Analysis: Misleading descriptions the norm when campaigns criticize health care proposals

From Brooks Jackson/CNN

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Not so long ago, George W. Bush and Al Gore promised to take the high road -- but look at what their presidential campaigns are doing now.

Republicans air misleading descriptions of Gore's Medicare proposal, with one Republican National Committee commercial claiming Gore's prescription drug plan forces seniors into a single HMO controlled by the federal government.

That's wrong. Gore's government-run plan is voluntary -- and seniors who sign up could still buy their medications from pharmacies.

Democrats countered with an ad about Bush's prescription plan, saying that seniors who are covered under that plan must go to HMOs and insurance companies for coverage.

That's wrong, too -- Bush's approach is also voluntary. HMOs and companies would compete -- nobody would be forced to buy coverage.

Now Republicans are escalating with a new ad, saying Gore will charge seniors a new $600-a-year "government access fee."

That's misleading. The "fee" is actually an insurance premium that is only $288 a year to start. That number climbs to an estimated $608 a year in 2010 as benefits are increased, under Congressional Budget Office estimates. And for the same coverage, premiums would probably be higher under the Bush approach because he proposes a much lower federal subsidy.

But if you think those misleading ads are sinking to a low level, take a look at the campaigns' press releases.

Here's how the Gore campaign reacted to Bush's release of a so-called "Blueprint for the Middle Class:" The e-mailed release called the Bush document a misleading 15-page picture book. It noted that Bush's book contained 2,644 words and six pictures, while Gore's economic proposal was 191 pages with 69,042 words and no pictures.

But in case some voter out there cares about word counts, the Bush campaign put out a news release saying Bush's previous policy book, "Renewing America's Purpose," had twice as many pages as Gore's.

Another Republican Party release accuses Gore of "star-studded hypocrisy" for raising money from Hollywood while criticizing its marketing of sex and violence. And another release from Gore's campaign says it is releasing a comprehensive and complete analysis of Bush's child care proposals. But scroll down to where that analysis should be and you find nothing -- just a footnote that Bush has no child care and pre-school proposals.

It goes on like that day after day -- and the scary part is, some of the people behind this stuff will probably end up working on the White House staff.