For those of you who were convinced that the debate over health care reform reached an all-time low when Sarah Palin began discussing “death panels,” which apparently would be left to decide whether dear old Grandma might live or die under the Democrats’ plan, let me present another nominee for the (dis)honor:

Earlier this month, Investor’s Business Monthly ran an editorial (in)appropriately titled “How House Bill Runs Over Grandma” criticizing Democrats for wanting to set up a health care system similar to the United Kingdom’s National Health Service.  Not satisfied with relying on dear old Grandma’s imminent demise to make its point, the editorial proceeded to turn renowned physicist Dr. Stephen Hawking, who suffers from Lou Gehrig’s disease, is paralyzed and speaks though a voice synthesizer, into its poster child for the evils inherent in the British system.  According to the original editorial, which conveniently has been edited, Dr. Hawking “wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K.” because his life would be declared “essentially worthless.”

A great argument save for one pesky little detail …. Dr. Hawking is British and receives free health care through the National Health Service.  What did Dr. Hawking have to say in response to the editorial?  ”I wouldn’t be here today if it were not for the N.H.S.  I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.”