Jane Hamsher Spreads Public Option Disinformation - Again!

Following-up my earlier post, "More Democratic Disinformation on ObamaCare: Jane Hamsher, MSNBC's David Shuster Tweak Outdated Poll to Claim '76 Percent Want Public Option'.

In Jane Hamsher's latest hissy fit, she again repeats the innacurate and outdated claim that 76 percent of Americans want the public option. See, "Sorry, Can’t Pass Health Care Bill Without A Public Option."

Responding to Senator Kent Conrad's claim that there aren't enough votes in the Senate, Hamsher argues that:

If Conrad could set aside his "More About Me" world view for a moment and do some second grade math, he'd see that there aren't enough votes for a health care bill without a public option in the House ....

... thanks to the progressive members of the House who have pledged to vote against any health care bill that does not have a public plan. They represent 76% of Americans who want a public plan, and coming from heavily Democratic-leaning districts as they do, an even greater percentage of their own constituents ...

Of course, as I showed earlier:

[Hamsher] cites a June NBC/Wall Street Journal survey that found 76 percent agreeing it was important that health care reform include a "choice of both a public plan administered by the federal government and a private plan for their health insurance" ....

Hamsher's citing two-month old polling data

Subsequent subsequent surveys have rounded out the picture quite a bit, and conservative activism has taken a toll on the administration's popular support.I

I cite a nuber of polls at the post. Since then additional information has become available.

For example, Rasmussen Reports from last Saturday, "54% Say Passing No Healthcare Reform Better Than Passing Congressional Plan."

Also, in generic surveys, see USA Today, "Poll: Americans divided on health care overhaul," and Gallup reported last week, "Constituents Divided, Highly Partisan on Healthcare Reform: Equally split in advising Congress to vote for (35%) or against (36%) a new law."

Hamsher would be better off citing Quinnipiac's recent survey, which found, "62 - 32 percent in favor of giving people the option of a government insurance plan."

However, the same poll also finds that by a "57 - 37 percent margin, voters say health care reform should be dropped if it adds "significantly" to the deficit"; and "By a 72 - 21 percent margin, voters do not believe that President Barack Obama will keep his promise to overhaul the health care system without adding to the deficit ..." And, "Only 21 percent of voters say the plan will improve the quality of care they receive, while 36 percent say it will hurt their quality of care and 39 percent say it will make no difference."

Maybe that's why Hamsher doesn't cite Quinnipiac.