New York Times Editorial Board Tells It Like It Is On That CBO Obamacare Report

[ProSense]

New York Times Editorial Board Tells It Like It Is On That CBO Obamacare Report

With Republicans and the media both woefully mischaracterizing the Congressional Budget Office's report on Obamacare, the editorial board of the New York Times did its part Wednesday to set the record straight.

No, the Times reminded, the report did not really say that the health care law will cost 2 million jobs.

The report clearly stated that health reform would not produce an increase in unemployment (workers unable to find jobs) or underemployment (part-time workers who would prefer to work more hours per week). It also found “no compelling evidence” that, as of now, part-time employment has increased as a result of the reform law, a frequent claim of critics. Whether that will hold up after a mandate that requires employers to provide coverage, which was delayed until 2015, kicks in is uncertain.

What the CBO really said is that, as a result of Obamacare, Americans will choose to stop working jobs simply to receive health coverage. Some might see that as a good thing, as the Times spelled out.

The new law will free people, young and old, to pursue careers or retirement without having to worry about health coverage. Workers can seek positions they are most qualified for and will no longer need to feel locked into a job they don’t like because they need insurance for themselves or their families. It is hard to view this as any kind of disaster.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/new-york-times-cbo-obamacare

[underpants]

1. Good but several of their articles and blog posts yesterday were RW/Fox News spin

I could find them but it won't be easy.

[underpants]

2. TPM has a good summary here

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/obamacare-cbo-jobs-reporting

[ProSense]

3. Thanks. n/t

[spanone]

4. k&r...

[ProSense]

5. Obamacare Finally Gives Workers The Freedom Conservatives Demanded

Obamacare Finally Gives Workers The Freedom Conservatives Demanded

<...>

As Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) explained in 2008, while rolling out the health care proposal that animated his presidential campaign, “‘job lock’ reduces opportunities for American workers because they often pass up new jobs for fear of losing their health care coverage.” The health care law will start to change that predicament.

- more -

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2014/02/04/3249671/obamacare-job-lock/

[Chathamization]

6. "Health Care Law May Result in 2 Million Fewer Full-Time Workers" -NYT

It seems they've changed the headline to now read "Health Care Law Projected to Cut the Labor Force." Though this correction from the NYT:

An earlier version of a headline accompanying this article on the home page was incorrect. The health law is projected to result in a voluntary reduction in the work force equal to 2.5 million full-time workers, according to the Congressional Budget Office, not two million fewer jobs.

Makes it sound like the original headline was that there would be 2 million fewer jobs. Can't tell, since the original headline is down the memory hole now. Curious, did the OpEd piece in The Times talk about their own botched coverage?

[ProSense]

7. The editorial headline: Freeing Workers From the Insurance Trap

"Curious, did the OpEd piece in The Times talk about their own botched coverage?"

Of course not. The piece calls out Republicans, but makes no mention of the media's complicity in spreading the false claims.

[Chathamization]

8. “Health Law to Cost Millions of Jobs, Federal Study Projects” -NYT

http://web.archive.org/web/20140204181015/http://www.nytimes.com/

“Health Law to Cost Millions of Jobs, Federal Study Projects” was an earlier headline. Good to know that the Way Back Machine is there when the media tries to erase its mistakes. I read through the editorial, and there’s no mention of the horrible initial reporting by The Times (how did that headline make it to the front page?). It writes:

Of course, Republicans immediately tried to brand the findings as “devastating” and stark evidence of President Obama’s health care reform as a failure and a job killer. It is no such thing.

Yes, they did. They weren’t alone.

The editorial kind of reminds of me of when Ezra Klein was talking about the issues with the IRS pseudo-scandal, but never bothered to reflect on the fact that he was parroting the accusations without bothering to read the 18 page report that showed that non-Tea Party groups were investigated as well.. With friends like these…