Yesterday, we ran the first installment of our new Sparring Opinions feature, in which we compare two opinions that take different views on the same topic.
Our first Sparring Opinions were about so-called "death panels" - a proposal to allow Medicare to reimburse end-of-life planning sessions, as part of a health care reform bill being debated in Congress.
We compared a Daily Beast op-ed (NT reviews) by Lee Siegel that said conservative claims about health care "death panels" held water, and a Washington Post interview (NT reviews) with Republican Senator Johnny Isakson who supports this bill and said such claims were bogus.
Based on 19 reviews so far, our community's verdict is clear: on the issue of end-of-life treatment, NewsTrust recommends Ezra Klein's interview with Senator Isakson.
Robert B. Elliott rated the interview very highly. "[Klein] asks the same thing several ways to highlight the information," he wrote in his review. "He makes sure the reader understands that this gentleman is a Republican."
Lynn R. Willis went even further: "Please send a copy of this piece to Lee Siegel ('Obama's Euthanasia Mistake') and Sarah Palin."
NewsTrust stalwart Chris Finnie rejected the arguments raised in Siegel's piece:
"Siegel has conflated two separate provisions in the bill and turned them into a complete fabrication. One is an efficacy review of commonly used procedures. This could be valuable information to physicians as they make recommendations to their patients. The other is payment for a counseling session. That's it. Really."
Disagree with our recommendation? We welcome your comments. Weigh in by adding your review to these stories.
• Obama's euthanasia mistake - The Daily Beast
• Is the government going to euthanize your grandmother? - The Washington Post
-- Derek Hawkins and the NewsTrust team
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