Would be nice to say the omnipresent debate was strictly about ensuring quality, affordable health-care coverage for all Americans. But the whorls of news from Sacramento and DC are laden with spin and pivot, money and political mayhem. And, of course, creating new tangled webs for a public already bewildered by this "right" called access to medical treatment.

Consider:

Los Angeles Times columnist Michael Hiltzik chronicled the brouhaha between Dems and Reeps over "comparative effectiveness research," a component in the economic stimulus package. Radio commentator Rush Limbaugh called it a precursor to "the gigantic national socialism of medicine," allowing those with any historical memory to recall the connection between Nazis and national socialism.

Then toss in "quality-adjusted life year" (QALY), which Hiltzik notes is someone's way of factoring the clinical cost-effectiveness of treatment judged by how many quality, productive years a person gains from care. This factoring/rationing of services is done in Britain. The columnist points out it's a rounding up or down of numbers, life benefits, and is not always adjusted for inflation etc.

Says Hiltzik: "The chicken pox vaccine looked expensive in terms of the life-years of children when it was licensed in the U.S. in the 1990s -- until the cost of lost work time to parents with sick children was factored in. Then it became clear it paid for itself."

Then there was recent interview of Republican wordsmith Frank Luntz in the Sunday New York Times magazine.

"If I want to demonize a bunny, I would use a word like rabbit. The rabbit will ravage your garden. This is a language pivot. A bunny is cute; a rabbit that ravages your garden is a pest."

That, Luntz explains, is why national health care reform might be characterized as "a Washington takeover." Or why an inheritance tax is a "death tax," or why eavesdropping becomes "electronic intercepts." 

Luntz provides some cues as we grapple with weeks of state and federal debate, downsizing and debacles. From the NY Times Q/A: "Words that begin with b, p or t are words to express anger. I call them spitting words. You actually spit on people as you are saying them."

No wonder why voters relish bestowing a torrent of  "Ptooey!"