MEMORANDUMFROM: RNC Press Secretary Kirsten Kukowski @kakukowski
TO: Interested Parties
RE: Democrats’ Lie Of The Year
Last week, PolitiFact awarded the Lie of the Year to President Obama for the infamous promise, “If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.”
But it’s not just President Obama who deserves the prize. Several Democrat Senators and Congressmen—including those running for the Senate next November—were his willing accomplices, deliberately misleading the American people as they tried to defend ObamaCare. They weren’t just quoting the president. They were putting their own credibility on the line. It was a team effort, and they are the rightful co-winners of Lie of the Year.
It’s doubtful ObamaCare would have passed without that lie. As such, that lie had consequences: over five million Americans have received cancellation notices for their individual insurance plans because of ObamaCare.
This was no small fib. Americans have a right to be upset, and November 2014 will be their chance to do something about it. And we guarantee we’ll replay or reproduce those words as often as possible. Voters need to know these candidates cannot be trusted to keep their promises.
Here’s a sampling of vulnerable Democrats running for Senate repeating the Lie of the Year:
- Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR), 2009: “If you like your current health insurance, you will be able to keep it. And you will be able to continue seeing your current doctor.” (“What Health Care Reform Means For You,” Office Of Sen. Jeff Merkley, 8/11/09)
- Sen. Kay Hagan (D-NC), 2009: “If you’ve got health insurance, in our country, you keep it. Whatever we do, I don’t want to dismantle any system where people are happy with the coverage that they have.” (Sen. Kay Hagan, Remarks At HCAN Rally, 6/25/09)
- Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA), 2009: “Those individuals who like the coverage they already have will be able to keep their current plan.” (Sen. Mary Landrieu, Floor Remarks, 12/22/09)
- Rep. Gary Peters (D-MI), 2009: “If you’re covered and you like your insurance, you can keep it.” (Kathleen Gray, “Peters Queried, Not Booed, Over Health Care,”Detroit Free Press, 8/20/09)
- Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), 2009: “Everyone will have the freedom to keep their health care plan if they like it.” (Sen. Jeanne Shaheen, Floor Remarks, 10/15/09)
