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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333333" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#333333'><a
href="http://tinyurl.com/2uywfh" target="_blank">http://tinyurl.com/2uywfh</a><o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333333" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#333333'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333333" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#333333'>-----------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<h1><b><font size=6 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:24.0pt'>Conservatives
target 12-year-old boy and his family in S-CHIP debate<o:p></o:p></span></font></b></h1>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>It
seemed like a straightforward political move. In the midst of the debate over
the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP), before the
president vetoed expanding access for millions of low-income children,
Democrats invited a 12-year-old boy, Graeme Frost, to deliver the party’s
radio address. The point, obviously, was to humanize the policy debate —
instead of just another politician reading talking points, <a
href="http://www.swamppolitics.com/news/politics/blog/2007/09/12year_old_to_give_dems_weekly.html">here
was a kid</a> who was able to get the medical care he needed after a serious
car accident caused severe brain trauma, paralyzed one of his vocal chords, and
put him in a coma.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>That
was two weeks ago. Over the weekend, several conservative activists and
bloggers decided it was time to do what the right does best: smear anyone who
gets in their way. The Conservative Attack Machine <a
href="http://www.memeorandum.com/071007/p59#a071007p59">decided</a> Graeme
Frost and his family didn’t deserve benefits under S-CHIP and went after
the Frosts <a href="http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/08/attacking-graeme-frost/">with
a vengeance</a>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>A
<a href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907687/posts">poster at the
Free Republic</a> propagated information alleging that Frost was actually a
rich kid being pampered by the government. Among other bits of information, the
post by the Freeper “<a
href="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1907687/posts">icwhatudo</a>”
asserts that Graeme and his sister Gemma attend wealthy schools that cost
“nearly $40,000 per year for tuition” and live in a well-off home.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
smear attack against Graeme has taken firm hold in the right-wing blogosphere.
The <a
href="http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=MDAzYjY5OWVkMmQxZTJmNTZlNDNjZTlhOGU3NjNlZDA=">National
Review</a>, <a
href="http://michellemalkin.com/2007/10/08/graeme-frost-and-the-perils-of-democrat-poster-child-abuse/">Michelle
Malkin</a>, <a
href="http://wizbangblog.com/content/2007/10/07/the-not-so-poor-voice-of-schip.php">Wizbang</a>,
<a href="http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives/2007/10/018686.php">Powerline</a>,
and the <a
href="http://www.weeklystandard.com/weblogs/TWSFP/2007/10/daily_blog_buzz_1.asp">Weekly
Standard blog</a> have all launched assaults on the Frost family. The story is
slowly working its way into <a
href="http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalradar/2007/10/dems-poster-chi.html">traditional
media outlets</a> as well.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>It
would merely be regrettable if the right invaded the Frosts’ privacy and
attacked them for speaking up, but this is much worse — the conservatives
launching the attacks got their facts wrong.<br>
<br>
<span id=more-13165></span>For example, the right hammered Graeme for attending
an expensive private school. What his attackers neglected to mention is that
the school only charges the Frosts $500 a year.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
right hammered Graeme’s sister, who suffered brain injuries in the
family’s car accident, for also attending an expensive private school,
without noting that the state covers her tuition.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>The
right blasted the Frost family for living in a neighborhood where some homes
sell for nearly a half-million dollars. What their attackers neglected to
mention is that the family bought their home 16 years ago for $55,000, in what
was once a less-safe part of <st1:City w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Baltimore</st1:place></st1:City>.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>By
any reasonable measure, the Frost family is struggling. The parents’
combined income is $45,000. They have four kids, all of whom qualify for
S-CHIP, and all of whom would have no insurance without the state benefits. The
right has decided to characterize the Frosts as an example of a wealthy family
on welfare. The reality is that conservatives are smearing a family in need of
a hand.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>What’s
more, Michelle Malkin claims she <a href="http://www.balloon-juice.com/?p=8823">went
to the Frost’s home and workplace</a> yesterday. A co-worker of the
father said the family is “struggling,” but Malkin remained
skeptical.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>Now,
when dealing with a large group of conservatives who oppose healthcare for poor
children on principle, I suppose it’s best to keep expectations low. But
this is perhaps the most vile smear the right has launched in recent memory.
The Frosts are not political candidates. They are not publicity-seekers. They
are not political players of any kind. This is a family who can’t afford
healthcare for their kids who need it, and they showed courage asking the
president to do what’s right for other families in similar circumstances.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>And
for that, the right has made this family a target. Conservatives are having
trouble winning the policy debate on the merits, so they’re going after a
12-year-old child and his family. Worse, conservatives launched their smear
before getting the facts straight.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>I’m
old fashioned, but I like to believe there are certain lines of decency that
shouldn’t be crossed, even in the course of heated political debate. As
this story makes clear, there are far too many on the right for whom these
lines are invisible. They are shameless, they are callous, and they are scary.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'><a
href="http://digbysblog.blogspot.com/2007/10/fetid-compost-where-their-hearts-should.html">Digby’s
take</a>, of course, was terrific.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>“This
is so loathsome I am literally sick to my stomach. These kids were hurt in a
car accident. Their parents could not afford health insurance — and sure as
hell couldn’t get it now with a severely handicapped daughter. And these
shrieking wingnut jackasses are harassing their family for publicly supporting
the program that allowed the kids to get health care. A program, by the way,
which a large number of these Republicans support as well.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>They
went after Michael J. Fox. They went after a wounded <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place
w:st="on">Iraq</st1:place></st1:country-region> war veteran. Now they are
going after handicapped kids. There is obviously no limit to how low these
people will go.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>They’d
better pray that they stay rich and healthy and live forever because if there
is a hell these people are going to be on the express train to the 9th circle
the minute they shuffle off their useless mortal coils.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>Scum.”<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span lang=EN style='font-size:12.0pt'>Indeed.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color="#333333" face=Verdana><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Verdana;color:#333333'>-----------------------------------------------------------<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p><font size=2 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:10.0pt'>Seeya
round town, <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City></st1:place>.<br>
<br>
Tom Hansen<br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><st1:City w:st="on">Moscow</st1:City>, <st1:State w:st="on">Idaho</st1:State></st1:place><br>
<br>
"We're a town of about 23,000 with 10,000 college students. The college
students are not very active in local elections (thank goodness!)."<br>
<br>
- Dale Courtney (March 28, 2007)</span></font> <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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