers the powers the that be, especially when they are a corporation who owns the public airwaves and discussion forums. The first amendment was written so that we could speak against injustices and address the public to rectify injustices such as our present health care system.
So again, CNN = biased news and unfair reporting with a bit of racism a la Dobbs and unfair, biased advertising presentation practices.
Will someone please tell me what Ed Hanway does that is worth $32,876 a day? $12 mil a year? Or how about the clown that runs Goldmann Sachs? He makes $50 mil a year or $136,986 per day. We Americans have lost sight of perspective and sense of value. These salaries are nuts.
Obviously they give money to CNN. All channels are regulated by the companies that advertise on them. If Cigna didn’t like Lou Dobbs, he’d be gone by now.
I know some of you guys with think my statement isn’t true, but you’re wrong!
Good-bye CNN.
From a long time watcher, listining to Wolf Biltzer describing the first bombing of Bagdad in 1991 ( pulled my car off the road to listen to your vivid description) I’ve lost total respect in your ability, and CNN’s,to separate corporate needs, sponsers, and paid lobbyists from the news. Goodbye from this extended family.We move to MSNBC
Memo to Christianne Amanpour and Anderson Cooper:
If you value your integrity (and respect your viewers) you will do everything you can to get out of your contracts with CNN and move your programs to a location where First Amendment principles are honored rather than subverted.
Yet another thing to blame on direct-to-consumer drug advertising. The political bias of mainstream media is a given, since they are corporate-owned. How much do you suppose CNN makes on running ads for drugs to treat “chronic dry eye” and “overactive bladder,” which many doctors claim do not qualify as medical conditions? You can be sure it’s more than they’d make running anti-insurance ads from non-profit advocacy groups.
Lee, face it, there are no repubs or those in the insurance/health care industry that wants health care reform. True reform would provide health care for all without the insane salaries and golden parachutes. The AMA damn sure doesn’t want it as it would cut into their insane salaries as well. There is no logical reason for not wanting to reform an industry that is totally out of control that allows for many to suffer and die slow deaths. You sound like a rushaholic, no one is more stupid and mean hearted as that little sissy girly boy druggie.
Here’s a fun drinking game. Take a sip every time Wolf Blitzer lays claim to “the best political news team on TV” or a CNN reporter misuses the word “literally.” When you sober up ask yourself, “Can CNN really afford to turn away any advertisers?” God knows they’re turning away enough viewers.
CNN has a history of kowtowing to corporate interests. When filming a story with a CNN consumer reporter in September 2007 concerning the Simplicity crib recall, CNN killed the story in the middle of filming after receiving a call from Simplicity’s attorney who had caught wind of the story. No hesitation, no questions. Sheer obedience to its corporate masters. That’s CNN.
I am finished with CNN as well. I used to watch durint the morning before “Ed” on MSNBC, but now I won’t turn them on at all. I really enjoyed Anderson Cooper but now he’s no longer watchable. Shame on you CNN. You are cutting off your nose to spite your face. I’m sad – I enjoyed some of your programs but not anymore. Please have a change of heart and start reporting the news no matter who it favors or not so that I can enjoy watching you again
I think CNN is about to go the way of Fox News. I seriously do. Listen, all these people care about is ratings. Period. Fox has a lot of passionate morons that are too lazy to learn for themselves so they love the fear mongering and b.s. CNN desperately wants a piece of this. They don’t care about facts or truth they only care about $$$$. If Fox-style reporting is where the money is, they will go there.
Watch. They will be Fox-lite within 6-9 months and competing directly with Fox before the 2010 elections.
I normally watch CNN International because I live in the Gulf. Something which many of you here in the US don’t know is that CNN’s international unit broadcasts stories that often are diametrically opposed to what the domestic arm chooses to show the sheeple. Not more than a week ago in Oman, where I live, I saw a CNNI panel discussion about how the US insurance industry is trying to stack the deck against health care reform. Virtually everyone at the table was appalled at how wrong it is. CNNI may as well be a completely independent entity, so different is it from its domestich “sister network.”
Ship of Fools, Network of Tools
“Regarding my previous post: I should have included Christiane Amanpour as another of CNN’s quality correespondents. But her appearances are so rare that she might as well be a part-time employee.”
She is on CNN’s international version all the time. In fact, CNN international is excellent. It’s everything that CNN claims to be but isn’t.
CNN is the beneficiary of corporate sponsorship. Its coverage of HCR has been overwhelmingly negative, as well as its coverage of the President himself, in addition, to Lou Dobbs. It become too clear the network is trending conservative, which is unfortunate for a network that claims to take the middle ground. I am done with CNN.
they had no problem airing …obama pals around with terrorist ads ….this station is officially blocked .
never watching these hacks ever again.boycott them …they are useless and have become a propaganda shop.
Does anyone know, or know how to find out, whether CNN ran any of the Swift Boat ads against John Kerry?
And to the person who pointed out to Lee that no one was talking about money that Obama made because he wasn’t profiting by denying benefits to sick people – BRAVO!
Lee said: Who’s the bigot here? I don’t recall mentioning anything about color/race. I find it so amusing that liberals immediately turn to the race card. You don’t know what color I am, nor, if you were a GOOD little liberal, would you CARE. I could care less what color my president is. I’m just someone speaking my mind, which, until further notice, I’m allowed to do. In addition, you have no idea who I voted for. Why don’t you try an intelligent debate? Oh wait, you can’t. You obviously aren’t intelligent. If you were, you wouldn’t have to play your race card.
Jesus was a liberal. You use it like it is a dirty word. Afterall, he rose again to a *****.
The reason CNN may not want this ad…Every other commercial is a pill ad…go to your doctor today and get this!
“I’ve already stopped watching CNN except for Larry King for my MJ updates.”
LOL! Ditto, Elizabeth. Ditto.
Jesus was a liberal. You use it like it is a dirty word. Afterall, he rose again to a prostitute (this site censored wh#re).
The reason CNN may not want this ad…Every other commercial is a pill ad…go to your doctor today and get this!
CNN does not mind airing Rick Scott’s commercials or on as a Health Care Expert!
Expert? Expert at what?
Fraud?
Richard Scott, “the former chief executive of HCA Inc,” had formed the non-profit organization Conservatives for Patients’ Rights as part of a “lobbying campaign to derail or modify” President Obama’s health care proposals, but failed to note that Scott resigned from HCA in 1997 amid a federal investigation into the company’s Medicare billing, physician recruiting, and home-care practices. HCA eventually pleaded guilty to fraud charges and paid approximately $1.7 billion in fines and penalties.
THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2003; http://WWW.USDOJ.GOV;
HCA Inc. (formerly known as Columbia/HCA and HCA – The Healthcare Company)
LARGEST HEALTH CARE FRAUD CASE IN U.S. HISTORY SETTLED; HCA INVESTIGATION NETS RECORD TOTAL OF $1.7 BILLION
Note: Hospital Corporation of America (HCA) was acquired by Columbia in 1994.
Do you really think this guy ended his fraudulent behavior?
No one has paid any attention to where or what he has done since he wss terminated in 1997.
No one has paid any attention to his massive fraud beyond the HCA Fraud!
Why does this surprise anyone. Commercial channels are bought and paid for. They are supporters of the corporate drug, insurance and health care industry that makes huge profits from keeping things just as they are.
Why is anyone still watching CNN anyways? The only thing worth a **** on that station is the International division – the US division is full of a bunch of opinionated hypocrites without the first notion of what journalism entails.
So I guess we won’t be seeing another ad that attacks the person Obama right CNN?
In 1997, Rick Scott was terminated by Darla Moore. As part of Richard Scott’s severance package from Columbia he was paid $5.13 million and given a five year consulting contract at $950,000 per year.
1997 + 5 = 2002
In 2002 FBI raided the offices of National Century Financial Enterprises in Dublin, Ohio
“This case is one of the largest corporate fraud investigations involving a privately held company headquartered in small town America,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser of the FBI Criminal Investigative Division.
In October 2008- Leo Wise, now at the OCE —stated “Ladies and gentlemen, this is a case of staggering fraud,” ‘It is one of the largest frauds the FBI has ever investigated.
Guess where ALL of Richard Scott’s & Richard Rainwater’s Columbia/ HCA and certain subsidiaries and joint ventures were?
National Century Financial Enterprises, Inc.! (NCFE).
One prosecutor stated ‘…’NCFE- the largest corporate fraud investigations involving a privately held company and no one has ever heard of.’
NO ONE HAS EVER HEARD OF? (The largest corporate fraud investigation…)
Why is that?
Richard Rainwater was GW Bush’s ex- partner with the Rangers.
October 2008, Leo Wise now at the OCE office prosecuted the CEO and co-founder of National Century Financial Enterprises – CEO Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison
12 Executives/co-Founders already found guilty-
December 18, 2008, almost one month before GW Bush leaves office- the last person to stand trial, the ONE and ONLY acquittal- James K Happ!
Jurors stated ‘PROSECUTOR DID NOT DO HIS JOB’-
Prosecutors’ case fell short juror says-National Century fraud case produces 1st and only acquittal The “not guilty” verdicts that came in federal court yesterday were not so much a vindication of the last National Century Financial Enterprises executive to stand trial, a juror said.
Instead, they were more a belief that federal prosecutors had not done their job, …
“He very well may have been guilty. A lot of us thought he was,” said the juror who wouldn’t give his name…
While Richard Scott was at Columbia in 1997 – James K Happ was CFO of Columbia Homecare Group, Inc.
James K Happ, only acquittal at National Century Financial Enterprises, Inc‘s who just so happened to be the CFO of Columbia Homecare Group.
Leo Wise now at the OCE what happened? Jurors stated ‘PROSECUTOR DID NOT DO HIS JOB’-
Rick Scott is on CNN as Health Care Expert!
Really CNN?
SBJ: I think you just proved a point you DIDN’T want to prove. When you to OpenSecrets.org and type in Cigna, you come up with 100’s of 1000’s of $$ to the RNC & R’s. And then—in 1996!– there’s $700 to the DNC!!!
Now, flash forward to 2009, the threat of a finally-successful push to force insurance companies to compete, to do their jobs (insure people, well & sick, and stop the greed and “profits before people”)
IF YOU ALREADY OWN THE REPUBLICANS, AND THEY’RE ALREADY SWORN TO FIGHT AGAINST THIS AT ALL COSTS, and it’s only the BLUE DOG democrats that you can possibly persuade to “slow” (stop) this thing, that’s to whom you would be contributing for NEXT year’s(2010)race…NOT the ones you already OWN!!
and when you look at Hanway’s own personal giving, once you correct the figures (at newsmeat.com) for arlen spector, who was a republican at the time monies were given to him but shows up here as a dem as far back as 2003 (which certainly skews it unfairly) he contributes 87% to GOP’s!
I think that by bringing up that for the first time the insurance cabal is contributing to conservative democrats (who are simultaneously getting pounded by angry mobs of lies-fueled ‘birthers’ and other nuts) I think you’re only proving how effectively the Big 8 ins co’s have already bought off the GOP.
So, indeed, for the very first time, as it is more normal for CIGNA to give 7 or 8 to 1 to GOP’s over dem’s……..they are trying to corrupt the vulnerable, Blue Dogs with their money and people like you contort and carry the mis-information for them.
Thanks for doing the legwork, SBJ!
I have emailed CNN that I and my family will no longer be viewing CNN – due both to the instigation of “birthers” by Lou Dobbs and CNN’s decline to run the ad against the head of Cigna, Cigna and health insurance companies, though it’s okay with them to single out Obama.
CNN lost me at Lou Dobbs.
I’ll miss Christina A. and Fareed Zakaria.
Come to MSNBC.
Typical sellout! The media certainly doesn’t mind interviewing all the right wing republicans while
they spin their web of lies and suck up to special interest groups, but refuses to tell the truth about the health care reform issue. They’re becoming a clone of FOX News.
What is happening to CNN? Guess we will make MSNBC our ONLY cable news.
Stopped watching when they fired Aaron Brown for Anderson Cooper. For alternatives, watch PBS (The News Hour), or on cable, BBC America.
That’s it for me. I’m moving to MSNBC. Keith and Rachel tell it like it is.
I want to thank CNN for not running the ad. I would like to see Broadcasters present the information and allow/trust the public to make their own decisions. Too often journalists are becoming mouth pieces for the left or right, and I am weary with the News Media trying to sway me as violently as the politicians do.
