FreedomWorks Release Echoes Frank Luntz's Memo
On May 28, 2009, FreedomWorks issued a press release in which it nearly quoted Frank Luntz's infamous health care memo word-for-word.
Bureaucrats In Between Doctors And Patients
FreedomWorks Release: "Congress is considering a health care plan that would centralize health care decisions within Washington and would put a bureaucrat in between doctors and patients." [FreedomWorks Release, accessed 5/28/09; emphasis added]
Luntz Memo, Rule 7: "One-size-does-NOT-fit-all." The idea that a "committee of Washington bureaucrats" will establish the standard of care for all Americans and decide who gets what treatment based on how much it costs is anathema to Americans. Your approach? Call for the "protection of the personalized doctor-patient relationship." It allows you to fight to protect and improve something good rather than only fighting to prevent something bad. [The Language of Healthcare 2009, by Frank Luntz, accessed 5/21/09, emphasis original]
Government Takeover
FreedomWorks: "FreedomWorks Activists Fight Government Takeover of Health Care." [FreedomWorks Release, accessed 5/28/09]
Luntz Memo, Rule 5: "You'll notice we recommend the phrase 'government takeover' rather than 'government run' or 'government controlled' It's because too many politician say 'we don't want a government run healthcare system like Canada or Great Britain' without explaining those consequences." [The Language of Healthcare 2009, by Frank Luntz, accessed 5/21/09, emphasis original]
Tax Increases For Socialized Medicine
FreedomWorks: "FreedomWorks launched a grassroots campaign to stop the alcohol tax hike scheme this week during Congress' Memorial Day Recess in order to slow down the socialized medicine stampede by taking out its funding mechanism." [FreedomWorks Release, accessed 5/28/09]
Luntz Memo, Page 10: "We should be cautious of proposed government fixes that increase taxpayer costs and shrink personal choices. And we should avoid government intrusion that decreases quality and increases bureaucracy." [The Language of Healthcare 2009, by Frank Luntz, accessed 5/21/09; emphasis added]
