The League of American Voters has sponsored a 33-second television commercial criticizing President Obama’s healthcare reform proposals, but ABC and NBC are refusing to run the ad in its current form, Fox News reported on August 27.

The commercial is viewable below, on YouTube, and currently at the League website:



The TV spot features neurosurgeon Mark J. Cuffe, M.D., who warns that there aren’t enough doctors to care for the millions of people President Obama wants to see covered by insurance. Dr. Cuffe points out that government-run healthcare will lead to rationing, and he urges Americans not to let our system become like those in Canada and England.

About two weeks ago the commercial began airing on local affiliates of ABC, NBC, FOX, and CBS, but ABC and NBC have refused to run it on a national level. “The ABC Television Network has a long-standing policy that we do not sell time for advertising that presents a partisan position on a controversial public issue,” said spokeswoman Susan Sewell in a written statement. “Just to be clear, this is a policy for the entire network, not just ABC News.”

NBC, on the other hand, claims it has not refused the ad. If the ad were revised, the network might reconsider. “We have not rejected the ad,” spokeswoman Liz Fischer told FOXNews.com. “We have communicated with the media agency about some factual claims that require additional substantiation. As always, we are happy to reconsider the ad once these issues are addressed.”

Bob Adams is executive director of the League of American Voters, a 15,000-member group that describes itself as “a national non-partisan and 501(c)4 non-profit organization created to keep our elected officials in Washington and across the nation accountable.” The group defines its core issues as: “defending America’s free enterprise system, supporting a strong national defense and security infrastructure, promoting common sense family values and championing the idea that good government is one that is both limited and honest.”

The controversial TV spot is an example of how the League works toward its goals by educating Americans. “It’s a powerful ad,” Adams said. “It tells the truth and it really highlights one of the biggest vulnerabilities and problems with this proposed legislation, which is it rations health care and disproportionately will decimate the quality of health care for seniors.”

Adams isn’t happy with ABC’s characterization of the ad as presenting a partisan position. “It’s a position that we would argue a vast majority of Americans stand behind,” he stated. “Obviously, it’s a message that ABC and the Obama administration haven't received yet.”

The advertisement was conceived by Dick Morris, a political analyst with FOX News and chief strategist for the League of American Voters. He points out ABC’s hypocritical accusation of partisanship when the network has already given President Obama hours of air time including their Prescription for America special.

“It’s the ultimate act of chutzpah because ABC is the network that turned itself over completely to Obama for a daylong propaganda fest about health care reform,” he said. “For them to be pious and say they will not accept advertising on health care shuts their viewers out from any possible understanding of both sides of this issue.”

Of course, no 33-second video can delve into the subtle nuances of all aspects of healthcare reform. But the concluding point of the spot does bear repeating: America should not copy the socialized medicine systems of Canada and England.

Our forefathers fought and died to throw off a system of government that was tyrannical and oppressive. Two-hundred-some years later, the last thing we should do is seek to imitate the government control over healthcare that our former ruler inflicts upon its own people.

Photo: Image from video paid for by the League of American Voters

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Thomas Paine said:

Keep calling your representatives I've called both Senators and my congressman asking them to vote against the health care bill to preserve free enterprise and our constitution. We must be in their face all the time. The central powers think that their controlled mass media has done an adequate job in neutering the public from questioning all critical issues. We have to remind them constantly that we still are alive and well! We are fighting big money and big fascism.

August 28, 2009

Flu-Bird said:

Liberal nitwit networks Can we ever expect anything less from the AWFUL BROADCASTING COMPANY and the NASTY BROADCASTING COMPANY their all controled by the sinister CFR after all

August 28, 2009

Frank Provasek said:

Anti-Bush ads were banned for 8 years Goggle these headlines from the past 8 years...progressives and democrats were shut out of the discussion....both sides would be aired if Reagan had not repealed the Fairness Doctrine..As it is now, corporations will always side with the government in power... Anti-Bush ads refused as “too inflammatory” Local Fox Station Bans Anti-Bush Ad Networks reject anti-Bush ads NBC Rejected Dixie Chicks Ad Because It Is Too Anti-Bush CBS Censorship At Super Bowl? Network Bars MoveOn.org commercial Think Progress » NBC, CBS, ABC Reject Ad Criticizing Bush Policies ABC refuses to air anti-war ad before Bush visit ABC Refuses to Run Al Gore's Commercial That Critiques Oil Companies. RNC tells TV stations not to run anti-Bush ads

August 28, 2009

Bonnie said:

The five branches of American government Legislative: Legislates in all areas, even those prohibited by the Constitution. Executive: Legislates, judiciates, and executes. Judiciary: Legislates, judiciates, and executes. Bureaucracy: Legislates, judiciates, and executes. Mass Media: Judiciates and makes sure the public is oblivious to what the Constitution has prescribed. All five branches are dominated by members of the Trilateral Commission and Council On Foreign Relations, which in turn are controlled by a handful of international banking moguls who prefer to remain in the shadows. (Recommended reading: The Shadows of Power, by James Perloff, available at www.jbs.org). I debated whether or not to count the Federal Reserve as a sixth branch, but decided it could probably fit (awkwardly) into the Bureaucratic Branch. Now I know there are many out there (including those in the Mass Media Branch) who consider this all just a bunch of malarkey, the rantings of a paranoid conspiracy theorist. Many years ago I probably would have agreed. I have now come to the conclusion that there are three types of conspiracy theory: 1. Conspiracy theory which has come upon the truth and follows up on it's findings. 2. Conspiracy theory which has been devised by people who really are crazy! 3. Conspiracy theory which is a mixture of some fact mixed with pure baloney with the sole purpose of giving conspiracy theory in general a bad name. It is this type of conspiracy theory which gets a significant amount of attention in the media.