Thank you for taking this unpopular position.
I have a few friends, who have already ceased watching CNN for various reasons. I am incline to believe…I may very well be following suit (especially since this “Dobbs & Birthers” business. I am Not as impressed with their reporting as I once was.
The phone number for CNN is 404-827-2600. Give them a call.
It makes sense if your CNN, they say they are unbiased and don’t want to look like they are favoring a side or agenda. And why the hate for them not running the Lou Dobbs ad…of course they arn’t going to run it, it works there! So stop complaining. Though I don’t like Lou, CNN isn’t going to run a negative ad about their correspondants. Dumb article and dumb complaints. Its common sense…$$$.
Is Cigna the benefits provider for CNN and/or Time Warner?
no mas, CNN. Your not the best political team in television. no way, ho how.
Well, I stopped watching Lou Dobbs a while back when he kept ranting and raving about Hispanics. I guess now, I will just tune out CNN altogther and just watch MSNBC.
So tell us Lee, what color are you, who did you vote for? You wanted an intelligent debate? Then why did you post what you did on a story about CNN? It’s not an intelligent conversation you were looking for it was political baiting you wanted. I would love to hear how you love having a black man for president. That would be an interesting discussion. Why don’t you begin…..
Thank you CNN for being judicious about the ads they accept and for not allowing their adv dept to interfere with viewers who care about news, not yellow journalism.
One question CNN: Is what the ad says a lie? Answer: No! So why is it unfair to report this information to the public?
The ad does what CNN should be doing. Which is ask all those anti public option politicians, how do you expect anyone to take what you say as your opinion when you people are taking millions from the health care industry. It;s like you shouyld take yourself out of voting due to conflict of interest. When will I hear that on CNN? Never, because it won’t happen and if it did I would not see it, I have quite CNN.
There’s rarely anything worth watching on CNN anymore anyway. Just Fareed Zakaria’s show on Sunday and anything Christiane Amanpour or Jeffrey Toobin does. It won’t be difficult to stop watching them–in fact, I kind of already have.
Cut the name and and replace with “fatcats”. Then get that add running. The public needs to know who the “bad guys” are. Right now we have insurance companies running our health care system. Those insurance companies are doing everything they claim a government public option would do. Rationed health care? What do you think denied health insurance is. And no, I don’t trust the insurance companies to self regulate their greed and corruption from the inside. Despite the fact that the republican’s and fringe nuts do.
Why do insurance companies and Republicans want to kill health insurance reform? Because they like things the way they are now,” “Insurance fatcats make an annual salary of over $12 million and golden parachute retirement package of over $70 million.”
I’ve been watching CNN for years and years. It’s over. From Lou Dobbs to ad censorship, the “trusted” network is no longer to be trusted. For news and fairness: PBS. For features and opinion: MSNBC.
It’s amazing that there is anyone on the face of the earth that considers MSNBC to be objective news! Olberman???? ROTFLMAO!!!
CNN whooo? deleted them from fav on computer and refuse to watch any more. Again CNN who?
Gone are the days when Ted Turner ran CNN. Remember when you turned to CNN to actually watch news? Unlike present CNN management, he was no wimp, and he didn’t air the garbage now found on CNN (are you listening Mr. Dobbs?). No doubt the ad lambasting the health insurance mafia would have been aired if Turner was still in charge.
cnn is protecting it’s ad revenue potential from the health insurance industry (and probably lots of other corporate advertisers who would be upset with anti-corporate ads)
I think obvious is correct. It comes down to dollars and cents. CNN is losing viewership, for other obvious reasons and they probably cannot afford to lose insurance company ad spots. It’s okay, in business I do believe in looking out for number one. However, I work in the healthcare provider field,and I KNOW hospitals are going bankrupt, Healthcare should not be an industry in which CEO’s can retire with a $73 million dollar package.$73 million dollars??? Are you kidding me? almost a third of my paycheck goes to pay “my” share of the healthcare premium paid each month. Businesses, and working peolple are contributing to this one man making $73 million dollars. It’s beyond belief that they are getting away with such a travesty, because real stupid people don’t like a black man being president,and just plain stupid people are mad because they lost an election. Iam scared for this country. At this rate the USA won’t have much of an immigration problem in its’ future. So Lou Dobbs can relax.
In a way, CNN is right! This is not an appropriate ad. This information should be provided to the general public for free!
Maddow is without a doubt the best reporter of facts. She is insanely intelligent and knows exactly which questions to ask and how to frame them. She is well educated about her subjects in an interview.
Jon Stewart is another well informaed reporter of facts in his own twisted way and extremely well informed about his guests.
I also remember listening to Blitzer in awe during the 1st Gulf War as he and his partner (can’t remember his name) hunkered down and you could hear the Scuds coming in.
Now, and for quite a few years, I have lost all respect for him. I haven’t watched CNN for years and he’s one of the reasons why.
Mostly I go to MSNBC for my news if something’s breaking, but still don’t like a lot of their on air personalities,Scarborough, Buchanan, Mitchell, Matthews are generally unwatchable..
Strange, but I kinda like Shepard Smith from Faux. Only one I can tolerate for a few minutes.
stevenjaym | August 5th, 2009 at 05:43 pm
In a way, CNN is right! This is not an appropriate ad. This information should be provided to the general public for free!
You are so right!!!
Hanway acted politically first, as he had Cigna hire lobbyists to exert political influence over members of Congress. CNN’s policy needs to be examined by the FCC.
The insurance companies and the republicans are trying to strip consumer protections out of the health bill with all their might. They want remove the consumer protection law that would stop them from denial of health insurance due to pre-existing conditions.In short, they want rationed health care. The health bill will put a stop to rationed health care. The public option will reject no American. If the public option is run like the veterans health care then the American public will be in pretty darn good hands.
The Daily Show as a legit news source???
This is a travesty that CNN now censors opinions and ads that might hurt their pockets. WHY? Do they not want health care reform? Does this prove the big money runs the US – we are dreaming if we still think that as citizens we run the country. I will definitely get my news from MSNBC who is not afraid of hurting CEO’s
I’ll make sure they lose me as a viewer! Something’s fishy here! Something stinks!
Public option = death of private insurance = just another government power grab by the Obamanator.
I feel vindicated in my own small world!.The majority of the people who have commented on CNN refusal to air the Health ad are correct..since primary election CNN has become FOX junior in anti Obama. ALL Republicans, conservatives and Right wing nuts are always guests at CNN. Anybody who is anti Obama administration and policies get interviewed at CNN. Take alook at CNN website political ticker all headlines about Obama and his administration is negative!. The following CNN reporters : King, Wolf, Ed Henry, C. brown, Lou Dobs and the morning show with John Roberts are all negative against the president specifically the health care debate! See for youelves..
CNN sure has gone down the drain. There was a time I respected them. Remember Bernie Shaw? Now they’re basically just another right wing propaganda outfit.
Any time CNN’s name comes up, I spread that message. The Nancy Grace network sucks ***.
THERE IS NO RIGHT TO LIFE
WITHOUT THE RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE
As a longtime CNN viewer, it has become increasingly evident, particularly in the last ratings quarter, that CNN has been inching towards the right, sometimes subtly, sometimes not. The twinkly bright lights of Fox ratings seem to have initiated a gradual turn to the right, which will no doubt turn to a hard right if resultant ratings are boosted.
When is “democracy coming to the U.S.A?” Watch PBS news or BBC. Read the New York Times on-line or other reputable web sources.
So stop whining and CHANGE THE AD COPY. Do you want to get health reform DONE, or do you want to waste our precious time complaining that CNN isn’t going to change its policy for you? This is why Democrats didn’t make it happen in the first place, and why it doesn’t look like we’re going to see it happen now – because we aren’t PRAGMATIC. TWEAK THE COPY, stop pillorying THE BIG BAD INSURANCE GUY, put some REAL INFORMATION out there and actually MAKE IT HAPPEN. The story is compelling enough without getting all Goebbels on it.
Why is it that the people who most want change, who are actually working for it, also have the greatest capacity to allow petty distractions to stop that change from happening? It’s unbelievable.
hey cnn, i use to think u were a fair and honest media, not anymore, U want to pacify the insurance companies, instead of reporting truth, byby cnn, im going to msnbc where they arent afraid to show the truth
I doubt that anyone at CNN or Turner is bothering to read this,so, I’ll just let off steam. I’ve been a faithful viewer of CNN for years, but, Lou Dobbs took me to the edge when he lost it over immigration. This Insurance Industry protection, for whatever reason, ends my time with CNN. I will move to MSMBC. And, for the record, I have written to both of my Senators and my Congressman (Warner/Webb and Moran) and told them that I fully support Health Insurance Reform with a Public Option without Triggers. It’s time, it’s past time! Harry Truman proposed reforming Health Insurance Coverage..and, I think Congress has had more than enough time to debate the issue. They all need to forget how much money they receive from the Health Insurance Industry and from the Pharmacudicals and do what is right for every citizen of the United States.
I’m very left of center and I didn’t like this ad at all. Of course it’s true re: outlandish CEO compensations but the ad seems too superficial and is off-putting. The ad couldn’t talk about who that CEO donates to politically, I noticed, because I guarantee you he gives money to the Democratic party or Dem candidates as well. The American people know that both parties are full of ****. As far as I can see, insurance companies could make more money by covering more people, why not make that clear to them? I think drug companies are smart enough to have realized this probability. Pharma is apparently at the bargaining table and seems to be for Obama’s plan. These ads need to be more positive because there’s plenty of positive things about the plan even (hate to say it) without a government option. President Obama has shown himself incredibly presidential in a multitude of ways and if the economy continues to turn around in the next month or so, he will get the whole thing, including a government option. And that would be a great thing. These ads need to do their own version of accentuate the positive. Address how much denial of care there is with insurance companies to counter the canard about govt. denying care, for sure, but do it without overly demonizing i.e. the uncomfortable caricature kind of way as in this ad with the insurance CEO. The arguments for reform blow the arguments against completely out of the water.
well if u really feel that way nick blak, then do the right thing, get ppl together and show up at townhalls in ur distract or state and let the nosayers know, we arent taking it anymore from the repukes, dont wait for the media to do it for u, u do it
Gary wrote “You sound like a rushaholic, no one is more stupid and mean hearted as that little sissy girly boy druggie.”
Please do not demean women by comparing us to Rush Limbaugh.
And to David Blaine: Mary Magdalene was not a “*****,” that is a lie perpetrated by the catholic church.
Overall, as an RN who has been in healthcare for 30 years, I can say that insurance companies, physicians, and the American people themselves, are the biggest roadblocks to healthcare reform. The healthcare system in France, largely regarded as socialized medicine, is one of the best in the world. The truth needs to be told, but CNN is not going to be the venue. Even airing ads on MSNBC will not be effective, as the audience is likely to be those who already agree that reform is needed. Can we look to Canada or other nations with successful healthcare programs as examples? How did they get where they are today?
CNN lost its credibility when it became a cheerleader for Bush’s Arabian Adverntures. And why should anyone be surprised they are protective of their corporate masters. To take any issue no matter how ridiculous and present 2 sides as if they are equals is not objective, fair or balanced. If you want quality journalism these days you have to go to the blogs (huffington, politico) or overseas (Guardian, Times, Independent), Canadian or BBC TV if you can get them. US Television news is pure commercial entertainment nothing more.
Ted Turner must be beyond disgust.
Email CNN now. They have been running ads from Rick Scott’s “Conservatives for Patients Rights”, which have been Swiftboating health care reform.
I have emailed CNN a few times about how the Republicans are lying about these reform bills. They have already watered it down and delayed it so much that it’s very iffy whether progressive Democrats can support it at all.
We would much prefer a single payer system, after all, and have compromised more than anyone else to get “something” passed.
Yes Evan, I trust Jon Stewart as a legitimate news source. Fortunately his reporting is laced with wit and humor, otherwise I don’t think I could take the storylines that come across his desk every day. And I’m so glad that you are rising up in defense of the poor health insurance companies. So many Americans are so deluded that they too might someday be one of the financial elite, and are willing to shoot themselves in the foot over and over in defense of that dream. Keep following that carrot Evan, I’m sure the cliff it eventually leads to will be safeguarded by the oh so caring health industrial complex. Of course, they’ll deny your claim due to your pre-existing condition of wingnuttery.
