Our Representative Is Misrepresenting Again

Cathy McMorris Rodgers posted this on her Facebook page today:

Fact of the day indeed. I had a look at the survey (PDF), which isn't hard to do by the way. The article on the Daily Caller had a link to follow so anyone with a sense of curiosity or an interest in the source could find out for themselves.


The survey was conducted from Apr 18-May 22 of this year. Here's the question being made into a fact of the day.

So what's wrong with this question? What "current changes" in the medical system does it refer to? Nobody knows so it's left up to the survey responder to determine that. Someone decided that "Obamacare" was the current change and it magically caused 83% of doctors to consider quitting. 

This question is just as bad as it is clever, if it was intended to be. It appears that requiring people to purchase insurance is bad. But what they're asking is if it will improve access to actual medical care. I have insurance but I can only go to doctors who accept my insurance. Consequently my access is limited. However, I can still go to any emergency room just like any uninsured person.

Another question that violates one of the rules of good survey question making which says to write questions so everyone understand them the same way. Ask ten medical professionals what the "current problems" in medicine are and I bet you get ten different answers.

Yet another ambiguous and consequently invalid question. For Doctor A the wrong track of the current path could mean no universal health care. For Doctor B it could be too much government regulation. For Doctor C it could mean the high prices of drugs.

Whoa, not much wiggle room on that question, eh?


Cathy McMorris Rodgers and her fellow Republican House members will vote to repeal the Affordable Care Act--again. Because it's a far more pressing matter than climate change, Wall Street thievery, war, the gradual creation of a police state, cell phone tracking, etc.