McCain Defends the Charge of "Death Panels"

August 24, 2009 (LPAC)—Speaking on ABC's "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," former Republican Presidential candidate John McCain defended the charge of his running mate Sarah Palin that the Obama health plan includes "death panels," and called the lie of Stephanopoulos's (and the entire Obama behavioral crowd's) claim that it doesn't exist. Asked about President Obama's remark that Palin's "death panels" comment is an "extraordinary lie," McCain said the clause was "a little ambiguous."

Stephanopoulos interjected: "I dont think that's correct, senator," saying that the bill provided for "voluntary end-of-life counseling, for which doctors would be reimbursed; there would be no panels." McCain bristled and said: "There was a provision in the bill that talks about a board that would decide what are the most effective measures to provide health care for people, okay? So what does that lead to? Doesn't that lead to a possibility of rationing?"

Lyndon LaRouche noted that Stephanopoulos deserves the rebuke. "Stephanopoulos saw me in the Clinton administration. He knows better. He knows exactly where I am, what I am, and what I do. He knows the whole program."

Showing the confusion of the Republican ranks, McCain then contradicted himself by calling for another form of death panel, albeit with a different name: "We all know that Social Security and Medicare are going broke. And we have to sit down together and do that, or maybe have a same thing like a BRAC Commission, commission of most respected Americans, come out with a recommendation to reform Social Security and Medicare, and it's an up-or-down vote in Congress."