Okay, Ezra, how do we combat this alternative reality that some right-wing commentators foist on us? How do we put Schlaes and Will and others out of business when they lie consistently for partisan purposes? How does we impose consequences for shitty journalism when the overlords look the other way, time and again? How?

As tedious as it sounds, I think we must call them out over and over again. Also, we can stop subscribing to their publications. But other than that, I'm not sure.

George W. Bush created the position of National Coordinator of Health Information Technology in 2004.

Yes, but no one was worried that Bush would turn the US into a pinko workers paradise. Now, the same title in the hands of an Obama administration strikes fear into hearts. That's probably why it won't go away.

The only part that's kind of true is that the current legislation officially "creates" ONC by statute. ONC was created by executive order. This just makes them official by statute. Also, making ONC official has been proposed several times before, so this isn't new.

Ezra, I'm curious, when a column like this is published, and it includes the email address of the author (as this one does), do you ever email that author to set them straight?

Ezra, do you ever run into people like Amity Shaels and ask them what the heck is up with the stuff they're wrriting?

Using the information in this post I just e-mailed a complaint straight to Bloomberg using their feedback page. BTW, does Shlaels Wiki page come off like its been scrubbed. There is no mention of her being fired by the Financial Times due to her Katrina columns.

Republicans are liars,
by deed or proxy.

There is no such thing as an honest Republican. Just those who do the dirty work and those who don't.

I used to recommend the business press in general, because outside the WSJ editorial pages it tends to be the most fact-based journalism. Alas, the fabulists seem to be in the process of establishing beachheads elsewhere as well, as with Shlaes and Bloomberg. I read the FT now; I am tickled the FT fired Shlaes, though it worries me that they ever hired her. Except for specific journalists whose work I trust, that means no more Economist, no more WSJ, and no more Bloomberg.

It's sad, really.

"...the same title in the hands of an Obama administration strikes fear into hearts."

Only into the hearts of those who don't possess functioning brains.

Fair point: except that the office, with a budget under $100m, was created by Bush as a front for doing nothing. Obama has already given it $2bn in the stimulus with more to come: the new Asministration means business. So it would be true to say that the post has only now become a real one.

Behind Shlaes' silly alarmism lie real and so far isufficently addressed privacy concerns about the scope of future sharing of medical information. I've been blogging at intervals on this since the issue popped up in the primaries, latest here.

Like our financial markets, our incentive system for punditry is all out of work.

Making s*** up, engaging in false historical revisionism to give ammo to GOP congressmen, and being wrong on pretty much everything is rewarded by the media as long as you can fill the role of GOP partisan hack.

I mean who actually wants to read articles about health-care reform? We need more GOP folks yelling at Democrats. Less policy, more WWF cage matches.

That's why I had to listen to Newt Gingrich posing as an economic expert on Meet the Press last Sunday.

Here is the mail I just sent to Ms. Schlaes, with the subject line, "Why aren't YOU unemployed":

----
Ms. Schlaes,

You really should apologize for your recent column, http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601039&sid=ah9QSj1ZCyew&refer=home.

Amongst the balderdash, you again repeat the lie that the Obama administration 'created a position called “National Coordinator of Health Information Technology.'

If you click on the link that you cite in YOUR article, you can see that the Statement of Organization, Functions, and Delegations of Authority was published in the Federal Register: August 19, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 160).

I'm not sure which version of the Matrix you were watching, but I believe 2005 was during your beloved Bush administration, n'est-ce pas?

Also, please explain why the US spends so much more money per capita than all other advanced economies, yet ranks so far below them in nearly every category in terms of health care results. (Hint, lack of universal health care).

Please give up, and take up an occupation less hazardous to the health of your fellow citizens,

Sincerely,

Jim
---
I'll let you know if I hear back. ;-)

I had the same thought as Seitz above. "But someone should ask Bloomberg why it keeps letting columnists lie about the same fact in its pages" begs the question, what do you mean, someone? I say the next step is for our intrepid reporter (Ezra) to contact them and get them on the record as to whether they are going to publish a correction and how they made such a stupid error. Your blog readers can help with e-mails and letters but it seems like it would have more impact as a prospect post. Posting about how "someone" should do this seems like you're more interested in complaining and less about holding media accountable for their mistakes.

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