When we complain about lack of news coverage or journalistic integrity or the underreported numbers of a mass anti-war protest, we never say: “Let’s organize rallies outside of these “news” stations and park our butts there until they are forced to cover why we are there.” It’s the “news” outlets that must be protested. Imagine trying to get into a building at these corporate kennels having to swim throuh a choppy sea of angry viewers. Just sayin.
Dramatize? What about analyze?
um, pay attention people (americans)
That is abuse of the public airways/ internet. They don’t OWN the lines. You can strip the licence from them and take em off the air for this kind abuse. READ and LEARN
Can anyone explain to me why health care is a “For Profit Industry” Should peoples care and choices be subject to the whims of accountants and shareholders? For the same reason you don’t pay sales tax on groceries, you shouldn’t make a profit on peoples health care.
It seems really simple to me, but no one is asking this question, why is that?
It’s not a matter of whose name is or isn’t mentioned. It’s a matter of whether or the the information in the ad is true and accurate. Did CNN refuse to run the swift boat ads in 2004? Do they allow Lou Dobbs to question Obama’s birth certificate? Do they give voice to crazy, lie-spewing sacks of **** like their former employee Glenn Beck? CNN … “The Most Disgusting Name in News”
I wonder what Ted Turner would have to say about this. Too bad he’s not still around.
Insist that your cable company supplies the BBC’s equivalent of CNN — it is not the same as “the BBC in America” but the world wide news station —- it is fantastic. —- You might all want to gag, but the Al Jazeera full time news program gives a view of what the majority of the world sees, hears and believes too……… the more we can tune out what our corporation Bought-and-Paid-for media and Congress dish like pap, the better. Go on line and read “The Asia Times” too; it is about the best and most unbiassed news there is, but test only. (I have no connection with any of them, but I read/listen to/and watch them!)
You want news,real news reporting, objectivity,impartiality,no bias,all the angles,these are the facts,formulate your own opinions…watch BBC AMERICA.
A good ad would name a few more of the SOBs and compare their fat cat salaries and bonuses to the ones of the Wall Street Bailed out CEO’s who ruined our economy while the insurance racket is ruining our health.
As a Canadian, who watches CNN for up-to-the-minute news, I have seen them slant more and more to the right. They seem to have to problems running ads talking about socialist in Canada and our terrible health care … ads that I might add are totally untrue. My father, an American (with Canadian citizenship) living in Florida, would come to Canada whenever he needed treatment.
CNN seems to find reasons to air more of the Republican’s slant on things while ignoring the real facts. Makes one go hmmmmmmmmm …. Trusted news??? Not anymore!
CNN continues it’s downhill slide.
What happened?
they have a lot of work to do if they want to make a comeback as a credible news organization
the last viewers just left the building.
Gosh, I’m gonna miss Anderson but ever since it became the Michael Jackson status ad nausum 24/7 for a month, I’ve lost my desire to watch what was once my favorite news station. This latest news just seals the deal. MSNBC’s got a better web site too. Bye, bye, CNN — it was fun while it lasted.
maybe it’s good that they go For some Fox share.
i don’t care. I don’t watch either one .
As annoying as CNN’s decision is, it’s theirs to make. And to be fair, the ad is poorly constructed. It just kind of tosses around Ed Hamway’s salary without making any sort of connection to reform. I won’t even mention the lame graphics.
Carol, I’m curious–what in this ad do you consider NOT “present(ing) the information? Are there any lies about how much money this guy is getting? H-m-m? Plus, it’s an AD, not some broadcasters unsubstantiated opinion. Everytime I hear someone say they “just want the information,” they almost invariably mean that they DON’T want any information that shows what liars and crooks the Republicans and corporate leaders are.
I have found CNN to be tedious these days. They get hold of a topic and endlessly babble about it–Michael Jackson, nightly, for example, and to the exclusion of the news.Dobbs : well , no need to say anything about him. The ad? Why does one comment merely point out the bad quality of the way the ad is made rather than the fact that CNN will not run it. There are any number of bad ads that get run on any number of stations. Cigna was exposed by a top level executive in a video in which he revealed how his company screwed over those in need of health care. And yet ad can not be run?
As for congressmen taking special interest money: that is legal. The question becomes will Lieberman vote for or against health care since insurance funds his campagins and his wife is major lobbyist for pharm industry. Will Dodd support or vote against Obama on health etc.
CNN and other stations a different issue that lobby money and congress.
Every time, I hear and ad on CNN, saying; Nancy Pelosi Democrats, or Harry Ried, or Obamacare, I will remember why, I BOYCOTT all advertisers and even product produced with other businesses names on it.
A complete BOYCOTT
The thing that neither the right nor the left, especially the current administration, are willing to do is to aknowledge that the INSURANCE INDUSTRY is the the problem with health care in America and not the solution. I am not with the Republicans but I too want to see the current proposals from congress go down in flames because they deserve to. Lets get some real leadership! An eveloutionary gradual change in the system that adapts universal but not comprehensive coverage is what is needed. The economy cannot support every health care option for every person whether they need it or not. There is nothing un-American about being expected to pay for what you get. That is the way it was in the 1940’s thru the early 1960’s when no one except those working for the government had health insurance. Personally my health care was very good and affordable at that time and there was no national crisis. My father was a factory worker and my mother stayed at home. We had a very good doctor and he was affordable and we paid him for broken arms and hospitalization for burst appendix and could afford to pay in monthly installments directly to the Doctor which he accepted. The relative cost compared to my fathers wages was approximately the same as it is for me today for my insurance and deductables alone. The difference being what the insurance co’s get. The personal care was better then as well. I suggest a Federal sales tax starting at something low like 2 percent, pick a number, that pays directly to the providers for the most fundamental and needed care universally. If the government is able to make that work in competition with the insurance industry then the public would be willing to authorize an increase in the sales tax and expand the coverage. Eventually a value for money equlibrium would be met prices would be controlled and the mose effective hybrid system could evolve. The most important aspect of such a system is that every one would pay for what they get and not expect to force their obligation onto someone else. That is why a sales tax of some kind is necessary because it would not expand beyond bound but only to the extent that everyone would be willing to pay, which should be proportional to the value of services received. The obvious objection to this is that it would be harder on some people than others, but that is precisely why it could work and benefit everyone. In this case it is wise to throw the idea of progressive tax out the window in order to get anywhere. This is the ultimate source of partison bickering and may well doom much needed reform if people don’t wake up. Just a thought
And now we reap the consequences of allowing media ownership to be concentrated in the hands of a few large companies who use their public airwaves to enrich themselves at the expense of first amendment freedom.
Don’t want to irritate those drug companies, those insurers, those hospital chains who place so many ads, pay such fat salaries to the corporate bosses.
Thank you, deregulators, for thinking that media oligopoly is good, public debate is bad
Soon Fox is going to look like left-wing media compared to CNN.
Whew, don’t worry about anything anymore people. An asteroid the size of Texas has just penetrated our atmosphere. All 6.5 billion people will be dead soon and mankind will be exterminated. How’s that for wiping the slate clean and starting over. Now go out a do what the f… you want.
What if Americans United for Change put a “CENSORED” tag on the part that CNN objects to, then see what excuse CNN uses to not run it. Might get more eyes seeing the ad than if they had just simply run in the first place.
How dare CNN not run government propaganda ads!!! I think our buddy Chavez has the right idea when it comes to this “problem!”
Write to the FCC. CNN forgets they are using the pulbicly owned airwaves. They should lose their license to broadcast. Tell everyone you know about this abuse of their license.
I usually watch MSNBC(except morning Joe) and watch CNN in the mornings but lately I’ve noticed a bias. They were always in the middle which I liked but now they are becomming like Fox. I’ll stick with MSNBC
CNN would much rather tell you about ALL the polls they take. meaningless, stupid uninformative polls! Show the ad, I might learn something I didn’t know before.
And Lee……. as you said, President Obama EARNED his money. Key word there. He didn’t inherit it, no one gave it to him. He earned it. enough said.
Wow. Who runs CNN? I’m disgusted. They are right there with Fox for me.
No more CNN for me. I’ve always watched PBS, MSNBC, and CNN. I just crossed them off my list.
If we are going to run ads detailing the compensation of corporate CEOs can we, in the interest of fairness, run ads detailing how Senators, Congressmen/women Labor Leaders and former Presidents/Vice Presidents have cashed in on their positions to bank millions?
Pointing out the excesses of corporate America while ignoring how our politicians and labor leaders our robbing us blind is just what they want. American politics is all about misdirection. They want you to watch their frantically waving right hand so you ignore what the left hand is doing.
I think you liberal loons are missing the main reason why CNN and MSNBC are so low in the ratings and losing viewers.
lol… this thread is cracking me up and making me so happy to be a conservative!! OBAMA SUCKS!
It’s because they do not report new!!! THey report left wing slanted news only and , I hate to inform you , but people are getting turned off by Obama and his radical agenda and are waking up!!!! If you think MSNBC is fair, you are coo coo for cocoa puffs my friends.. The liberal media is going to have to “change” their ways and start reporting fair and balanced news or else you wierdos will have notta to watch
CNN reflects the profound hypocrisy of the American corporate media which misses no chance to criticize others (e.g., Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales) for their “disdain for the freedom of the press” yet are silent (doubly silent) when it comes to their own ballpark…what a network you are CNN! (Corporatist Nationalsocialistic Network)
cnn should stop running ads featuring chris prentiss hawking his snake oil tomb on addiction “cures.” this man is dangerous without any empirical evidence to back up his claims. this is an ad that should be pulled because it is fradulent to the public and preys on the vulnerabilties of the sick and addicted.
Here is a REAL problem most of you don’t realize… one of the biggest purchasers of syndicated news (ie. CNN) is AFN… that is Armed Forces Network! They are pounding these right wingnut channels and shows to the worldwide AFN that is in every country, except the US and is the only American speaking network. They dominated the AFN airwaves during Bush/Cheney supremacy… I sat in Japan in 06/07 and disgustly watched it. And I’ll betcha you wonder why the military hated Obama and the democrats?
This is more sheer right wing neo-con evangalistic greed and they are identical to the uprising Nazi power in 1941. I mean, look at every southern state. It is pure GOP. And you can’t talk to them. They are so brainwashed (just like Lee is on here).
I stopped watching CNN back after the Gulf War and seen how phoney they are. I pay absolutely no attention and give zero credit to any of their news or polls. As we all agree, FOX is the same… but I am in fear that the greedy corporate will be taking over the other netowrks soon. PBS is an option, but they can’t get the billions support like the rest. The FCC needs to step in and tear these profit making news channels apart. Congress needs to enact legislation to do the same. Otherwise… here we go again.. 1941!
CNN is in a death spiral:
Far too many of CNN’s anchors and reporters are sycophants to suit liberals and other literates.
Far too few of CNN’s anchors and reporters are as rabidly racist as Dobbs to suit Republicans and other Dittoheads.
Having trashed what little remains of its credibility, CNN now cannot even attract moderates with a taste for pablum.
How painful it must be for Ted Turner to see his once great news organization reduced to an unending corporate commercial.
CNN Constant Non-News. Should we really be suprised, The reporters are as mouthy and egotistical as Fox’s minus the brainwashed audience. They used to be leaders now they’re just Fox-lite. We can take health care to the next level. Check out The5DollarRevolution.com. It’s a 140 billion dollar plan that’s paid for without raising taxes.
Sounds like it is time to change to HLN or another news network, eh?
BTW Gina, you should travel the world…it would do you good. You may learn that the political spectrum elsewhere is so wide that you will either die from listening to sooo many “radicals” or you’ll become one of them…Cheers.
ONe more thing. I guess you liberal loons don’t mind that Al Gore and other crazy loons of his type who claim they care about our environment are making BILLIONS of dollars for scaring people into thinking that the earth is going to explode if we do not drive smart cars and don’t stop using our A/C…. that is ok right? yes, that is what I thought.
Wake up morons, EVERYONE is in it for themselves.
Go to any VA hospital, that is what you will get if we have a government run healthcare system…. IT sucks!! There is no doubt that America has the BEST dr’s and procedures who, dispite popular belief, will treat EVERYONE AND ANYONE to better health. I know first hand of people who came here from Canada who are only alive for the sake of American dr’s. If you hate this country and think it is sooooo horrible. GET THE HELL OUT!!!
“The head of an extremely profitable and successful corporation makes an incredibly high salary. Therefore, you should support health care reform!”
I do not understand how failing to air such an ad demonstrates a lack of journalistic integrity.
