O'Reilly's whopper: "Nobody" on Fox said failing to buy health insurance could result in jail time
Responding to Sen. Tom Coburn's suggestion that Fox News perpetuated the false claim that under the health care reform legislation individuals can be sent to jail for not having health insurance, Bill O'Reilly repeatedly insisted that "nobody" on Fox advanced that assertion. In fact, Fox has relentlessly pushed that falsehood, including on O'Reilly's own show.Thomas Jefferson once claimed that he would rather live with the sins of a free press than the consequences of not having one. That is having a press that acts as a guardian of the truth - watch dogs on behave of the people. Little did Tom know about the modern conservative movement and it's media outlets that have no regard for the truth or respect for the people.
On his own Fox show, Beck falsely claimed that "if you don't get into their government health care, there will be jail time." On the November 12, 2009, edition of his Fox News show, Beck claimed that "if you don't get into their government health care, there will be jail time."
On Fox & Friends, Rush Limbaugh falsely claimed the health care bill "puts people in jail" for not having health insurance. On the February 4 edition of Fox & Friends, Limbaugh asserted: "This is not even a health care bill. This is a bill that raises taxes 14 times; puts people in jail, potentially, if they don't have health insurance mandated by the government to buy. This is an avenue to control every aspect of life."
Dick Morris has repeatedly made the false claim. On the November 9, 2009, edition of Fox News' Hannity, Morris asserted: "One of the provisions in the Pelosi bill is you actually can go to jail for not having health insurance.
