In today’s New York Times Paul Krugman wrote an Op-Ed about a Republican smear campaign against Graeme Frost and his family.
Two weeks ago, the Democratic response to President Bush’s weekly radio address was delivered by 12-year-old, Graeme Frost. Graeme, who along with his sister received severe brain injuries in a 2004 car crash and continues to need physical therapy, and is a beneficiary of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program.
This is the much talked about SCHIP program that President Bush vetoed, because Democrats wanted families with income as high as $80,000 to qualify for Government run health care for their kids. The program was intended for the poorest families not the middle class.
The left has been running wild ever since Bush vetoed the SCHIP bill and Democrats in Congress are trying to get enough votes to override the President’s veto.
Liberals really became truculent when right-wing blogger Michelle Malkin decided to investigate the Frost family to see if their claims were true. Far-left blogs have been howling about a “right-wing slime machine” and how dare anyone investigate the Frosts.
This is a tactic that the left frequently uses when an issue is being debated. They try and put forward a person to deliver their talking points who they believe will be immune from criticism.
During the 2004 Presidential election the left brought out the so-called “Jersey Girls” who were a group of women from New Jersey whose husbands had been killed in the 9/11 attacks. The Democrats also used former Senator Max Cleland who is a disabled Vietnam Vet, and recently Cindy Sheehan who’s son was killed in Iraq.
I personally would not have gone quite as far as Michelle Malkin did, but I also don’t think some people are automatically immune from scrutiny because of a personal tragedy.
When the Frost family decided to let 12-year old Graeme read the Democrats radio address defending SCHIP they put themselves into the public domain. Once you put yourself out there then you have to be willing to take the scrutiny that comes with that.
The Democrats knew what was likely to happen to the Frosts by dragging them into Washington politics, but they chose to do it anyway. They were quite willing to sacrifice a 12-year old boy and his family simply for political gain.
Krugman’s column was as usual short on facts and long on liberal propaganda, but at least he’s consistent.
By Eric Glasser
The Hot Joints
