Sounds fishy.

So, remember last week's brouhaha about e-mailing any "fishy" conversations about healthcare reform to the White House?

My friend Nikki got this e-mail today, and all that we can figure out happened is someone done flagged her:

Of course, you can't read that. I'm clueless as to how to capture something that takes up more than one screen in my e-mail, so I had to shrink it to fit. I'll reproduce it here for you in all its glory:


----- Forwarded Message ----
From: "David Axelrod, The White House" <info@messages.whitehouse.gov>
To:
Sent: Monday, August 10, 2009 11:49:28 AM
Subject: It's time for a reality check

Dear Friend,

Anyone that's watched the news in the past few days knows that health insurance reform is a hot topic — and that rumors and scare tactics have only increased as more people engage with the issue. Given a lot of the outrageous claims floating around, it’s time to make sure everyone knows the facts about the security and stability you get with health insurance reform.

That’s why we’ve launched a new online resource — WhiteHouse.gov/RealityCheck — to help you separate fact from fiction and share the truth about health insurance reform. Here's a few of the reality check videos you can find on the site:

• CEA Chair Christina Romer details how health insurance reform will impact small businesses.
• Domestic Policy Council Director Melody Barnes tackles a nasty rumor about euthanasia and clearly describes how reform helps families.
• Matt Flavin, the White House's Director of Veterans and Wounded Warrior Policy, clears the air about Veteran's benefits.
• Kavita Patel, M.D., a doctor serving in the White House's Office of Public Engagement, explains that health care rationing is happening right now and how reform gives control back to patients and doctors.
• Bob Kocher, M.D., a doctor serving on the National Economic Council, debunks the myth that health insurance reform will be financed by cutting Medicare benefits.

There's more information and a number of online tools you can use to spread the truth among your family, friends and other social networks. Take a look:

We knew going into this effort that accomplishing comprehensive health insurance reform wasn't going to be easy. Achieving real change never is. The entrenched interests that benefit from the status quo always use their influence in Washington to try and keep things just as they are.

But don't be misled. We know the status quo is unsustainable. If we do nothing, millions more Americans will be denied insurance because of pre-existing conditions, or see their coverage suddenly dropped if they become seriously ill. Out-of-pocket expenses will continue to soar, and more and more families and businesses will be forced to deal with health insurance costs they can’t afford.

That's the reality.

Americans deserve better. You deserve a health care system that works as well for you as it does for the status quo; one you can depend on — that won't deny you coverage when you need it most or charge you crippling out-of-pocket co-pays. Health insurance reform means guaranteeing the health care security and stability you deserve.

President Barack Obama promised he'd bring change to Washington and fix our broken, unsustainable health insurance system. You can help deliver that change. Visit WhiteHouse.gov/RealityCheck, get the facts and spread the truth. The stakes are just too high to do nothing.

Thank you,
David

David Axelrod
Senior Advisor to the President

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So, yeah, Nikki's not too happy about this. She's actually a little scared, and I can't say as I blame her. No one she has talked to has gotten a similar e-mail. Not even liberal supporters of nationalized healthcare. She has never e-mailed the White House, the President, or David Axelrod. What she has done is utilize her First Amendment rights to speak out against a policy she considers unwise.

And for this, the White House considers her out of touch with reality.

That should worry us all. We have a fairly apolitical woman, a self-professed moderate (no one's moderate who disagrees!) who bitched about some of the things the Bush administration came up with, and never got White House e-mails then. Why is this OK now? Why is it acceptable to harass and frighten (it became harassment at the point she got scared, just in case you need it spelled out) a wife and mother? Nikki's not a political activist. She's as average Jane as you can get. Except for now being good buddies with David Axelrod, apparently.

(And don't you just love the "Please do not reply to this e-mail" thing at the bottom?)