Have you noticed that Washington has a messaging problem? As my texting pre-teen would say, “IKR!” (For us oldtimers, that translates to: “I Know, Right!”) But while political story spinning may be old news, it seems to have reached new heights. And before you jump to the conclusion that I’m solely addressing the contentious healthcare debate, I instead present Happy the Hippo.

Happy is a 5,500 pound Nile hippopotamus who has been a resident of Washington for 28 years. True to his moniker, Happy has by all accounts lived a fulfilling life. But recently our National Zoo decided Happy should move to Milwaukee. Sometime this September he will make a new home in Wisconsin as our zoo in D.C. invests millions to expand an elephant exhibit.

When I first read this Happy story I pondered that while a new elephant exhibit would be nice, my family would miss Happy. Apparently others felt much more strongly. Not more than 24 hours had passed when editorials, letter writing campaigns and petitions sprung from nowhere. D.C. zoo lovers were irate! How could the zoo betray one if its own? Didn’t D.C. have some of the best hippo-care in the world? Why would Happy want to change when things were fine as is? A change would only make things worse for everyone – there were simply too many unknowns.

My public relations ears were perked. How would the zoo handle this messaging dilemma? I knew only a skillful p.r. person would be able to keep P.E.T.A. and hippo lovers at bay. This was going to get interesting.

Ultimately, the talking points that emerged in this pending disaster were nothing less than brilliant. After the initial Happy story bombed and all hell broke loose, the zoo’s response was not a hard-hearted message that Happy would move despite concerns or even a retreat to say that things would now stay the same. The zoo instead spun the story to say that the move was in Happy’s BEST INTEREST. And then they alleviated fears by explaining, with substantiated facts, exactly why.

You see, Happy’s tank at the D.C. zoo, while it meets his basic needs, is really too small. (Come to think of it, the only times I saw Happy, he was crammed in a concrete pen indoors surrounded by smelly elephant dung.) And even though he seemed, well, happy, Happy had never met a girl hippo in his life. He was a bachelor who had spent the majority of his years living with his mother until she died.

Upon his move to Milwaukee Happy will find not only a much larger roaming area and vast swimming space, but TWO new female companions. According to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, a specialized hippo-care expansion will even include a personal shower and yard:

“Zoo planners have finished a new indoor facility for Happy and current zoo hippos Patty and Puddles, both females. The expanded $1.5 million quarters will include a heated floor and a chute where zoo veterinarians can perform minor medical tests on the hippos without risking anesthesia.”

Yes, even Happy will now have access to improved socialized medicine.

The ultimate intent, according to the National Zoo, is for Happy to find love and become a father.

In their website message to zoo-goers officials say:

“Sometimes doing the right thing is hard. Animals move between zoos all the time as exhibit requirements change, for breeding purposes, or for their own well-being. Even Happy's keepers say that, although they will miss Happy, this is the best thing for him.”

I haven’t heard much on this story since. The new talking points seemed to have worked their magic. Even P.E.T.A. has been satisfied that while change is difficult and scary, sometimes, with enough information and belief in future benefits, it is worth the risk.

I believe there are lessons to be learned from Happy’s story. I recently attended a press event on health insurance reform in which families with children with disabilities claimed a new public health system would result in rationed care, that a government panel - not a doctor - would control access to treatments and children would die. The only problem is it takes only a little research to uncover that those message points are based on fear, not fact. These personal stories represent concerns worthy of discussion, but according to leading national disability organizations, are not a valid representation of any proposed legislation anywhere.

While we all struggle for true fair and balanced information amid claims of a liberal media bias and Fox News distortion, none of us can afford to take anecdotal message points at face value. We need to do our homework. This Sunday Republican Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty pointed to the non-partisan http://www.factcheck.org/ as an institution which verifies “legitimate concern” and “merit” in issues. I agree.

Regardless of how you feel about the health insurance reform debate, people on all sides of the equation, including consumers, medical professionals, Republicans and Democrats, are in agreement that something needs to change. Whatever route to improvement we take, change will be hard and we may not see positive results for some time.

I think Happy would advise that research on quality care and honest discussion is necessary. Fear is a powerful force. In Happy’s case, it could have sentenced him to celibacy. For parents of children with special needs, it could mean that the silent rationing that already exists will continue without question.

Lisa Pugh is the 2009 Kennedy Foundation Public Policy Fellow. She will work on disability public policy for the House Committee on Education and Labor during the 111th Congress and is being sponsored by The Arc Wisconsin. She will live for one year with her family in Washington and return to her home in Madison, Wisconsin to share what she’s learned in January 2010.