One of the latest campaign statements to draw the scrutiny of fact-checking journalists at the Journal Sentinel is an attack by lieutenant governor candidate Rebecca Kleefisch, who appears in a campaign ad with running mate Scott Walker that assails Tom Barrett for supporting “a government takeover of our health care.”  PolitiFact gives that claim it’s “pants on fire” rating, stating that “repeating a falsehood — however often and however loudly — does not make it true.”As the Journal Sentinel article notes, “the ad drew cheers on the right and howls from the left, in part because while Kleefisch attacks a ‘government takeover’ of health care, her own coverage comes through a state-government plan that covers she and her husband, state Rep. Joel Kleefisch, R-Oconomowoc, and their family.”

The takeover claim is based on Barrett’s statements of support for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), as well as his support as a Congressman for the health care reform bill developed by the Clinton Administration. The PolitiFact critique reviews the arguments relating to both bills, but declares the “takeover” argument merits a “ridiculously false” rating:

“The Obama reforms would expand the government’s role, but a key principle of the plan is to rely primarily on private health insurance to provide coverage. The government ‘exchanges’ would encourage private insurers to compete for workers from small businesses who currently may not have coverage.”

Robert Kraig, executive director of Citizen Action of Wisconsin, notes that it is particularly surprising that Kleefisch would call the ACA socialized medicine while lauding her own state health insurance. In a Wisconsin Radio Network interview, he says Kleefisch doesn’t understand how the national health care reform plan works, because it actually uses the state employee plan as a guideline.

“So for her to say that she would not have gotten good preventive care, would have had to wait in line, wouldn’t get the treatment that she got because of national health care reform … it’s quite the opposite. National health care reform is going to guarantee that everyone in Wisconsin has the same access to care that she had and you don’t have to be married to a state legislator to get that care.”

Jon Peacock, research director
Wisconsin Council on Children and Families