Ask Him Why He Wants to Euthanize Granny

The latest person to give Palin a spanking over her "death panel" nonsense is none other than Sen. Johnny Isakson:

Ezra Klein asked Sen. Johnny Isakson (R) of Georgia, a long-time advocate of expanding Medicare end-of-life planning coverage, to help explain why this common-sense idea has suddenly become an attack against reform. Isakson responded:

"I have no idea. I understand -- and you have to check this out -- I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin's web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it where people would be euthanized. How someone could take an end of life directive or a living will as that is nuts. You're putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don't know how that got so mixed up.

"It empowers you to be able to make decisions at a difficult time rather than having the government making them for you.... And it's a voluntary deal."

Good answer. Actually, it's more than a good answer; it's the truth.

[snip]

I should add that Isakson is not a moderate. When I noted over the weekend that David Brooks called Palin's argument "crazy," some responded that Brooks isn't conservative enough to count as criticism from the "right." Isakson, however, is a genuine, Grade A, far-right senator from the Deep South, and he thinks Palin's argument is "nuts."

He'll be branded an el pinko liberal by morning, especially when the Deathers find out he's the one trying to euthanize Grandma:

It was Republican Johnny Isakson from Georgia who introduced the Soylent Green amendment in the Senate bill because he learned his lessons well from the Terri Schiavo incident. And he's shocked that conservatives have taken his amendment and made a mockery of it.

He must not talk to his base much.