Please, quit hitting yourselves over the head. I’ve given up on both parties long ago – they’re the same. They use social issues to divide America, all the while, they rake in millions upon millions upon millions of dollars. They continue to spoon feed both sides enough visceral dribble, you open mouth breathers suck it right up. You’re so anxious to prove you’re right and the other side is wrong, you polarize, close your minds, and believe. You play right into their plan. Their plan is control, power and money – both sides. Always has, and always will be. Face it, the Dems do it with entitlement programs and the Repubs do it with breaks to corporations. If there’s anything stupid about Americans is they fail to realize when they’re being played.
Joe, if you have LiveStation you can watch news from UK, France, Germany, Spain, RUSSIA, ITN, Aljazeera, Mosaic, and plenty of great political talk. Of course in the US we have Democracynow! which is one hell a good news show.
That’s it…. I will miss you Anderson..no more CNN
Hey Psycho…it is not the text of the ad, it is the principle of the thing; it s the hypocrisy of corporate news. If you don’t understand that you also should take a trip overseas.
Americans have always been played,,,that’s not news
CNN just lost me for good. I used to view them off and on and then along came Lou Dobbs and now this. It will be fascinating to see how their credibility will suffer, and advertisers might find that they aren’t the place to advertise anymore, unless you’re Big Pharma or an insurance company. What good is it to advertise if no one is watching?
I don’t watch any of the “news” networks anymore. The last time I watched CNN was at the gym. I remember seeing the headline for the story on Obama’s “guns and religion” remark in PA, advertised as “Obama’s Small-Town Slam.” So, instead of examining the veracity of the statement (which, having lived in a small town I personally found to be accurate), CNN chose to take the low road, constantly playing up the “voter’s reaction” in the most base, shallow sense, and indicative of the lazy, sensationalistic reporting that characterizes most television journalism today. One really has to wonder why these networks even exist, as they are not here to inform or to make people think about issues. Based on the way they report stories, their sole purpose now seems to be to pander to, frighten, enrage, and mislead viewers. Anything but make them THINK. And how sad.
……………….
I stopped watching CNN during the campaign. They were so imbalanced during the election and overtly showed their shock of Obama winning numerous states especially Iowa. Wolf Blitzer, Lou Dobbs, etc., are the absolute worst and a disgrace to journalism. I love MSNBC…Ed Shultz, Rachael Maddox, Keith Olberman, and sometimes Chris Matthews. Their styles are all different but they tell it like it really is. Every one should simply protest by not viewing. Disgusting station. I categorize them the same as FOX…bias, racist, and self serving.
Hmmm…starting to sound like Fox2. Maybe a Murdock acquisition is imminent? I have had them on second tier viewing. Maybe time to turn them off too if they are just becoming a propaganda machine…
Do what I did and you’ll find news like this a lot easier to swallow: block CNN (in the preferences settings of your cable menu) and the problem isn’t yours.
Please, someone start a News Media without an agenda… I know, I know …
Attacks an individual? OK. Rewrite the ad and tell the salaries and bonuses of ALL the health insurance CEOs. They are ALL making out like robber barons. Cigna’s CEO was just the highest:
.
http://blogs.webmd.com/mad-about-medicine/2007/08
/ceo-compensation-who-said-healthcare-is.html
Dobbs peddling racist conspiracy theories “complies with your clearance guidelines” but an advert critical of Cigna does not? Good luck with the “FOX Light” business plan CNN.
To paraphrase Lord Northcliffe… Where is the money coming from and where is it going? All the rest is advertising.
In the 21st century, the superhero who saves the world will be indifferently muscular, but possess a preternatural command of spreadsheets. Show me the tables, charts, and graphs, or shut up. If you can’t count, get out of the way and go back to sleep.
Is ther any more doubt that the CNN is quite comfortable with Lou Dobb’s daily anti-Obama, anti-Democratic Party, anti-left rants? When you add the bias of CNN reporters like John King and Dana Bash (a husband and wife team) against the Obama administration and Democrats, you get the picture. The CNN claim of neutrality is absurd indeed. They are captices of the corporate corrupt culture that stands aginst progressive measures in this country.
Dr. Sam
CNN is turning into a network that uses primarily Republican and right wing talking points and neglects to look into clear manipulation of the media, such as the latest with Birther and Health Care meeting disrupters and previously, the tea baggers. Lou Dobbs claims to be middle-of-the-road, when he is somewhere between Pat Buchanan and Rush Limbaugh. I have really cut the amount of time I tune in to CNN. They are very irritating if you want to hear a fair presentation of issues.
It’s the mullahs in Iran, and moola at CNN, a network for the corp, by the corp, and of the corp.
CORRECTIONS and ADDITIONS, please
Is ther any more doubt that the CNN is quite comfortable with Lou Dobb’s daily anti-Obama, anti-Democratic Party, anti-left rants? When you add the bias of CNN reporters like John King and Dana Bash (a husband and wife team) against the Obama administration and Democrats, you get the picture. The CNN claim of neutrality is absurd indeed. They are captive of the corporate corrupt culture that stand against progressive measures in this country. Of course, CNN doesn’t mind at all running the lies of corportate lobbyists, health care industry lobbyists, big insurers, and the Republican Party. I urge everyone who is outraged by this to switch chanel—permanently—away from the poison the the CNN has become.
Dr. sam
Hooray for MSNBC! We would never know the truth if it were not for their bold actions to expose this stuff. I can hardly look at CNN anymore. They use to be fair and balanced, but now they are almost like FOX. It would be okay if they told the truth! By the way, I read an article today that showed FOX as being the most watched cabled news network and CNN’s Larry King was the only other show in the top news shows viewed. I do not believe it. I do not know anyone who admits to watching FOX News. Where do they get these polls? PLUS…I am a vet and go to the VA hospital. I get adequate care just as I did when I was in the AF.
Won’t run ads critical of any one company? They run ads singling out and praising individual companies all the time. That’s what advertising is all about.
I will no longer be a CNN watcher
Good there’s another faux news channel I won’t watch.
Interesting! They would run ads that singled out John Kerry as lying about his Vietnam record!! And those ads were lies.
CNN has lost allot of respect over the last few weeks, with the Lou Dobbs issue.. Lou had an operation last year, and I think the doctors removed his brain, and replaced it with his butt.. Now this.. I guess the are going the same way as FOX.. Twist the truth, and they(The Republicans) with buy airtime.. It looks like the only pure(TRUE) news will come from MSNBC, CBS, and ABC.. I’ll watch them from now on.
That’s it. Am boycotting CNN.
Pam Gellar’s ***** smells like lox.
What else can we expect from America’s Censored News Network (CNN)?
Lee: Look up “polarizing.” Here, let me help: “Divide into two sharply contrasting groups” or “To cause a group to be divided into extremes.” Ergo, you cannot “polarize” a person. Get a dictionary. No credibility, ds (rhymes with numb skit.
Wait. CNN has news? I thought it was a 24hr kidnapping channel.
the question that needs to be answered is “has cnn run ads that single out an individual in the past?” if the answer is “yes” – then a precedent has been set and they need to run this ad, too…if “no” then the ad needs to be re-done…yes, it is that simple.
It’s time to change the channel!
I don’t have healthcare. Please put your hands on my health care!
Got a question – How come Republicans are always talking about deregulation and then when the free market eats their shorts they are screaming the loudest about how the government just *has* to help them or else?
Again, I would like to state that I have dual American-Canadian citizenship. I live in Canada because of the health care system. My 87-year-old mother had $350,000 of heart surgery and subsequent state-of-the-art care at zero cost and she is stronger than ever! No foreclosures here as we can afford to pay our mortgages and go on vacation. We chose our doctors. CNN is party to the lies being generated about so-called “socialism”. This is nonsense! I feel for everyone who cannot afford proper health care but mostly for the children. It’s the insurance companies you need to fear, not the government. In so many countries across the globe, the government is afraid of the people. Why is it that Americans are afraid of government? Demand that your politicians give up Medicare – it is after all, a government-run health care program for which they pay nothing! Funny how it works for them but not for their constituents. CNN is not credible and if we stop watching they will become irrelevant.
They don’t call CNN Chicken Noodle News for nothing. Ironic that former Cigna executive has been interviewed 2 or 3 times on PBS and MSNBC I think unveiling insurance companies’ tactics. I wondered what happened to Aaron Brown and Miles O’Brien. Miles O’Brien was excellent on environment; Aaron Brown is now doing a very good global issues program on PBS. Now I know why I get upset sometimes when watching Don Lemmon and Rick Sanchez. Interview w/Boston police on Skip Gates really upset me. Lemmon and Sanchez were embarassing discussing it afterwards.
CIGNA is a den of thieves. They have denied coverage of life-saving surgery for me twice. They just don’t give a damn. Apparently they’d rather I die than pay $13,000 for my surgery. They get rich by making us die.
I can’t resist to respond to Gina. You know dear why I don’t get the hell out of America, as you and your ilk of right-wing pals of Palin always reply to authentic patriotic criticism of this country? Well, as Howard Zinn said not so long ago…because I don’t want to become another victim of America’s foreign policy!!!
We certainly do somethings well and better than most in this country, but we are not #1 any more. Grow up and face it. And we do other things horribly bad, and one of them is to understand compassion. The health care debate is the fight of the rich against the poor…there is no democrat or republican; just money. I remember the inimitable George Carlin when he said…”this country is owned by a few giant corporations and a few hundred families..and they own the politicians that they put there to give you the illusion that you have a choice. You DONT have a choice.
CNN is Fox without the screaming. Just saying…
It’s simple. CNN, and everyone on their payroll, is paid for by advertising. Ad’s from big business. Especially big pharma and big insurance. They own the airwaves. Even MSNBC. (Just watch Morning Joe to see more of a love fest with big business.)
Thank God for John Stewart and Steven Colbert.
The 1st Amendment Only Applies to the Rich, that has been made abundantly clear for a very long time.
i thought CNN didnt take sides!!!! way to accountability!!!!!!!!!
Bring back Ted Turner!! When I worked for CNN, nothing was sacred, mainly because that’s how the company became respectable and reputable. I strongly doubt this would happen with Ted calling the shots. CNN stands for Cable News Nutwork these days.
Rarely watch TV and never watch FOX News, now I’ll add CNN to the no watch list! Just boycott them.
CNN=Coward News Network
CNN does not bounce Dobbs or have him refrain from his bertha stories and now does not want to run health care ad? I’ve lost respect for this network and will cease to watch.
Thank you gods for Jon Stewart …I don’t watch much Colbert but when I do I like it.
If the endless election coverage didn’t finish me off for cable news, Michael Jackson definitely did.
Friends don’t let friends watch cable news.
CNN. The most trusted name in news if you have money.
CNN guidelines should be applied to Lou Dobbs, no? “This ad does not comply with our clearance guidelines because it unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person.” ..But Barack Obama is a person..who is being singled out by Dobbs, over and over and over… Ah wait…Barack is not a corporation. So, in the twisted reasoning of these big money sycophants, it is only when the rich are attacked that they dont put the ads on…GOT IT!!
Once a few months ago I met a CNN crew. Some of the famous ones were there. I must confess I dont watch cnn but these people in the crew did their best to keep me ignoring it. So, it will cost me nothing to boycott cnn, but I am all in spirit with you guys!
CNN has gone down hill to be sure, but with one exception: Farid Zakaria–most thoughtful guy on television.
My Chosen Remedy: I’ve stopped watching CNN (stopped watching FoxNews several years ago)
Something to consider: CNN just might be right. Those who hold to a default position that “health-care reform” is a “must-have” are not considering all of the facts in an open, unbiased manner.
CNN should not label themselves as “most trusted” anymore; they have lost all credibility and are obviously run by the same engine of money interests that drive the GOP bought Senator and Congressmen. They are in no way balance, nor are they actual news. Dobbs is but one show on CNN that regurgitates the GOP spin and talking points for the day. It is clear that CNN is quickly becoming Fox II.
There is no discerning difference in the reporting from Fox and CNN; the same propaganda is being spewed out by both networks. What ever has happened to CNN is being run by money and conservatives interests. It is too late for CNN to listen, or change or care.
Boycott CNN network, boycott CNN advertisers.
