When Michael Moore made his appearance on Hardball this week, Tweety got his feathers ruffled by a questioner who asked about Big Pharma’s influence over the media:
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hi, Michael. I‘m Mark Kohler (ph) from Penn State University. I have a quick question for you. What do you think it‘s going to take to remove the pharmaceutical industry‘s influence over the media and politicians in general?
MATTHEWS: What‘s the influence over the media, first off, buddy? What‘s the influence over me?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Have you watched the nightly news ever once? The amount of advertisements for any kind of pharmaceutical drug is so prevalent, especially during the dinner hour -
(CROSS TALK)
MATTHEWS: Do you have any evidence that the nightly news producers are affected by the advertising?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not in my pocket.
MATTHEWS: You do have some evidence? What‘s the evidence.
Tweety ought to be reading Kos. On that very same day, nyeve had a diary up about the relationship between several prominent journalists and the AHIP:
Nancy Snyderman, MD, the health corresponded for NBC News, Robert Bazell another NBC news health correspondent and very sadly, Susan Dentzer of the News Hour all participate on the AHIP Speakers Network.
For those of you new to their racket, AHIP (America’s Health Insurance Plans) is the trade association which represents the for-profit insurance industry in the United States.
Now the insurance lobby isn’t technically Big Pharma but they both represent enormous institutional roadblocks to serious health care reform in this country, and it is via mechanisms like the AHIP Speakers Network that money is funneled to journalists (”buckraking”) and it sure ain’t because they’re out there swinging for the fences on behalf of single payer.
As Eve points out in her diary, one of the “facts” presented on the AHIP website is that “[a]ll the talk about creating universal coverage has obscured the fact that most voters already have insurance.”
O-key-dokey.
Media Matters is reporting today that after Eve’s blog post went up, the three journalists were removed from AHIP’s list of speakers, though their bios remain elsewhere on the site.
When people ask about the value of amateurs in the blogosphere versus “professional journalist” I think this particular example is worth pointing to. Using publicly available materials Eve whipped Matthews’ ass. His high dudgeon was shockingly misplaced, and if this is an example of his level of sophistication on the matter he needs to do some serious research before he wades into these waters again.
It’s that kind of ignorance that renders Our Elite Media a bunch of hand-wringing toadies mindlessly repeating special interest talking points with no awareness that they’re acting like complete tools.
Related posts:
- Chris Matthews Misleads Viewers on Viability of Public Option
- Early Morning Swim: Chris Matthews Smacks Birther Congressman Around
- Alan Grayson v. CNN’s Insurance Industry Hack
- Chris Matthews Forces Birther Congressman to Admit Obama’s a Citizen
- Insurance Industry Lobbying Group to Spend Millions on PR Blitz
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zunoed!
Hi Jane!
Be the media.
It’s easy… and a hell of a lot of fun.
Sorry, OT: Mueller, House Judiciary, FBI hearing cspan3
drat! It is not quite my lucky day. I got a zed for the 1st time earlier today, but then Christy went and took the post down!
BTW–Robert Mueller is testifying before Conyer’s committee on c-span 3.
Holy crap!
I have been fixing the floor in my office and had the computer unplugged.
ROVE!!
Zed! Wow!
OOPS. No zed…
I just think the continual harping on the oh-so-much-better journalism coming from “paid” reporters rather than the blogosphere’s “rank amateurs” is disgusting and misleading and just plain wrong!
Sock it to Tweety, Jane!
Let me be the first on this thread to point out that Hillary is the biggest recipient of Big Pharma money.
OT, Filipinos kidnapped to Baghdad to work on the US Embassy.
http://www.crooksandliars.com/
Something went down re Gonzo’s lies between Mueller and Shirley Jackson Lee before I tuned in…I caught the very tail end and have no idea what was said. Did anyone else see it?
I saw that exchange and wanted to jump through my tv. Matthews was a classic “know-nothing” that day.
tweety can’t feel threatened cause if he does, he strikes out like a petulent 2 yr old. He knowa that he is in the biggies pocket and he is afraid that as it gets more and more obvious, his position is threatened.
to hell with tweey- every chance that we get, someony should jump all over him. He will rapidly sink into oblivion cause he is a fool.
Delehunt is lecturing Mueller on Congressional oversight of the executive branch.
