August 28, 2009 - Speaking with Fox editorialist Sean Hannity on Thursday, U.S. Senator John McCain (R-AZ), a beneficiary of government-funded health care, supported the myth that President Barack Obama's health insurance reforms would establish some kind of nebulous, undefined "death panel."

Hannity was specifically talking about the literature, "Your Life, Your Choice," which he insinuated somehow encourages sick and dying veterans to not be a burden on society.

The claim is an echo of the latest attack on the proposed insurance reforms.

First came Palin's allegation that a so-called "death panel" would have killed her down syndrome baby.

More recently, RNC Chairman Michael Steele alleged that a VA pamphlet dredged up by the Obama administration is encouraging vets to "commit suicide."

Hannity's cleverly-worded question merely piggy-backed on this fallacy, albeit through the use of softer terminology.

Addressing McCain, the Fox pundit asked, "Is that the kind of death panel that people were maybe afraid of ... ?"

McCain, a veteran himself, answered: "Yes."

He added: "But, I think they're also concerned because they're well-read, they're knowledgeable, they're informed. They know what's happening in other countries where basically there is a rationing of health care, particularly when people reach a certain age, as to what kind of treatment people can get and if they can get it, and the incredible delays seen in acquiring that kind of care. So, I think it's not just that. I think it's the example of government-run health care in other countries, which is not ... Wa ... America is not ready for that."

"Steele made the charge [on August 25th] on FOX News," noted a Veterans for Common Sense press release. "Steele's egregious comments are an outrageous slander against [the] VA designed to create an atmosphere of mistrust and fear among the millions of our veterans who rely on the VA for medical care. Veterans demand an apology from Steele and FOX News."

"Let me be absolutely clear, Steele lied. There is no VA manual encouraging veterans to commit suicide," said VCS Executive Director Paul Sullivan in the advisory.

... All of which leads this writer to wonder when a reporter with access to Sen. McCain will ask him, directly, if there is in fact literature at the VA encouraging vets to "commit suicide."

Hopefully that reporter will remind the man who would be President that he cannot have it both ways. Either there is, or there is not.

And if the Senator truly thinks there's such reasonable fear of a not-for-profit, government-sponsored health insurance plan, perhaps that reporter's follow-up question should be: "Why do you use government health care yourself?"

The Raw Story