Biggert flyer meant to inflame

Your headline (above story about Cub fan who spilled beer on an outfielder) was, "I am sorry I disgraced you." I mistakenly believed that U.S. Rep. Judy Biggert had apologized for her despicable handout at the Naperville Chamber of Commerce.

She was either ill-informed on a subject or she lied and misled her constituents, showing contempt for them and the process of democratic government. In a more perfect union, someone such as this should resign. She is unworthy of the office. Her flyer was meant to inflame the voters with misinformation and to scare our older voters.

She started a horribly slanted list of specious arguments by naming it "The Facts About Democrat Health Care 'Reform.'" She started with how 114 million Americans would be forced into a government-run health care plan. She then says her source was nonpartisan experts. Really? The Lewin Group, wholly owned by UnitedHealth Group, is one of the nation's largest insurers. Lewin is part of Ingenix, a UnitedHealth subsidiary accused by the New York attorney general and the American Medical Association of helping insurers shift medical expenses to consumers by distributing skewed data.

In January, UnitedHealth agreed to a $50 million settlement with the New York attorney general and a $350 million settlement with the AMA, covering conduct going back as far as 1994.

FactCheck - a truly nonpartisan group - said Biggert's scare tactics on Medicare are "downright false." Same for her claims on abolishing private insurance. and requiring end-of-life counseling (something that had been championed by numerous Republicans, including Sarah Palin).

Is there a shred of honesty or decency left in the GOP? Also, the Daily Herald could do a service by fact-checking letters to the editor before they spread even more misinformation. Some of us do still care about honesty.

Kevin Jackson

Naperville