The metastasis of partisan politics throughout American society continues apace. The “news” media and academia were, of course, long ago infected. And associations like the like the ABA and the NEA have also contracted the contagion. Now, according to the NYT, the American Cancer Society and the AMA have succumbed:
In a stark departure from past practice, the American Cancer Society plans to devote its entire $15 million advertising budget this year not to smoking cessation or colorectal screening but to the consequences of inadequate health coverage.
Although the article makes a risible attempt to depict them as “nonpartisan,” the ACS ads bear a suspicious similarity to the kind of advocacy one normally associates with the single-payer crowd:
One features images of uninsured cancer patients, appearing hollow and fearful. “This is what a health care crisis looks like to the American Cancer Society,” the narrator begins. “We’re making progress, but it’s not enough if people don’t have access to the care that could save their lives.”
The article also reports that the AMA is exhibiting symptoms of the partisanship disease:
Last week, the American Medical Association kicked off a three-year campaign called “Voice for the Uninsured” that will begin with $5 million in advertising in early primary states.
It’s unfortunate that the leadership of the American Cancer Society and the AMA are so short-sighted. Regardless of who wins the battle over health care reform, the credibility of these organizations will be forever tainted.
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