All of you who think that opposition to the health care plan is by an “angry mob” stoked into action by the insurance industry, you are sadly misinformed. I’m a community organizer — for Obama. I was one of his precinct captains in the 2008 election. I am not part of an angry mob, but I am an angry citizen. I’m angry that Obama and his advisors are trying to push through health care reform “fast” before the matter is debated. Debate is the cornerstone of a democracy. What is Obama afraid of? I have been defending Obama throughout his presidency — but no more. Obama has failed me. He has lost my vote. More importantly, I will now become a “community organizer” for whoever is his opponent in 2012 … unless he turns it around and starts having more transparency, like he promised. My parents are in their 80’s. Under the proposed bill, their health care will be severely cut back. Instead of receiving treatments that will make their quality of life better, they will be given “life ending counseling”. NOT RIGHT!
CNN must not notice that NANCY GRACE singles individuals out for criticism all the time. Even if they aren’t even
public figures.
Sometimes she even heckles mentally unstable suspects during on-air interviews. When they commit suicide days later its nobody at CNNs fault.
Did she ever apologize to the man she all but had convicted for The Smart Kidnapping case? Turns out he really was just a handyman and an innocent one too…..
Hypocrisy thy name is CNN.
Why don’t you be good Obamatrons and report CNN to the proper authorities? As long as you are at it you can report your neighbors as well.
From the White House itself:
“There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov.”
http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/Facts-Are-Stubborn-Things/
No criticism of individuals in ads? What kind of idiotic policy is that? Whatever happened to the right to free speech? Would a presidential candidate be prevented from airing an ad on CNN which criticized his opponent? Could someone not air an ad criticizing a foreign dictator? This is a poor and narrow-minded policy — that just happens to coincide with CNN’s profit-making motives which I imagine prevents it from wanting to air “too much” criticism of health care industries which are rolling in money. Gee, CNN, it’s nice when your so-called “standards” permit you to avoid offending potential advertisers, isn’t it. You’d expect something like this from Fox News. So much for “news” and “public opinion” on this increasingly irrelevant network.
Michael…could not have said it better. Love it!
The health care insurance is run by a bunch of money grubbing bean counters, but then again so is CNN.
This is a riot!!! Just because CNN refuses to air ads from Media Matters and other left wing groups they are not being subjective? What, having NBC in his pocket is not enough for Obama?? This is unprecedented on how one party and one man can actually own a media outlet. Keep drinking the Kool-Aid Obabots, 2010 cannot come soon enough. By the way, I put a fake email just in case someone wants to report me to the White House for not being a good Obamite.
At this point CNN is Fox News light. I can’t stand watching their sensationalistic BS “news” …
I am old so trust me.. Any plan that includes for profit insurance is not the plan we need!! I just heard a new plan that will pay private insurance for plans for the poor…Who profits from this plan? (hint private for profit insurance) NOT THE ONE WE WANT!!!
I say follow the money. Let’s play 6 degrees of separation. How is CIGNA money making its way into CNN?
Remember Watergate when deep throat told the Washington Post reporter, “Just follow the money.”? I’m living in Thailand now because I can’t afford to live in the USA. But I did have CNN as my home page. Not anymore. It kills me that the idiots (public)against heathcare reform can’t see that it’s a conspiracy by the drug companies and insurance companies that have a vested interest in keeping costs high. Ads like these are what is needed to to wakeup these brainwashed idiots. These poor saps who themselves are being killed by these same companies that don’t want the government to even be able negotiate the price of drugs on the market. These greedy companies pay for election campaigns so that they’ll own the guy in office. Got to change election campaign contribution rules but can’t get it through because of too many taking contributions from these greedy b—–ds. I used to lose sleep over this sh–t but I moved to Thailand instead. You can buy cheap meds over the counter here. Don’t even need a prescription from an overpriced doctor.
Here’s some advice from a friend. Turn off the TV. Then leave it off. If you’re tempted to turn it back on, pick up a book instead. Or check the Internet. Or call someone on the phone. Or take a walk. Or write a letter. TV is a drug…and drugs are bad for you.
Talk about an angry MOB!!!!!! Wow……Keep up the good work!!!!!!!
The refusal of CNN to run the controversial ad, the Lou Dobbs problem, the Hearst-like jingoism that was so blaringly obvious in the ramp-up to Iraq – all these things are just starting points.
The very real danger to democracy (and it may well be too late already) is the concentration of media ownership and the shared interests of the corporate/government partnership.
Such an obvious good as the human right to health care should, by all rights be a no-brainer; all the civilized countries on the planet (and perhaps a few “uncivilized” ones as well) recognize the duty of the government to ensure the provision of universal health care to the population within their borders.
This should be simple humanitarian logic – and yet, a significant proportion of the American public seem to be willing to vote against their own best interests and maintain a defective and immoral health care system.
It is a simple matter: the public good is being thwarted by those who seek continued profits from the suffering of others.
The American people have shown time and time again that they are basically good-hearted; in great national struggles, they have achieved great ends – but the mordant power of propaganda has smothered the truth with a thick blanket of ignorance and complacency… uninformed and distracted, the great huddled masses gaze vacantly at the latest reality TV show or goggle at the antics of wayward celebrities, and sheep-like, periodically present themselves for a good shearing at the hands of their masters.
The mindless pablum of CNN and Fox and all of them, the sleazy politicians on the take, the very “paradigm”, is all one of a piece. The people cannot choose because they do not know there is a choice; they do not know there is a choice because their masters will not tell them.
If the masters wish to go to war, they need only trump up a few bogus excuses (including but not limited to persecution of German Nationals in the Sudetenland), crank up the propaganda machine, and voila! The sheep line up nicely.
Sorry for the rant. I’m still not feeling better.
The same goes for overseas viewers. CNN International is obviously increasingly biased. For weeks we hear from Jonathan Mann “…not a good week for Barack Obama…” this is like negative advertising. Over and over again. And that in e.g. Germany, a country that likes the change initiated by the new President.
Birthers, Lou Dobbs, now this not allowing critical ads!
Add to that they increasingly over and over repeat stories, day for day.
Good bye CNN. This needs a replacement urgently!!
What has happened to CNN? I used to watch them but now MSNBC is tops. I don’t even bother.
CNN has lost our household. Only MSNBC for us. When is CNN going to get the message? Some great posts on here.
I remember the early days of CNN. I could hardly wait to get to a hotel room to turn it on. I could actually see what was going on in the world. Now, years later, I have no idea if it ever was that wonderful, that unbiased…..but it certainly is neither at this time. Personally, I am pretty much done with CNN. If I ever watch utter foolishness like Lou Dobbs, it is to get the list of his advertisers to contact and to boycott. I know that my lack of purchasing a product has no noticeable impact on the corporation, but at least I feel better about myself. I have never had a sip of Snapple….prime sponsor of Rush Limbaugh. They seem to be doing fine without me…but I am doing fine without them as well. Anyway……CNN, I bid thee a sad farewell. If you get your act together, I trust that I will read about it, and then I can come back.
CNN might as well be FOX II as far as I am concerned now. I will no longer use their site, watch their channel, and no Sports Ills. As for all the right wing sheeple sorry people that chant “socialism” need to learn what that word means and quit letting Rush and the like think for them or choose people of intelligence to do it for them.
If the health care status quo is allowed to stay, its going to break us all. Sending people to the ER not to pay and to make everyone who is paying (me because I have insurance right now) to pay more and our insurance premiums to increase almost monthly.
What I love is my premium increases, my benefits lessen, the service I receive from my ins. company is horrible (they lay off service level people off every year), yet the CEO of Anthem has been given a bonus and raise every year.
Something has to be done or no one but the ultra rich will have ins. and businesses will not be able to offer it or they won’t be able to compete on the world market if they do (because most countries have some sort of government subsidized health care).
We rank first in cost and 26th in care. France with that horrible “socialized” health care ranks first. The right and their arguments don’t hold water. If you are fighting against health care reform and you are not a multi-millionaire, you are ******** yourself and being a puppet for ones that benefit from the misery cause by this broken system. Stop drinking the right wing kool aid and wake up.
Lastly CNN has never been a liberal network and is now showing its true stripes as a stooge for big business.
Don,
Health care is ‘rationed’ everywhere even in France and Italy which receive some of the highest marks from credible respectable polls. I have friends and relatives living in both countries and a large percentage of people pay for care out of their own pocket because of limitations in national coverage. I think this is as it should and must be. Universal coverage from a single payer is good. Universal comprehensive coverage is neither possible nor desireable. The costs of unneeded treatment would ruin any national budget. Rationing is inevitable. The trick is to do it in a rational way and the only one that I can think of is from the personal pocketbook.
How To Take Down The Healthcare Lobbyists http://msmpost.com/news/127/ARTICLE/0/2009-08-06.html
@Gina | August 5th, 2009 at 07:20 pm
Spoken like a 12-year-old. You disappeared awfully fast. Mama and daddy tell you to get off the computer, did they?
“There is no doubt that America has the BEST dr’s and procedures who, dispite popular belief, will treat EVERYONE AND ANYONE to better health.”
I pity you if you truly believe that. We don’t have a healthy care system, we have a disease-mongering system, because guess which one pays better?
CNN’s reason: The ad “unnecessarily” singles out a top insurance industry executive by name for criticism.Advertising by it s very reason for being targets individuals by name, by symptoms, by as yet not needed consuming until convinced. Thus to say a person is unnecessarily singled out is balderdash.
Yes, Buchanan is still on MSNBC as far as I know, and Rachel Maddow just criticized him on her show (for promulgating the “health care will murder the elderly” thing in a written piece) and noted his network affiliation.
“I only watch MSNBC’s The Ed Shultz show, Countdown, and The Rachel Maddow show. I’d advise you all to do the same!”
Well, I haven’t watched Ed Schultz, but I do watch Maddow daily and then Countdown often. I also enjoy Colbert sometimes quite a lot because he can hit hard when he wants to, and can do so in a creative way.
Stewart is irritating me lately with his less than impressive treatment of gay issues. He used to be good on the subject, but ever since Obama was elected, now we’re seeing a lot of cheap-shot gay jokes and dismissals of the importance of anti-gay stuff. Maybe I missed a good segment or two, but I haven’t been watching him much before of this and the most recent segment I saw had more of the same.
CNN’s true colors are showing. They are just one or 2 steps below fox. This refusal is outrageous. It epittimizes that all of our media has been compromised… shamefull…
I should also note that giving Richard Wolffe the boot from Countdown was a good thing because he was clearly trying to curry favor for his upcoming sweetheart book deal about Obama by spinning in favor of the Obama administration and the Democrats’ abandonment and betrayal of their gay constituents.
That Wolffe was outed as being a paid lobbyist didn’t surprise me.
Crud. I also forgot to mention, in response of that guy I quoted, that people should be reading Glenn Greenwald’s blog in addition to watching shows like Maddow. It is an invaluable resource.
Bradley, I like The Daily Show too, but I recognize it for what it is: satire and comedy. However, as a legitimate news source, it has about as much credibility as your average supermarket tabloid. Kinda like MSNBC.
I’m finished with CNN. Lou Dobbs was their odd monkey, but this takes the cake. Even Christianne Amanpour and Anderson Cooper couldn’t make me watch them, at this point, until they start running the commercials they’re paid to run as a free enterprise, not a health insurance mafia outfit. BOYCOTT CNN! SINGLE PAYER NOW!! HEALTH CARE FOR ALL AMERICANS, NOT JUST CEOs!
“Write to the FCC. CNN forgets they are using the pulbicly owned airwaves. They should lose their license to broadcast. Tell everyone you know about this abuse of their license.”
Yeah, Gerry. That silly old 1st amendment is overrated, anyway!
Let’s all boycott CNN. I for one can get my news elsewhere.
Is there a Fox in the CNN hen house?
Nah. It’s a health insurance Republican dressed as a for-profit Democrat: political cross-dressing much in the same way CNN and Fox treat news.
Thank goodness for PBS.
“My 87-year-old mother had $350,000 of heart surgery and subsequent state-of-the-art care at zero cost and she is stronger than ever!”
Kristine, I’m truly glad that your mother survived long enough under Canada’s rationed health care system so she could have her turn at heart surgery.
All you Obamacare disciples: I’m sure you’ll enjoy your free healthcare during the 6 months you’re waiting to get needed tests.
CNN, shame, shame, shame. I am done now. It’s MSNBC all the way. First Dobbs, now health care reform, with all these hurting people. You did it to yourselves. Shame on you.
I love making america pay for healthcare! GOP FOREVER!
