What Do Anti-Health Care Reform Right-Wingers And Aging Internet Daters Have In Common?

Desperation...

Right-wingers anxious to kill health care reform remind me of middle-aged guys who flirt with women online, thinking they've still got "it" when they clearly don't; they are desperate and will say anything.

From Media Matters:

During the July 20 edition of his Fox News program, Sean Hannity falsely claimed that "if we look at the provisions of the bill, it's pretty astounding. For example, if you're not -- if you don't have private insurance the year that this bill is passed, you can't get that later on from your employer." In fact, section 311 of the tri-committee House health care reform bill allows employers to meet coverage requirements by offering employees "coverage under a qualified health benefits plan (or under a current employment-based health plan (within the meaning of section 102(b))) in accordance with section 312."

From section 311 of the America's Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009:

SEC. 311. HEALTH COVERAGE PARTICIPATION REQUIREMENTS.

An employer meets the requirements of this section if such employer does all of the following:

(1) OFFER OF COVERAGE. -- The employer offers each employee individual and family coverage under a qualified health benefits plan (or under a current employment-based health plan (within the meaning of section 102(b))) in accordance with section 312.

(2) CONTRIBUTION TOWARDS COVERAGE. -- If an employee accepts such offer of coverage, the employer makes timely contributions towards such coverage in accordance with section 312.

(3) CONTRIBUTION IN LIEU OF COVERAGE. -- Beginning with Y2, if an employee declines such offer but otherwise obtains coverage in an Exchange-participating health benefits plan (other than by reason of being covered by family coverage as a spouse or dependent of the primary insured), the employer shall make a timely contribution to the Health Insurance Exchange with respect to each such employee in accordance with section 313.

Section 312 states that an employer "offers the coverage described in section 311(1) either through an Exchange-participating health benefits plan or other than through such a plan." It also provides that the employer must contribute a certain portion of the costs of the plan.

William Kristol wrote a piece on his Weekly Standard blog yesterday, urging fellow reform foes to "go for the kill." Kristol, of course, hates the idea of health care reform, and took the same position against the Clinton plan in 1994.

"This is the week to highlight every problem, every terrible provision, in the Democratic bills," Kristol wrote yesterday. "Throw the kitchen sink at the legislation now on the table, drive a stake through its heart (I apologize for the mixed metaphors), and kill it."

Right-wingers from Hannity and Kristol to Michelle Malkin, Matt Drudge, the ubiquitous Rush Limbaugh and other conservative media--not to mention virtually the entire FOX News line-up--are, indeed, desperate. And just like that would-be Internet Lothario, they are saying anything, oblivious to the fact that--unlike 15 years ago--they just don't have it anymore.