Another afternoon getting nuttin done. FDL is like a spy novel I can’t put down.
refresh
refresh
Tweety is painful to watch. First off, his sign-on sound track sounds awful off the diamond field. Then he is so loud and so full of it and never lets his guests speak. Then he’s always watching the monitor to his right to check himself out. He sometimes scores, but most of the time he misses. Like last night…
Loo Hoo. @ 11
Maybe Bush and Cheney are planning to move to Baghdad and become co-Kings of Iraq!! Yeah…that’s the ticket..and they’ll have Blackwater, their own private army, imported slaves, and everything. Whoopee!!!
bill @ 14
Tweety, of course, is not the only one. Whatever made him take calls? I haven’t watched him for awhile. When did he start doing this? Calls canbe manipulated if you have a good screener, but sounds like he didn’t, in which case they can be dangerous to the anchor’s health. I’m surprisedthat he would take the risk.
eCAHNomics @ 10
Yep. I’ve never had any trust in that woman, Mrs Clinton.
I just finished some market research survey for “News VIPs” – the arm of MSNBC’s programming geniuses.
If you want to help decide what goes on the air at MSNBC, go HERE and try to subscribe. I always vote in favor of reportage vis a vis David Shuster and Rachel Maddow and NOT in favor of hackery like Tucker’s and Scarborough’s.
Biodun @ 20
Isn’t big pharma money tied to Lieberman’s wife?
I am still catching up on work lost during the Libby trial. Now I do most of my CSpan veiwing during the late evening. I need to find a way to work, watch Congressional hearings, and sleep. Ideas?
eCAHNomics @ 19
They weren’t calls, the whole network is doing a schtick on Hardball Plaza these days. Just like the Ann Coulter/Elizabeth Edwards confrontation.
jacqrat @ 21
I think Rachel Maddow has one of the best news shows on radio.
Right on, Jane!
The relationship between the trade associations, public relations firms, and the MSM is the new iron triangle. We’ve seen this play out before with health care, and it’s evolving a second time.
Twain @ 22
Yep.
‘It’s that kind of ignorance that renders Our Elite Media a bunch of hand-wringing toadies mindlessly repeating special interest talking points with no awareness that they’re acting like complete tools.’
1. They’re not acting.
2. They are hired as tools by tools for tools.
3. To not be aware that they are tools would mean that they are fools…..uh, nevermind, they are fools, aren’t they?
4. Oberman is the only non-tool of the WHOLE BUNCH.
5. We don’t stand a chance against the corporate masters of our militarized government.
As the saying goes, ‘Resistance is futile’.
Biodun @ 27
Don’t you mean, Yep.
PTrig @ 23
Go freelance if you can in your industry. It’s the only way to do whatever you want whenever you want. Or get a trust fund. But then that’s boring, IMHO.
There’s no evidence, but there is a history of advertisers pulling their spots or dollars because of subject matter covered in reporting.
2005 General Motors Pulls Ads from ‘L.A. Times’
This is just one story of a hundred. Another example would be all the advertisers that pulled their cash after Imus insulted that basketball team.
Maybe folks here could search online for more historical examples.
Twain @ 22
According to wiki, Hadassah Freilich Tucker is his second wife, since he divorced his first for not being religious enuf. Since March 2005, she has worked for Hill & Knowlton, a lobbying firm based in New York City, as a senior counselor in its health and pharmaceuticals practice.
So you got it spot on.
ReneND @ 16
Refresh Madness!
More questions about Ashcroft in the hospital on c-span 3. Mueller’s version.
Woodhall Hollow @ 34
what’s his version?
Woodhall Hollow @ 34
That sounds cool. I don’t get it on TV, is it at the website?
tweet sounds like he was trying to defend himself. very defensive?
Sheesh, (slaps hand on forehead).
I’m so dumb. I just couldn’t for the life of me figure out why there are all those crazy drug ads on TV as though we would all go running to the phones to “ask our doctor”. They don’t care if we know about their stupid drug, they’re just throwing money at the media.
Now I gotta take an aspirin. I tell ya, I’m rrreal slow sometimes. (red face).
There’s no evidence, but there is a history of advertisers pulling their spots or dollars because of subject matter covered in reporting.