And I’m so glad that you are rising up in defense of the poor health insurance companies. So many Americans are so deluded that they too might someday be one of the financial elite, and are willing to shoot themselves in the foot over and over in defense of that dream. Keep following that carrot Evan, I’m sure the cliff it eventually leads to will be safeguarded by the oh so caring health industrial complex. Of course, they’ll deny your claim due to your pre-existing condition of wingnuttery.
Also Bradley, you misjudge me. I’m not rising up to the defense of insurance companies. To the contrary, I think they have FAR too much power, and they abuse it on a regular basis. Just like the government.
If I’m defending anyone, it’s the right of people like you and me to choose what health care we want, and obtain it on a timely basis.
Once ‘public option’ is available, it WILL kill off the private options, and then there will be NO option. It will be the government way or the highway. Don’t like your doctor? Tough sh*t. Need an MRI right away? Tough sh*t. Need life-saving treatments, but you’re 80-years old? Tough sh*t.
And the costs will be obscene, and that’s saying a lot with Obama’s track record. Government UNDER-estimates the cost of EVERYTHING! Case in point: Cash for Clunkers. A billion dollars that was supposed to stimulate car sales through November??? They blew through that in a week!
Expect the estimated costs of Obamacare to do likewise.
CNN lost me with Lou Dobbs. I told them so.
Now they lost both of my parents. Great job.
i’ve been watching cnn since i was a baby living in africa (we mostly got cnn international but if we could hotbox the set then we could get the domestic cnn channel, and we got bbc and asia news and tonnes of other news too) and now i live in “north america” and get to observe the entire hoopla of american politics first, second, third and fourth hand. watching this networks spiral has made me so sad that i’m actually considering joining the petition to have my local csble provider to carry the new aljezeera or make a permanent switch to bbc and bbc international. cnn international is hard to get here but it is less of a **** infested production than domestic cnn is. i watch cnn now and thank them for making me wiser because i learned from them when i was a baby to question everything someone told me was fact unless i did the research myself. i can’t deal with msnbc either or failhox news but it’s fun to watch just to get the perspectives from both sides of the propoganda. cbs news and pbs was better but i can’t get it here anymore and is in cable heaven with my provider aka too far up in channel land. bbc and cbc, pbs and some actual small news outfits are actually pretty good.
people don’t understand that the american healthcare system is mostly broken and has been for a long time. i’m actually one of those pulling for that once again this all fails and breaks down because everyone plays the whole my ego, my talkbox, my brain, my boobs, and my wang or wag is better/bigger than yours game. it’s completely disgusting that america (lol yeah and america is no longer number 1 really except to americans…some of them atleast, but others are actually waking up)which is basically the best example of we’re so much better than the rest of the world rhetoric has crappy healthcare. i don’t understand what the problem is. america is broke…and you’re already in debt…what makes you think you’re going to pay off your debt anytime soon. i mean this really isn’t rational thinking but i’ve found that reverse psych is always good when talking to drinkers of the rum on both sides of the aisle. anyways so america is broke…does this seem like the perfect time to be talking about reforming the healthcare insurance industry? what do you have to lose. does this reform ultimately insure that the recession will always be here…it’s already a slow recession…one that will be felt continuously for years to come until there is a full, robust recovery. so what’s the whole deal with this reform talk. why can’t this reform happen now instead of leaving everything as is/was and towing the line for status quo. what has america got to lose right now…more debt to china…lol…you’re already in a tonne of debt to china and lets not forget america is broke. anyways i think that the country needs to move towards a universal healthcare system, one where the government is driving competition with private sector to uphold quality care. just because it’s the government doesn’t mean the treatment you get it subpar. i’m sure some people actually pay for their care and are covered and still don’t get the treatment they want or deserve. i find it absolutely hilarious that you’ve been working with a company and paying into the company insurance pool, you lose the job or get a job with another company but that the money you paid for care doesn’t follow you. so america needs a universal healthcare model and it doesn’t have to be socialist (why people like throwing that word around is also hilarious). a unihmodel right along with single payer, private sector and many other positive plans/methods people are coming up with. the best thing for america would be to get a hybrid that covers all us citizens and also covers non americans who can afford to pay for whatever they need…so that it’s not a whole welfare system and the whole it’s not fair my taxes are going to illegals. other countries have done this and it works for them. it might not be the best but it is good, it is far from worst, and it WORKS. that’s what’s most important. yes other countries also have inflated bills and yes your taxs go back to your coverage, but no other country has a healthcare system (no other modernized country) that eclipses more than 1/4 of it’s entire gdp. that’s just sad, negligent, and atrocious. you may not want the government in your healthcare then fine…but don’t deny the need for the industry to be reformed, because the way things are going is entirely criminal and like someone pointed out why is it that healthcare is second to money…why is money more important than you or your life. seriously. i don’t want to have the government give me handouts or dictate to me, but there’s something wrong with the whole model of money first you second, third or last. who was the guy on the daily show billy something who was saying that lol the american government runs pretty good healthcare (even if it’s not perfect) for the american military but that because they, the military are special and hard workers, specialized and you aren’t (the average american) that americans don’t need to be getting the same healthcare…especially from the government that they american military is getting. i mean i’m not even american and that made my heart hurt. the guy could have manned up and criticized the military government healthcare…but i thought his reasoning was a bit only on the surface and not entirely credible because it wasn’t backed up by facts. it was his opinion…to which he has a right to, but that doesn’t make it right. it also hurts me that the congress people don’t want to give americans the type of governement workers healthcare they get/buy into. why can’t all americans buy into a healthcare plan and reap the benefits. i think that if private sector and government, along with the american people (please some of you stop being so dumb) worked together lots of positive could be done. stop with the whole blame blame blame and actually do something. it’ll be another laughable matter if once again this fails. i actually don’t agree with everything obama, the dems, or the republicans have said but i do agree that if it was acceptable/possible that more time be given out to the discussions and carving out reform…but that wouldn’t happen because of course the kill the plan people are out in full vengence and not providing alternative solutions that are positive.
the comedians aren’t really certified journo’s but they have been doing well ripping both left and right and doing it all with humour. they are good for news because actual news people are heavily and continuously dropping the ball.
lol at the whole us is going to become like canada talk. yeah there are canadians who come to the us to have health procedures (not because it’s not available in canada actually but mostly because it is the choice of the person) and there are also lots of americans (probably more than the canadians who go to america) who go to canada for health related procedures…apparently the american dollar is really heavy and pharma in canada is really cheap…so it works out both ways. canadian healthcare being free and entirely universal is a myth. it is one of the many models under the universal healthcare plan. just like americans pay taxes into government (federal or state local) programs, canadians pay lots of taxes right back into their healthcare program…like the french, because they understand that they will benefit from it. there comes a time when even those who think they will never get sick get sick…and because they are not covered by the government, aren’t insured, cannot pay, they become a burden on the system. people should not be burdening the system at all. people are important. yes money is important but to have money ahead of people when people are the one’s who make money and keep this whole economic structure working, why can’t people get appropriate healthcare that they pay for. when a large group buys into something the cost comes down. not everything is covered in the canadian healthcare system and although canada will never have american worlwide standing in the world, the canadian healthcare system is by far leap yards ahead of medicare and medicade and whatever else is under that bubble. not everyone can be with a private insurer…because like many people have pointed out they are mostly about the money. but i bet there will be some companies willing to work with the government, who like competition, who would like to provide even better more cost effective services that a government healthcare plan, but those private companies are a dime a dozen. granted there are horror stories in all healthcare systems but on a basic comparison, even with the fact that the american populus is larger than the canadian or french populus’…the amount of horror stories in america about healthcare is far more than even the bad news for both the health systems of canada and france combined. just because you put people first above money doesn’t make you socialist. you can still be a capitalist country and keep your ideals but you need to be able to open up to alternative options. i think it would be a good thing also to have people who are happy with their current care keep it and not dictate to people what they need to do. anyone with a brain knows this should be about what is best for an individual and what is best for the country as a whole. a hybrid universal healthcare model is the way to go…and you can put all the other modifications under that umbrella because america is making it american. all this double talk/cross talk, blame blame blame doesn’t get anyone anywhere.
also lol at the wait times. yeah there are wait times in health care systems…it’s not even about the care you get actually but because somewhere the model is broken and efficiency is not a priority. but then again you could be in a waiting room in an american hospital and die before a doctor sees you…or you can be refused because you aren’t covered…or you can be treated without coverage and be billed outrageously. it’s not just an american or canadian problem. take away the countries. actually think rationally about something that is bad for the american gdp/american economic model. it doesn’t work. it’s broken. it needs to be fixed. you can keep the good parts but you can’t deny the medicare medicade programs is draining lots of money…and once again what is the overall point when talking about how much it will cost. america is broke…i don’t remember the last time i heard the american government actually talk about payind down it’s debt…i mean people who support these american wars (i forget the realtime website that counts down how much america has spent on the wars per minute/second…i hope they account for interest rate too) and rationalize spending money on that abroad but not spending on healthcare perturbes me all the time because i can’t understand how askew people’s priorities can be. the point is something needs to be done either way. it doesn’t have to be everything the president or the congress people want. it has to be what americans want…but it always seem like americans just like to argue endlessly about this and not come up with concrete solutions. it’s not socialism or communism. i mean it’s entirely hilarious that fidel give his people better healtcare than america does for a large population of it’s citizens. it’s too sad.
Walter Cronkite recently passed away, but network news has been dead since they decided to do it for profit rather than as a public service. It’s a lot like what’s happened to health care in America, isn’t it?
Boo Hoo for the whining losers on the left who’ve had PMSNBC prattling Marxist **** with no opposing opinions [at least Fox & CNN have two viewpoints]. Greg Sargent is a chronic complainer.
I done with CNN hello MSNBC!!
the amount of horror stories in america about healthcare is far more than even the bad news for both the health systems of canada and france combined is the funniest BS I’ve read this month. I lived in France & Canada & the US health system beats both of them in both wait times & quality of care. mertz still carries the dark continent around with him in his mind.
Once ‘public option’ is available, it WILL kill off the private options, and then there will be NO option.
And the costs will be obscene
obama government understimating everything
============================================
hey evan…i actually understand an agree with some of what you say and where you are coming from, lol, but some of this isn’t true. it really isn’t. you have to look at the health system models. america can actually run it’s new system better than some of the better ranked countries by the WHO. anyways so i picked the ones out of your last comment that i can positively say are not true…they are not 100% false, but they are not kosher either. so the first point is kind of funny because i’ve been seeing it on tv, hearing it on radio, reading it online and it’s definately not kosher. first…i never knew so many people were pulling for insurance companies…second is that i never knew insurance companies were so scared of competition, and third is that it is a definate lie because no one can see into the future and know definates. insurance companies have been here for a long time and there is always business for them so for them to be saying that this will drive out all insurance companies so that there is only a government option is really dumb, because rich people will still pay for their insurance coverage and even poor people if they can afford it will still pay for their insurance coverage and private sector services because it is widely believed and precieved that the government can’t ever do anything right, they cut corners, they do everything by halves, and that insurance companies only provide the best services because they are being paid and therefore do not cheat people. hahahaa. not everything is black and white. there’s a little bit of truth and lies on both sides. the government plan will not make insurance companies or the private sector obselte…america is too much of a capitalist country to be overrun by socialism. reforming healthcare and having a government plan or a universal healthcare model, ecpecially a hybrid like i was saying previously, is not socialist. but people like to throw that word around. what it means if there is a government option is that there will be competition for your coverage and services, your buy in to plan(s) and your money…it doesn’t mean a whole industry will go obselete. it could very well in the future, but it would take time and it wouldn’t be a whole blanket canvassing of an entire multi billion/trillion industry. that doesn’t make any sense. private sector and government can actually work together, and from what i understand about the plans…as much as people would like to have free healthcare in the true meaning of “free” and have government handouts, the reform of the current american healthcare/health industry/insurance system is not going to be “free” in the truest sense of that word. there will be money involved and people will still have to pay for their care…whether it be through single payer system or through taxes or public pool buy ins. it will not be free or even for all people as apparently no one likes the non-citizens and aren’t willing to take their supposedly dirty money. lol. what a total eyeroller, but i’ve been hearing all sorts of garbage so i’m not surprised if i can actually include that in my comments.
