Specter pushes GOP/FOX talking points on FOX, Sestak obliterated it.

[whiteroses]

from americablog.com

http://www.americablog.com/2009/08/arlen-specter-keeps-pushing-gopfox.html

[PADEMJES12]

1. Again... here is my response... Specter rightfully concerned by questionnaire

Here, is the entire fox news interview regarding the VA End of Life Decisions Booklet:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5gDSnmpuSOA (Towey)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BSghLPrNrfc (Duckworth)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqX11PfHwtg (Specter)

Folks, Im at a loss for anyone who fails to find it concerning that veterans are asked to fill out suggestive questions on a questionnaire
such as, "is my life worth living if i am in a wheel chair" or "is my life worth living because i am a financial
burden". We all know know under each scenario that our veterans have, can, and deserve to lead productive lives
when being in these situations. These are inappropriate questions in my mind to be asking veterans, who deserve
our full support in all situations. There is a reason this booklet was suspended.

I applaud Senator Specter for pledging to commit to explore the nature and texture of these questions. This matter as Towey, Duckworth, and Specter mention has not been brought to President Obama's attention yet. It is right for Senator Specter to be aggressive in wanting to call for a hearing on the Veterans Committee to examine the contents of this booklet (particularly the questionnaire) and to offer any additional legislation, if necessary. The contents, particularly the questionnaire, which indeed may warrant some of its contents stripped and/or revised after a hearing. I agree that if these questions are inappropriate and this matter should be taken up immediately, as Sen. Specter mentions by the Veterans Committee. Apparently, Number9Dream earlier and now Joe Sestak...are u both arguing that we should ignore the matter????

Have fun hanging out with your new friend Pat Toomey. You accuse Specter of agreeing with and co-mingling
with "fox" news on a veterans issue... lets not politicize this issue. Id say its rather hypocritical of you to try and tie
Specter coming in to discuss a matter of importance for veterans with patronizing fox. The questionnaire, which IS PART
OF the booklet needs reviewed. Sen. Specter, I think is concerned with reviewing the booklet to make sure it AND ITS Questionnaire
have appropriate content. I wish Rep. Sestak was as equally focused on that same concern.

[T Wolf]

2. Spectre will hopefully be gone after the next election. There is not one Democratic bone in that

decaying old body, and certainly no liberal thought in what's left of his mind.

Personally, I applaud Sestak AND Toomey for taking the initiative in giving Pennsylvanians a real choice - between a Democrat and a repuke.

Leave the traitor out of the picture. We certainly do not need a rethug pretending he is a Democrat muddying up the issues.

[PADEMJES12]

3. Sestak himself agrees Specter is right by exploring this issue

From Rep. Sestak:

Sestak acknowledges that “Anyone may criticize — and, indeed, suggest improvements to the pamphlet”

I am indeed questioning suggestive nature and selection of some of the questions. The veterans committee is right in exploring this issue and Specter is right to have the committee examine the pamphlet. In fact, Sestak himself acknowledges that the pamphlet may be criticized or improvements suggested, but then attacks Arlen????

Again, Isn't that kinda hypocritical of Joe in an attempt to score political points? Sen. Specter wants to examine the pamphlet and its contents, which according to Rep. Sestak is fine to do. In fact, Im glad our Senator is doing this, as opposed to trying to play Monday morning quarterback like Sestak.

[Number9Dream]

4. A question of how concerns are handled

I hadn't posted on this thread, but since PADEMJES accused me here of wanting to "ignore veterans issues", I too will re-post from another thread. What bothers many was that Sen. Specter was too quick to comment on a booklet which he hadn't read, instead accepting Fox distortions as facts. My criticism is of the way Sen. Specter handled any concerns he might have had, not of being concerned. AFTER reading the booklet, Sen. Specter should have discussed his concerns privately with the VA, and taken it from there. When Sen. Specter calls for hearings based on Fox distortions, without first fact-checking, it helps Fox politicize a veterans issue.

Here is the booklet:

http://www.rihlp.org/pubs/Your_life_your_choices.pdf

The booklet's correct subtitle is: Planning for Future Medical Decisions: How to Prepare a Personalized Living Will. (Not the Fox news: VA End of Life Decisions Booklet as PADEMJES keeps calling it).

From page 3: "There’s only one person who is truly qualified to tell health care providers how you feel about different kinds of health care issues—and that’s you. But, what if you get sick, or injured so severely that you can’t communicate with your doctors or family members?" It's about living wills, NOT assisted suicide.
One of the first things hospitals & skilled nursing facilities ask of seriously ill patients is do they have a living will?

The misquoted "suggestive questions", are part of a section encouraging the person to express their wishes to their family regarding what makes life worth living . "Discussing your answers with others can help them understand what is important to you and where you stand with respect to health care decisions." Sounds like a good idea to me. Please at least skim the booklet, before condemning it.

I'm a veteran, my father was a veteran, and nowhere did I ever say to ignore any veteran's issue. I've refrained from making this personal. You don't want to make this personal.

[AlinPA]

5. Good point there: "Old GOP habits die hard -- and Specter was a GOPer for a long,

long, long time." I'm sure he feels right at home on Fox "News".

[PADEMJES12]

6. The only thing no show joe can obliterate

is peoples attention spans after hearing him speak for a few minutes. Besides, i like candidates
that are supportive of our judicial candidates and fellow democrats around the state (such as
Senator Specter).