One of yesterday’s contenders goes home with the roses:

Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) on Tuesday defended critics of Democratic health care reform plans who claim the proposals would provide subsidized health care to illegal immigrants. Kyl said Democrats have long sought to block curbs on public services for people illegally in the country.

…

“In the last couple of bills … there were efforts to ensure that only eligible people would get the benefits … those efforts were defeated by Democrats,” Kyl argued, pointing out that hospitals currently are required to provide illegal aliens — as well as anyone else — with health care if they are in need.

Except, well, that’s a lie:

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Picking up one of our favorite subjects from the past couple of weeks, a new poll asks 909 voters what they really think about socialized medicine:

Do you think the government should stay out of Medicare?

Yes: 39%

No: 46%

Not Sure: 15%

If we grant the wish of 4 out of 10 Americans (and 6 out of 10 Republicans), we’ll have enough left over to cover everyone else and keep costs down. Let’s do it!

Obama’s approval…increases [Public Policy Polling (PDF), via TPM]

Remember when Ted Stevens described the internet as “a series of tubes”? Max Baucus has upped the ante:

The encounter in the video took place last week after Baucus spoke at a preventive care conference in Bozeman, Montana. According to the New York Times, Baucus described the protesters as “agitators, whose sole goal was to intimidate, disrupt and not let any meaningful conversation go on.”

There were a couple of people in the crowd “with YouTubes,” Mr. Baucus added (meaning cameras), and he posited that the agitators were paid and probably from out of state.

Some YouTuber footage after the jump.

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• “Fox News is lying to you.”
• “Chuck Grassley is lying to you.”
• “Sarah Palin is lying to you.”
• “John Boehner is lying to you.”
• “Newt Gingrich is lying to you.”
• “Dick Armey is lying to you.”
• “Michael Steele is lying to you.”
• “The National Republican Congressional Committee is lying to you.”
• “Robert Novak would be lying to you if he was still breathing.”

See, craven Democrats, it’s not that hard. These are not innocent misunderstandings. These are not subtle distinctions. They are deliberate lies. And until you say as much, word for word, you’re nothing but spineless enablers.

Barney Frank excepted.

Obama To Hold Live Strategy Meeting With Organizing For America Supporters [TPM]

Jamie Sommers refers us to the following:

Bueno.

Paultard claims Phoenix police were at healthcare rally to protect his right to carry a firearm.

In today’s run for the roses Mickey Kaus and Jon Kyl looked strong at the start, but guess who blew them away in the stretch?

[Lanny] Davis’ history is as long and consistent as it is sleazy.  He was recently hired by Honduran oligarchs opposed to that country’s democratically elected left-wing President and promptly becamethe chief advocate of the military coup which forcibly removed the President from office.  He became an emphatic defender of the Israeli war on Gaza after he was named by the right-wing The Israel Project to be its “Senior Advisor and Spokesperson.”  He has been the chief public defender for Joe Lieberman, Jane Harman and the Clintons, all of whom have engaged his paid services.

And believe it or not, Chuck Grassley (a three-time winner) almost made it four today.  Douché!

The Lanny Davis Disease and America’s Health Care Debate [Glenn Greenwald]