to the second point about the cost being obscene…lol. that one is also a huge laughing point because once again america is broke. another thing is that yeah money will be needed to do this overhaul…although they could probably manage this through effective lawcrafting but too many people involved and too many dumb people on both sides of the aisle unwilling to do anything constructive so yeah the cost will happen. obscene though like more than the current american healthcare system and what it’s been in the past to now…uhm no. it will look and most likely be a lot of money spent (although really not that much money needs to be spent on all of this because it just requires effective lawcrafting and changing some policies…the only one out would be the insurance companies and they can rot or pay themselves by filing bankrupcy for all i care. actually not all private sector companies are bad…hmmm)but like i said about not knowing the future about the government plan making insurance companies or alternative choices obselete is also not kosher because no one can see into the future. but if you base it on other models that have worked for other countries, yeah the cost is high, but it pays off for the citizens of those countries. yeah there are complaints and no system is perfect, even if the french have a great model, but anyone who says this will be free is not keeping it kosher…anyone who says this plan will ruin the entire insurance industry is not keeping it kosher…anyone who says this is bad for private sector is not keeping it kosher and anyone who says that the price will be obscene is not keeping it 100%. more obscene than those two wars yea…but america thought it right and beneficial to bear arms but it can’t do healthcare reform? once again america makes me so sad sometimes. i like watching the soapbox politics.
and about this whole underestimating everything…you know what the admins calculations may have been very low and the cbo’s may have been more accurate albeit very high, but really if you think about it there really needent be such a high cost to this reform overhaul. the cost will come with the administering of the program. i don’t understand why governments like to make everything into big money talks when things can actually be dealt with alternatively, but the biggest problem is that if insured people opt out of their current plans and go to a government one that then the insurance companies can sue or something…and i don’t understand why they have all the power, they can reject you because of preconditions even when you pay into their plans at your work, their coverage plans don’t follow you, their asset, when you leave one place of employment to go to another (you would think they would still like to keep you as a customer, especially if you make them money), but you the client has no power. someone aksed a very good question in their comment about why is it that americans are afraid of their governments…and it’s not just politicians…it’s also the monopolies in industries. so if you really want to talk about underestimating costs, really, because i am still laughing at that bush administrations calculation about how much both the iraq and afghan wars would cost…lol…and that was also heavily underestimated. but once again it’s alright to go to wars and defend american soverignty and oil initiatives but when it comes to actual AMERICAN, and their health they are second to money, industry, egos, ceo’s, lobbyists, politicians, governements and many other bullshiters. it doesn’t work that way. it’s completely laughable the situation america is in actually. i wouldn’t mind if there was never any reform of medicare or medicade or any other programs because not only is america in debt and broke…i’m waiting for the cost of the broken healthcare system fo cover more than 1/4 of gdp and go to 1/2 or even more so i can continue laughing. this is the best kind of chess game to watch.
lol. i’ve lived in france, us, canada, and many other countries as well and if you think that the american healthcare system as is beats all them then that’s up to you. have fun with the current system. lol. we don’t have healthcare where i come from. it’s called living in a bush and finding your own way to survive.
yeah the american population is larger but if you are going to compare the three countries and equalize the numbers, despite america’s quality care it still won’t beat france or canada’s combinationg of quality and affordable healthcare. anyone who says healthcare is free isn’t being truthful. it may be what you want idealy and think it is morally deserved but nothing is free in this world especially if you want it to work. even the free tech services are trying to monetize themselves. they haven’t asked for any money yet from their users but i wouldn’t mind paying into some of these social media companies if it meant i would still get to use it. you need to pay for your healthcare. you don’t need to be gutted for your healthcare.
CNN during the Ted Turner days I could respect.
Now CNN is becoming like Fox News — the Pravda of the Republican Party.
Lou Dobbs is already there. His birther BS and his demonizing of Mexicans are well within the Republican attack machine.
Mr. Dobbs, Barrack Obama has posted his birth certificate on the web and state officials have confirmed it. Hawaii in 2001 destroyed the paper version of birth certificates and computerized them.
But most telling that Obama was born in Honolulu is that the birth announcement was in the local paper. The Obamas were nobody in 1961 and nobody could have predicted when he was born that he would become President. In fact, I would venture to guess if anybody in 1961 would have predicted that the son of an African black father and a Kansas white mother would become President, he/she would have been taken to an insane asylum.
That CNN would let itself be used for such a ridiculous attacks by the Republican attack machine shows to me how low CNN has sunk. Now it is letting the healthcare insurance industry keep its cozy status quo by censoring political commercials. CNN now stands for Censorship News Network.
Where is Ted Turner when we need him?
and all this i’m leaving cnn to go to msnbc or whatever is all funny. cnn has sucked for years and so has a lot of cable news and news in general has been going down also. it’s all unfortunate because more could be done but people like living in mediocratiy. it’s hard to read news, watch news, or hear news because it’s the industry i want to go into but i can’t because none is trustworthy…and most have gone the way of being corporate and all all about money, which is necessary but actual news reporting in all facets news finding, producing, has been suffering. i never thought the day would come where i would even consider aljezeera international but the day has come because i am disillusioned. i’m sad for news and i’m sad for the news industry. it’s actually a funny coincidence but there’s a huge national forum happening where i live with supporters and dissenters about this same topic with industry people and average people talking about what needs to happen to make this better for everyone…corporate model or a free news model…what’s more crdible.
I’ve already stopped watching CNN for quite a while. At first I thought I was imagining it that they seemed to lean to the right. Then I started realizing that I wans’t imagining it at all. CNN leans to the right and as far as I’m concerned, CNN is an annex of the Faux News and Propanda channel.
and like some other people i like to watch fox news because i like to laugh. everything laugh i get from fox news i can get with cnn, nbc, pbs is a little harder cause there’s a lot of older people speaking in monotone there, but yeah i can get all the news anywhere i want and get a huge laugh…even watching bbc. i like questioning things and doing my own research and determining what i think is right or take things that are facts and see if i will succeed in debunking fact. people like to pin me as a dem or a repub but i’m neither because both parties aren’t my cup of tea and like someone pointed out above…people need to realize when they are being played. it’s okay to have different ideal or moral beliefs and argue with people. it’s okay to agree, disagree, agree to disagree…the best thing is the communication. atleast you have some kind of opinion on matters. that’s always better than being a mindless robot…sorry for insulting robots which are actually created with some sort of computerized thinking capacity.
I’ve already stopped watching CNN for quite a while. At first I thought I was imagining it that they seemed to lean to the right. Then I started realizing that I wans’t imagining it at all. CNN leans to the right and as far as I’m concerned, CNN is an annex of the Faux News and [Propganda] channel.
CNN was completely correct in not airing the Ad. If they permitted ads to name individuals CNN would have to vet every single ad to ensure that the person named was not falsely and maliciously maligned otherwise they would be open to numerous lawsuits.
cnn leans right and left depending on the reporters, pundits, and the stories or however producers plan shows and segments to draw ratings. no one who has ever watched cnn should be surprised. they stopped being the most trusted news source or what do they say the number 1 network a long time ago…and i couldn’t care less. i still watch cnn because i’m a *********…but i also watch, listen, and read a lot of news outlets/companies/sources as well and as much as i would like to be trust only one company…i cannot. i can’t just trust one network or one reporter or whoever. you always need to get ALL SIDES to a story especially if you are not experiencing it first hand and i think that is what should be included in the model. people should be responsible for the information they report yeah, but instead of dictating something to viewers, people need to do more of the work themselves and come to their own conclusions. it’s always good instead of having loyalty to a company, to have loyalty to a reporter you trust, have thoroughly researched to know from what bias/influences they have. i mean it may seem like i’m paranoid but i’m not really. i just don’t like being told something and having to swallow **** and then having to act like everything is okay. it’s okay to disagree with people.
oohhhhhhhhhhh china execution two guys for fraud. wowzers. off with their heads. i would rather die in a bad healthcare system lol. i guess if i say i would pay to recieve the best healthcare i can afford, healthcare that shouldn’t be complete **** (although some suckage is acceptable…but really shouldn’t. i’m realisitic. like bill krytal said non special people not in the military do not need good helathcare so i know where i fall) it means i’m socialist. wha wha wha. cry me a freaking river. just work for effective reform and stop all this partisian bullshit…politicians and the medical industry inculded in that.
and about this stupid ad. lol. this is the same cnn that was airing personal information for their bankers/wallstreet/car ompany bigwigs hit list and hardly considered not going ahead with all those shows on sc360, campbell brown, lou dobbs, rick sanchez newsroom show, and even on the situation room…but this company can’t run ads. i’ve seen ads on cnn that name names and all kinds of **** about people. they can do whatever they want i guess. it’s up to them. it doesn’t diminish their suckage factor one iota. they are never going to fire lou dobbs either…why should they. when was the last time cnn listened to it’s viewers or non viewers. $ talks.
CNN–almost as bad as Fox News.
Fox News–1 vowel away from what they do to the news.
Ralph wrote: CNN–almost as bad as Fox News.
Fox News–1 vowel away from what they do to the news.
Karin responds:LOL. I know exactly what ‘u’ mean!!!!
So…BOYCOTT CNN BOYCOTT CNN BOYCOTT CNN …just watch anything else or better yet, switch to the internetszzz…
Mertz, please don’t take this the wrong way. You’ve got a lot of good opinions, but they get lost in a sea of words. Shorter paragraphs, and using capital letters at the start of your sentences, would make your posts easier to read.
PBS had a special last week with the former CEO of Cigna. Anyone interested in knowing why we don’t have health care reform can look it up:
http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/07312009/transcript1.html
I’m disappointed in CNN, and Lou Dobbs should apply at Fox News, I’m sure they’d love to have him.
Gee, I wonder why CNN would side with Corporate against the American people by hobbling the Fourth Estate with ideology outside the framework of the U.S. Constitution.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/four_lapel_pins.html
Why did CNN support America’s first dictatorship over the Republic? Why does CNN select the news for right wing ideologues? Why is it’s interpretation of the Fourth Estate look, feel, and smell like Pravda and the Tass News Agency of the old USSR?
Leave a message at CNN’s news tip that CNN TV is censoring this ad.
http://www.cnn.com/feedback/tips/newstips.html
I think CNN has lost credibility as a national news source for refusing this ad. These people that are using and abusing power to maintain things as they are should be identified.
Maybe they (for once) didn’t feel the need to broadcast Socialist Bull$hit…
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/cenk-uygur/is-the-us-military-a-soci_b_252526.html
this guy is basically saying what i have been for more than 10 years.
and also:
http://www.factcheck.org/2009/07/canadian-straw-man/
show me once again why i took philosophia to hone my argumentative skills and get better at writing fact based papers on mundane topics dealing with language, methadology, ideologies because i like writing.
Hi Evan,
Thanks for the advice and it really is much appreciated but you are one of the many people who have given me this exact same constructive crtiticism (Hey I love criticism and I don’t understand why it gets a bad rap. Critiquing is not all negative at all actually. I think too many people are too sentitive and yet not enough people are sensitive enough especially given this example: http://mediamatters.org/mmtv/200908050066
where I think if this was said in the same way and said using American instead of Palestinian, there would be an uproar).Like I said previously I don’t mind your opinion because I am willing to read it and give it a chance, and I hope others give me the same curtesy. Whether or not I like something I always try to give everything a valid chance before I make up my mind, come to definates, and I try not to let my emotions or my personal bias’ sway me. I fully understand that my opinion or my morals may be different from others and I try as much as I can to not shove it down the throats of others. It’s the way I was raised by complete hypocrite parents and a hypocritical Catholic school system, along with living in many communities around the world where you can tell that all people share similar ideals but often let personal rhetoric get in the way of understanding other points of views, valid or otherwise…which once again is displayed by this entire event: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/03/orly-taitz-melts-down-on_n_250441.html?page=12&show_comment_id=28348680#comment_28348680
People think that if you agree to disagree or if you agree with other opinions (opinions=onions? everyone has one and it stinks?)it means you don’t have your OWN thoughts and that you are not convicted. What if I was convicted enough to be a middle of the road thinker (not a status quo thinker) but agreeing with both left and the right or disagreeing with borth sides. That shouldn’t be mindblowing at all should it, because my opinon just like your’s should be allowed in the public sphere of free speech and free thought and democracy even if I am right or wrong. I could very well do what you advised (whether given in actual guise of being helpful or in jest. it doesn’t really bother me) but I like many people have an online persona and I’m happy enough to play a game. I like getting the responses that I’m a crazy raving incoherent lunatic and I am 12 years old in actuality or in mental capacity just because my use of words and the way i type/the way i choose to communicate online is an eyesore as well as coma inducing for people. I know all of that. My biggest excuse is that I am not coming online to be 100% constructive or authentically myself and I like to drive people to both sides of the spectrum…if you don’t get it already I am a **** disturber and most times I like what I do. So your advice like the many others is duley noted. There are many internet usage and forum usage outlines on the interent (I’ve read a lot in my life…I actually like reading things, even terms of service documents and my rights as a user along with provider’s rights of content) and they are all phrased in various ways but contain lots of the same messages. Me, I don’t care. Whether I am typing using proper language(s) and abiding by grammar rules, basic rules of effective communication, or even debasing the english language, I am one of the disillusioned. I could be reading books written my professors about the use of proper english communications and still find spelling mistakes, comma errors, run on sentences, fragments, etc…and as much as I might like to preach against stupidity, I am also quite happy to be apart of the “allow for stupid” culture that is being embraced by people all around the world.
