Obama's healthcare woes blamed on media

Healthcare reform supporters can't rely on the media to debunk myths about legislation, the director of President Obama's political arm said Tuesday.

In an email to supporters, Organizing for America (OFA) Director Mitch Stewart encouraged recipients to "double our own efforts to get the truth out" about healthcare reform.

"Over the past few months, two things have become clear about the fight for health insurance reform," Stewart wrote. "1. Our opponents will create and spread outrageous lies to try to stop President Obama from creating real change. 2. We just can't count on the media to debunk them."

The president had blamed the media for helping propagate some of the "misinformation" about his healthcare plans, saying "part of the reason it spreads is the way reporting is done today."

Stewart encouraged supporters to volunteer to go door-to-door, or to participate in phone banks, as well as just volunteering.

"Our opponents' frightening smears can be pretty convincing too -- IF folks don't know that they're false," he said. "Stepping in when the media fails is a daunting challenge -- but this community has already come together and accomplished feats no one thought was possible."