NEW YORK-OCTOBER 5: DL21C—Democratic Leadership for the 21st Century Presents: A Debate on Healthcare Reform: What Works and What Should be Changed? Featuring Congressman Anthony Weiner (D-Queens, Brooklyn) and Dr. Betsy McCaughey, Health Policy Expert,Patient Advocate and former Lieutenant Governor of New York (1995-1998) on Monday, October 5, 2009 at Farkas Auditorium at NYU/ Langone Medical Center, 550 First Avenue (at 31st Street), New York City, NY. In the spirit of the famous Lincoln - Douglas debates sixteen decades ago, two of the nation's most outspoken individuals on Health Care, Congressman Anthony Weiner and Dr. Betsy McCaughey, presented the issues before us, in a free swinging debate, as Congress prepares to vote on this life altering bill. Ben Smith, Senior Political Writer,Politico served as moderator and the debate was streamed live at http://www.politico.com NEWSFLASH: On the eve of the debates a media whirlwind engulfed Betsy McCaughey calling into question her integrity or lack thereof for the truth. In a piece by Michelle Cottle at The New Republic entitled No Exit: The never-ending lunacy of Betsy McCaughey, it seems that, as stated by Gawker, the “New Republic Finally Got Around to Calling Betsy McCaughey a Crazy Person” for distorting the truth in her Op-Ed 14 years ago attacking and underming the Clinton Health Care plan by distorting the policy debate. In August, Betsy McCaughey's Ideas were called "Hyperbolic... Dangerous" by Jon Stewart during a polite but devastating smackdown, during an appearance by Betsy McCaughey on his show. Media Matters for America explains the reasons behind why some key media figures have finally taken the opportunity to point out now that Ms. McCaughey is a professional liar and propagandist when they did not in the past and allowed a triumph of misinformation to sabotage the Clinton Healthcare initiative 14 years ago. So perhaps as the NY Times has pointed out, Team Obama has learned something, including coming armed to do battle with powerful and persuasive surrogates to discredit the disinformationalists. Tonight, Congressman Anthony Weiner, a strong supporter of the public option, in going after McCaughey, in a heated debate took off where McCaughey's critics left off and blasted McCaughey with the barb that he felt like he was "debating a pyromaniac in a strawman factory." Tonight, in my humble opinion, we did not just witness a fearless, progressive democratic warrior in action, who is a great voice for New York City, who is leading the charge to get health care reform correct, but perhaps the birth of a future Mayor, a Senator or who knows? PHOTO CREDIT:Copyright ©Manhattan Society.com 2009 by Christopher London | tel: Private |e-mail: ChrisLondon@manhattansociety.com