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Most misleading press release headline of the day

Friday, Mar 26, 2010 - Posted by Rich Miller

* Our not-so-prestigious award goes to ALEC, the conservative legislative group. The e-mail subject line was “IL and OK Legislatures Oppose Obamacare.” Here’s the text of the headline and the lede…

Illinois Is 40th State to Defend Health Care Choice; Oklahoma Health Freedom Bill Poised for Ballot

Washington, D.C.—Yesterday, Illinois became the 40th state where legislators have introduced, or will introduce, legislation modeled after the American Legislative Exchange Council’s (ALEC) Freedom of Choice in Health Care Act. Illinois House Bill 6842 prohibits a requirement to purchase health insurance and would provide the state with protection in a constitutional challenge of the federal health reform bill.

Introducing a bill with a handful of co-sponsors does not translate into the Legislature opposing something. If that was the case, the Legislature could be said to support gassing to death puppies and kitties en masse.

That a major national organization which deals exclusively with state legislative issues would make such a goofy claim is just beyond me. Here’s how ALEC describes itself…

The American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) is the nation’s largest nonpartisan, individual membership organization of state legislators.

Everybody knows they have a conservative bent, but that press release shows they also have clear hackish tendencies. They certainly ought to know all the terms of legislative art.

…Adding… As we discussed the other day, NCSL did a study of the bills introduced nationwide on this issue and found ALEC’s claims lacking.

…Adding more… How’s about a question: What’s the goofiest press release you’ve seen lately?

       

12 Comments
  1. - VanillaMan - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:29 pm:

    Dumb


  2. - George - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:32 pm:

    Can we amend the Freedom of Choice Act to include a prohibition on a requirement to pay federal income taxes, too?

    Funny, all this Republican outrage over a “Republican Idea”.

    See, I told you the national Dems shouldn’t have compromised so much. :)


  3. - Kevin Fanning - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:34 pm:

    Haha my dad just sent me that email. Too funny.


  4. - Deep South - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:42 pm:

    It seems to me that the wacky are getting wackier by the day. I bet it is no where near 40 states.


  5. - dupage dan - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:56 pm:

    In the mental health field this is known as magical thinking. Delusional.

    While I may wish it is so, that don’t make it true.


  6. - Samwise - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:56 pm:

    Is the 2 p.m. Quinn presser streaming anywhere?


  7. - Rich Miller - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 1:58 pm:

    Not that I can find. WBBM Radio may be covering it live. Not sure.


  8. - Secret Square - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 2:20 pm:

    If it was ALEC’s idea to call its proposed health insurance bill the “Freedom of Choice Act,” or some variation thereof, knowing what the words “Freedom of Choice Act” immediately make most conservatives think of (abortion)… well, I agree their press/marketing skills leave a bit to be desired.


  9. - Will County Woman - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 2:35 pm:

    i changed my plans today for quinn’s big lt. guv pick announcement, and nothing yet?!? it’s after 2:30! i should not have changed my plans.


  10. - Marcus Agrippa - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 3:51 pm:

    ALEC is a tool for Republican legislator talking points. When discussing possible income tax hikes they refer to “a recent study” stating that Illinois is the 48th worst state in the union. They never give the source of the statistic, and they don’t mention is that ALEC rates Illinois is 10th in the country on income tax and 11th in sales tax. Our biggest negatives (in the 40s) - the minimum wage and “liability climate. I also see that one of their main priorities is “cracking ACORN”. Yeah, that’s really important for state legislatures.


  11. - vole - Friday, Mar 26, 10 @ 4:02 pm:

    “IL and OK” … stop right there. The rest cannot be true. If it is, we in a world of trouble. But, looking at some of the things being said in IL and by some of our representatives (e.g. Shimkus), some of that OKie logic (James Inhofe variety) has jumped a couple of state lines. I think it is that mercury in IL coal — fertilizing some brain cells.


  12. - gary klass - Saturday, Mar 27, 10 @ 4:32 pm:

    This was cute:

    “Introducing a bill with a handful of co-sponsors does not translate into the Legislature opposing something. If that was the case, the Legislature could be said to support gassing to death puppies and kitties en masse.”

    On the other hand, I suspect a lot of those legislators who voted against gassing puppies were just trying to hide the fact that they raise most of their campaign funds at dog fights.


Sorry, comments for this post are now closed.


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