Rudy in Caught in Medical Lie
If anyone questions whether Rudy Giuliani has balls need look no further than his latest radio spot. As an example of how America's health care system is the best in the world and beyond the meddling of some pinko universal coverage scheme, Rudy cites his own recovery from prostate cancer a few years back and then dumps all over Britain's medical system with some bogus stats.
Everyone's blown the story out of the water, including New York Times, the Washington Post, and MSNBC, but Salon has the best article on the story of how Rudy touted easily refutable facts and did it all with a smile.
Rudy's ad says, quite matter-of-factly: "I had prostate cancer five, six years ago. My chance of surviving cancer -- and thank God I was cured of it -- in the United States: 82 percent. My chances of surviving prostate cancer in England: only 44 percent under socialized medicine."
But as Salon's Joe Conason notes, "Accurate and current data, easily available from public health agencies and medical authorities, shows that the survival rate from prostate cancer in England is better than 74 percent and in the United States is better than 98 percent."
So, Rudy has a problem with the numbers. So what? A little fudging is commonplace when you're battling the commies. They want The Government to take care of your problems. We need a man who KNOWS the government can't do anything. Who better than Rudy Giuliani (former government prosecutor and mayor of New York City) to show us the way. Oh, did we mention Rudy's recovery was while he was Mayor and covered by an insurance policy for city government workers?
Regardless of where you stand on universal healthcare, this kind of things makes you question Rudy's judgment. Who in their right mind would put out such an easily refuted ad and not expect anyone to figure it out?
Comments
"...shows that the survival rate from prostate cancer in England is better than 74 percent and in the United States is better than 98 percent." Still makes his point though.
Posted by: Miranda | November 2, 2007 2:59 PM