August 28, 2009

Bonnie said:

Mass Media and Partisanship Is the mass media fair because it sometimes seems to favor Republicans over Democrats? No. Please be aware that there is no significant difference between the two major parties, which is why I prefer the terms Demoplicans and Republicrats. They are two sides of the same coin and supposed differences are merely cosmetic. Obama is spending money we don't have and expanding government. How is this different from Bush? The first of the current round of "stimulus" came before Obama. Obama wants to grant amnesty to illegal aliens. So did Bush. Obama is a overt threat to gun ownership. Bush was a covert threat. Was anything really different with Clinton? Bush the Elder? Reagan? Carter? Ford? Nixon? Johnson? Want me to keep going? If the media feels that the Insider's agenda is benefited best by supporting an administration or party, they will do so. If the agenda is best served by going against an administration or party, they will do so. And once in awhile they will do something totally unexpected just to muddy the waters. The media is anti-American. They use partisanship as part of an age old strategy to divide and conquer. Judging from the current state of affairs, they are doing a pretty good job of it, too. Fortunately, we have a very good weapon with which to strike back -- The New American. Please don't keep it a secret.

August 28, 2009

Soup said:

Bob Adams is a Partisan Hack The Republican Party does this all the time; they establish important, unbiased sounding organizations to further Republican ideals. And when they get shot down by people who can plainly see that they're partisan hacks, they get it published on Fox News to make it sound like a terrible crime. Bob Adams is a lifelong Republican. He's used to head this "non-partisan" organization because he's relatively unknown. Check his bio: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/B...olitician) The ad is full of mischaracterizations. For instance, yes, there are waiting lists for people in Canada and Britain. For non-essential treatment. For instance, if a twenty-seven year old wanted to go to a chiropractor because his buddy told him it was a great way to pick up chicks (or for any non-medical reason), he might be put on a waiting list (assuming he tried to get his insurance to cover it). The bill will only pull money from Medicaid if Republicans get their way and limit the funds usable annually by these programs (basically, to guarantee they will fail). The Republicans are playing a political game with our future. Could the plan be better? Sure, but it would certainly help if Republicans stopped posturing and decided to actually help.

August 30, 2009

Soup said:

... important sounding, "unbiased" organizations - Correction for the beginning, as I can't edit.

August 30, 2009

Rena said:

School censorship Most school systems do not teach about the constitution, declaration of independence. To make the matter worse they do not teach accurate history. My children have come home from school telling me what they had learned in social studies (no longer called history class) and the facts they were taughter were completely wrong. So I believe that the liberal agenda is strongly carried out in schools and censors informaiton taught to our children. I wish I could quit work and home school my children. At least I would be sure they would receive the right information.

August 30, 2009

Curious said:

Wondering about the AARP ad I don't watch much television, and when I do, it isn't ABC or NBC. I have seen a pro-Obamaid ad by AARP on USA. It is inflammatory and I would have to say unsubstantiated, perhaps even partisan. Does either ABC or NBC air this ad? To do so would be hypocritical.

August 30, 2009

Sheesh! said:

What....? "Go to a chiropractor because his buddy told him it was a great way to pick up chicks"??? Now that is stupid! Everybody knows you can do much better at the dentist!

August 30, 2009

still free said:

Freedom of Speech? Do Americans still have free speech? How does ABC and NBC expect a true understanding of the issues without a debate in which both sides are presented? They (and Obama) don't want a debate and definitely do not want us to understand the plan. What they want is anything but fair. We are not to ask questions or have any opinions--just do as we are told like good little sheeple. One solution: bann ABC, NBC, AARP if you haven't already done so. And look out -- the Insiders are coming after the Internet next. They have already begun to lay the fraudulent groundwork with Obama's "emergency takeover" of the Internet... bet there are all kinds of earmarks buried in this little diddy. And who gets to decide what an emergency is? And who has "executive power?"

August 30, 2009

Reader said:

Watch this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...r_embedded I don't recall ever seeing this on ABC/CBS/NBC/CNN or even the beloved Fox (which is left biased but seem to be on the right only because the others are so FAR to left Fox looks good by comparison).

August 30, 2009

lookinthemirror said:

... almost 2 million Americans marched on Washington DC, in an attempt to let our deaf, dumb and blind government "representatives" know that we want our Country back... Did everybody see that on the evening news?! Not likely America. -Once you know the truth you can never go back. Time for a Re3volution people! "If you want to know who is going to change this country, go home and look in the mirror." - Maude Barlow

September 15, 2009