In crusading against the debasing of the english language or coherent communications, but also being a debasor, I am an admitted and accepted hypocrite. I am working to cure myself from this oh so horrible infliction (it’s kinda hard especially when you come from a religious background and you’re at the top of the class but you know that you played games to see if people will call you out for your puposely placed bullshit)and I will keep trying and I will succeed. If that doesn’t sound like some hyperbole, sarcasm, bs mantra then I don’t know what it is. The all encompassing point is that this whole online experience of sharing and contributing is a game to me, and I am in on the game even if I’ve been at this same excuse of “online persona” for a long time and could be swept to believe that I really am the way I come across online. I’ll keep doing what I want to do, good advice or not, and I haven’t found it to be the time for me to stop being an idiot.
If people choose to read what I type and try to understand what I mean then fine. If not, then that is also alright. Sometimes I actually comment on stories, not because of the actual information provided, but because of the comments. The comments section is the best place to try and get a glimpse of what is going on in people’s minds and I’m glad the internet has given me this easy way of people watching, where before it used to be op ed pieces in newspapers (paper not online), organized events, or subway & cafe watching. The comments section is also one of the best ways to educate yourself on people who are looking to get your personal information and maybe do you dirty. People come online and think it’s the perfect place to put all their information…whereas some people come online and purposely leave misinformation and traps for people because of ulterior motives. I mean what if the information I provided in all my precious comments were not true and I posted in the hope of pissing someone off enough for them to slip up? Anyways this is my first time on this site and I just happened to be online and click some links that lead here. I didn’t even research this website or who runs it first before posting because I don’t plan on being a recurring commenter. I commented here because of the comments and not because of the story. Everyone is on a screw CNN campaign, whether the charges are true or not and out of the many sites I’ve visited in the last couple of weeks this was one of the only I posted on. Oh well. Discussion is great and people should keep doing this. Good website. This page is my introduction to how this site looks/runs and although it’s good the design could be better. Good on whoever picked the neutral colours and went for the blue. Comments sections could be updated, but overall from what I see I would probably come back and visit/comment on this website. But then I wouldn’t be staying true to my online persona. Good on the plumline. I don’t know if you are liberal or republican or have a bias lean in reporting but from what I’ve read so far it’s not too bad. I hope all the regulars to this site and the comments section keep it up.
Thanks and Bye.
lol. my comment is waiting for moderation. i didn’t even think there was a moderator or a filter working here because my comments and other people comments got posted. so cursing is allowed on this website though. good.
well i hope the other comment gets posted. the links i posted aren’t bad even if they are from other websites. hmm.
I hope all of you write CNN and tell them that you’re not watching anymore and why. Corporate news media is as self interested and about the status quo as the big, huge corporate health insurance agencies. And as far as the comments on this board, I can see who is very educated and constructive in their arguments as opposed to those who easily fall for the corporate lobbiest b.s. that’s being pulled over their eyes, who are not very well educated or informed…they are the ones who are falling for this and as a result, playing into being exploited for big corporate gains and causing us to all lose out on objectivity in news reporting…and it’s undermining our freedoms, as we speak. Instead of relying on ads or whatever other medium to get our point across, maybe we should also take to the streets and demand our rights back. We should get out and talk and educate others…not leave it in the hands of those we’re not even sure we can trust anymore. Obama got his presidency through the grass roots movements of the people. The real grassroots movement of people who wanted change so badly, they went on block walks and would hand out flyers, volunteer and inform others in a postiive, engaging and upbeat sort of way. Why not continue that but do so for health care reform and do so also for the environment. Tell our congress persons who is boss…it’s not the big, wealthy corporations nor the loud-mouthed, meanspirited ignorant people who are misguided and blinded by such hollow rhetoric…we have to inform the ignorant that they have the most to gain by having health care reform and that health care is a right in this country. You’re a citizen of this country, you have a fundamental human right to adequate health care. 22 other industrialized nations have quality, affordable universal health care. Why not we? And what are we waiting for? We cannot wait for others to be our voice, we must be the voice for ourselves. What do you say?
Morning Joe on MSNBC Thursday morning dismissed how the nasty protests at townhalls were organized. Following Republican Joe Scarbough’s and Pat Buchanann’s lead they said it was an honest representation of widely felt anger about healthcare reform.
This is odd since shows on the same network like Rachel Madow have clearly shown that DCI, etc. are lobbyists that are actively working to defeat reform. They are paid by the criminal Rick Scott and other right wing nuts.
Write to Morning Joe to protest this one sided slant [worthy more of the Republican controlled Fox Channel].
Let me clarify: those who are not very well educated or informed fall easily for whatever corporate news media and whatever pundits they have on tell them. IT astonishes me how hollow and ridiculous the GOP and their corporate media sponsorship’s rhetoric really is, the fallacies they commit, the errors, the falsehoods, the fearmongering, the flat out lies and the purposeful misleading and twisting of facts and no one stops them. No one questions them or holds them to task on anything. That is why people who are not informed easily fall for this **** and buy into their nonesense that works against their interests. It would be very helpful if we all organized and not only switched off the television to big corporate news, but wrote letters en mass demanding change and really start block walking again and putting information out there on behalf of health care reform. Combatting fear for facts and sharing with the public how harmful these big insurance companies have been to many families who have lost homes and lost everything to medical bills or lost coverage for pre existing conditions or weren’t covered for certain testing and procedures, etc. etc. the list is endless and everyone in America, even if they like their coverage, has a story or two about how they’ve had to deal with unfairness or not being able to choose their doctors, etc. etc. So, with the power of the poeple, maybe if we carefully organize and construct our arguments, we can organize and fight those who want the status quo, want all the power, priviledge and money to stay right where it’s at. It’s all about the big, bottom line, they (insurers/health care conglomerates) could care less about what happens to you…We need health care reform and accountability…we need a public option for the fifty million uninsured in this country. Health care is a right and we cannot depend on the media to tell our story, inform the public or tell the truth. We have to do it,
CNN is a private corporation. They sell “news”. As far as I know, they are under no legal obligation to be objective. So that means they can dress up their product (the news) to make it more profitable. If people don’t like it they don’t have to buy it. I suppose there are other sources of news aside from the giant propaganda machines manned by the Dems and GOP.
Well.. the solution is simple. Add other insure’s CEOs and their salary to the ad (MCS,Blue Cross, etc) that way it wont be “..unnecessarily singles out an individual company and person.” tsk tsk…
Well S, YOU certainly have the DNC line down pat!
It couldn’t POSSIBLY be that Obama’s trying to ram through a HUGE program that NOBODY’S read, and no one has a CLUE as to what will happen and how much it will cost, except that it WILL ration health care and it WILL be obscenely expensive.
No, no. It’s GOTTA be that the mean ol’ Rebublicans and the mean ol’ insurance companies are just… well… MEAN.
Obama doesn’t want his health care abortion to get the scrutiny it deserves, because he knows it will not stand up to the light of day. Gotta ram it through now before the whole nation figures out that he couldn’t run a successful lemonade stand!
In Germany it was the “rich Jews”, now in America the far left want to single out the “rich Whiteman”. You far left Che/Karl Marx lovers are just waiting for concentration camps to put those “rich white” CEO’s and their families in aren’t ya? This is Free market capitalism..not social utopia. Move to Venezuela.
We need a permanent, Corporate-proof Fairness Doctrine with teeth. Enough fascism. It stops now.
http://www.light-to-dark.com/unanticipated.html
Shame on CNN.
I have a hard time understanding how anyone other than the executives and shareholders of the private insurance companies could think that our current healthcare system is meeting the needs of the American people. I’m a medical professional myself and support universal health care reform. I’ve written my Congressman, Senators, and the President on more than one occasion and have also called their offices to voice my support for reform. I’ve also spent countless hours researching what the best overall way is to bring down long term costs in order to provide everybody accessible and affordable health care. Here’s my solutions – http://bit.ly/9QLV8.
I will be taking off CNN from my bookmarks and not watching it on TV. MSNBC is now my favorite. Is that the only channel that can’t be bought and honesty can be found here. CNN you have been going down the toilet so Good-bye you can keep your NUT DOOBS. He turns my stomach. Please get C. Amanpour, Jeff Toobin and Fareed to MSNBC. The ret are all wolves in sheep clothing.
Yeah I have to give it too CNN this time. I thought they were supposed to keep it honest. Lol Cafferty is my favorite too, him and Rolin Martin.
The current system and Obama’s system both suck and cost too much. Neither system will help people get sick less often or live any longer. Just dump your health insurance and your mortgage too while you’re at it. Use the extra time and money to stop Obama’s socialist takeover of your country.
“CNN, The Most Trusted Name in Right-Wing Censorship!”
Or is it the Clintonite News Network? Really the Clintons are Republicans in Democrat clothing. This network purports to be “fair and balanced” but has all but silenced any opposition to its increasingly “whacko right-wing fringe” philosophies and pundits, like Lou Dobbs. Remember, the Clintons would love nothing better than to see healthcare crash and burn so that Obama goes down in flames so that the “white lady” Hillary Clinton can run again for President. Nothing but thinly veiled racism and conservatism from the Clintons and CNN, their network.
Just wait, they’ll have Lou Dobbs in a Pants Suit and pearls in no time.
Well, good for CNN. I’m not a fan of censorship, but history shows that this add would cause undue and unnecessary harassment of the executive’s family. In the past when individual executives get singled out there kids often get intimidated by special interest groups.
If you really want to FIGHT BACK and TAKE DOWN the Healthcare Lobbyists Visit Your Doctors
AND
Pass this Article around to your Friends and Social Networks pages….This will work if all of us go see our doctors. Checkups, Eye Exams, Dentists….Do not forget about your kids. Use your healthcare benefits now while work you still have a job. What if something is wrong with you or your family members? Two weeks layoff notice will not be enough time for anything other than a checkup.
How To Take Down The Healthcare Lobbyists
http://msmpost.com/news/127/ARTICLE/1347/2009-08-06.html
Your Support Is Important…
What goes on behind closed doors at CNN when a decision like this is made? Advertisers, from drug companies to big insurance conglomerates threaten to withdraw their advertising dollars. This is the ultimate reality of all corporate news in a free-for all market without any regulation. 21st century coos and revolutions will be fought on the airwaves.
I was watching CNN morning show and was SHOCKED and appauled by an add by U.S. Citizens Association. It was a disgusting pack of lies from start to finish all designed to incite fear and hate. How low will this organization go? How low will CNN go? The most trusted name in news just lost any trust that I might have had.
I get my news fix from various internet sources. Haven’t wasted time on televised news since 2000. What frightens me is the feeling I’m getting that Americans are so incredibly dumb they believe CNN, Fox and their ilk are giving us actual NEWS instead of prepackaged propaganda. Mad as hell. Really NOT gonna take it anymore!
You realize there is a very good reason to have a policy of refusing ads targeting a specific person or entity. CNN could be breaking the law and on the hook for damages on grounds of libel for ads of this sort (where a non-politician is targeted).
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CNN BLOCKED ME FOR TELLING THE TRUTH AND I’M SURE I’M NOT THE ONLY ONE.
Great site! I absolutely LOVE the content on here. Be sure to keep up the good work and update regularly, I will check back quite often. Very informative!
Great site! I absolutely LOVE the content on here. Be sure to keep up the good work and update regularly, I will check back quite often. Very informative!
Great site! I absolutely LOVE the content on here. Be sure to keep up the good work and update regularly, I will check back quite often. Very informative!