Obama Negotiates With Evil-Doers: The Healthcare Lobbyists
By Robert Schlesinger, Thomas Jefferson Street blog
Today's New York Times carries a reminder that President Obama is willing to hold his nose and enter into negotiations with our Republic's most heinous enemies. I refer, of course, to lobbyists. The Times noted that White House officials explicitly acknowledged that they cut a deal with the pharmaceutical industry (or more specifically, its lobbyists) locking in $80 billion in savings—meaning that the White House would oppose including measures allowing the government to negotiate drug prices. And as the Times reports:
The new attention to the agreement could prove embarrassing to the White House, which has sought to keep lobbyists at a distance, including by refusing to hire them to work in the administration.
That's a polite way of putting it. The fact is that Obama and his staff painted lobbyists as shambling fonts of corruption who would not be allowed into the pristine halls of the squeaky clean Obama administration.
As I've noted before the problem with such sweeping rhetoric is that it runs up against reality in a couple of ways: First not all lobbyists are evil; second it's not realistic to think that you can staff an administration without employing anyone who has lobbied; and finally, as is demonstrated by today's Times piece, even if the first two assertions were untrue you cannot do business in Washington without dealing with lobbyists. So intemperate rhetoric ends up making the administration look like it's in bed with unsavory characters, making sweetheart side deals.
The Times piece is also interesting for the glimpse it provides into the glimpse it provides of the political hardball the Obama administration has employed with healthcare industry lobbyists. The drug manufacturers cut a deal and have a "seat of honor at the negotiating table" while lobbyists for health insurance companies (who have emerged as the villain in the healthcare reform--or health insurance reform, as the president has started calling it--storyline) didn't and have been "pushed away."
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Tags: lobbying | Barack Obama | Obama administration
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Reader Comments
Private property lobbyists want profits
Best health is needed by everyone. Ir must not be a commodity. When taxes fund a project or agency, it is called "socialistic." It's supposed to be non-profit because it benefits all Americans. When investors start a business, it's called "capitalistic," and its main purpose is always to MAKE A PROFIT, even when it harms people, like the tobacco industry. After the 1929 Crash, Congress should have used taxes to fund health care for all, but didn't. Instead, Congress used taxes to provide health care for military and dependents and Congress. All congress needs to do is to DE-PRIVATIZE medical care and let us have "socialized" medicine for all. I repeat that we also need to make Congress end all tax subsidy to religious people. They say they believe in
god and they must worship. Let them, but stop making all taxpayers provide their buildings, utilities, furniture, altars, organs, costumes, incense, candles, kneelers, bell ringers, holy books and hymnals, signs, parking lots, traffic control and all the merchandise in catalogs of "church supplies.'
healthcare
If the canadian health system is so bad by so many, how come some polls show as high as 82 and 91 percent approval rating?
lobbyist for gov to do there job
Thank you US News and World report. Warning about controversal issue!!!!!!! Great God does deals for my survival. I am being trained now.Situation is that my neighbor and his mobs knows about tactics. At a meeting a long time ago. Choked me and my ex girlfriend. He wanted me to do a crime,i think. Ex girlfriend said to do it because she was being abused by neighbor or had been. I have been killed several times and recesitaded when i was young. Big problem is that dad is constant abuser to. Now he hugs me at church and acts like needs to know about me. Dad could go off if trouble. A national mob is trying to convince everyone to be OK with constant abusers and their mobs!!!! Them even using cover tactics to not get caught. In some staes.How does a person find help to get away or to report stuff. FBI conatcted over 13 times and state police. sitnky solider? crook solider?Not fair to caring persosn that are targeted by corrupt. Try over 20 years of abuse with a tacticist group helping. Which is maybe done by state police officer or racist mobs(some convicts). I 100% dislike RAPIST. That is something. Procaring are targeted. I beleive cult wants to stay inm power after firing. I any. Look like no financial help. And no adoptions. Thank you heatd HGh cures genetics. Kids choke alot. Seriuosly!!!. low press on subject. Book -Tribe of Judah doctrine and the way. A Short christian analysis about mistakes. Copy wrote Conspiracy against it. Thank you agin Watchout for tricksters.
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