2005 General Motors Pulls Ads from ‘L.A. Times’
This is just one story of a hundred. Another example would be all the advertisers that pulled their cash after Imus insulted that basketball team.
Maybe folks here could search online for more historical examples.
Biodun @ 30
Anyone out there looking for a freelance grant administrator? I promise go give you my full attention when there isn’t a constitutional crisis looming.
We Are Penn State! Cheering my fellow Penn Stater as I sit in my office and eat ice cream furnished by a drug rep.
TJ @ 36
cspan.org
TJ @ 36
c-span 3
If I see one more commercial for Flomax or Ciallis I will throw a shoe at the TV. Neither is purported to work over time. There used to be rules about pharma advertising on TV let’s bring um back!
PTrig @ 23
I’m kicking myself I didn’t take a day off Tuesday to attend the Gonzo hearing. But it’s probably for the best. I’m busy at work and can’t really take the additional strain on my mental health watching that would bring.
I usually catch up on hearings over the weekend or in the evenings. I stream them from c-span.org’s archives and get a ton of housework done.
cancer_cures @ 31
The thing that is rarely mentioned is how much self-policing everyone who works for a large company does. If you graduated from kindergarten* your boss doesn’t need to come into your office (or onto your set) & tell you what not to say. You figured it out all by yourself.
punaise @ 33
lemony fresh or mountain breeze!
PFE Celebrex image rehab ad:
* 2.5 minutes
* $200,000 per airing
* Voiceover mentions “death” twice
* Jabs Vioxx, states Celebrex “never taken off the shelves”
Mod note/edit: Please do not quote this comment
do-si-do @ 38
LOL
Maybe Tweety needs one of these. It sounds like his level of amusement. [/snark]
(Actually, the story behind the thing is interesting. Was a trade-show gimmick, but people were much more interested in the gimmick than in the product it was intended to sell ….)
Richmond @ 44
I feel your pain. “incomplete emptying?” please.
Although I admit I’m charmed by the retro Encite ads.
Which committee is interviewing Mueller?
jacqrat @ 21
No longer taking registration. Dang.
And this changes the government’s moral obligations to its citizens how?
BC — not forgetting that despite the Dim Son’s minions beliefs, the government is us.
Mueller is being asked point blank whether Comey’s testimony that he considered resigning is accurate, and Mueller says he will not dispute Comey’s testimony.
But!
When asked point blank if it is true that he was intending to resign be dodges and says he will not discuss “conversations” with principles. When pushed about what was in his own mind, he says he can’t answer that question because it would reveal a discussion with a principle. That principle would be the president, I am assuming…the trip to the WH the next day.
Basically he says that Comey is right, but he can’t come right out and confirm it.
Twain @ 22
There’s lots to go around. Just ask your doctor, when he gets back from his conference in Tahiti.
Explain?
Should be mentioned that Tweety brought up a criticism about Michael Moore being fat.
TexB @ 51
House
TexB @ 51
House Judiciary.
oldtree @ 37
Reminds me of Gary Hart in 1984. What’s Tweety hiding?
side effects may include mindless regurgitation of corporate talking points, leakage, and acute lack of irony.
Biodun @ 20
Also, when she says she’ll reform healthcare in her second term. What president ever gets much done in their second term?
Well if no one else is going to defend Chris Matthews, I will. First, as I have told you guys over and over again cable news has the same relationship to news that Alberto Gonzales has with the truth. Second, Matthews is a sock puppet multiple times over so it is entirely conceivable that he doesn’t know whose hand is up his *ss at any given moment.
Hope this helps clarify matters.
Mueller sounds jittery.
maralenenok @ 45
The Gonzo hearing was superb. It was a sleep-little night as I had to watch to the end of the replay. I really need to stop ending my days by suggesting to myself, “I’ll go to sleep once I take a look to see what C-Span’s showing.”
It’s also the last thing I watch before leaving for work. As of late I have not been getting into work as early as I used. No better network on TV than the ‘Span. And I don’t have to see Bob and his growing problem once when viewing it!
Big Pharma and Insurance Co’s ain’t no fools. Giving Hillary tons of cash will help rid her of any silly national health care ideas – especially the most annoying and profit draining single-payer plan.
I believe that plan is off the table where all candidates are concerned -except the dark horse Kucinich.
My take: in his mind Tweety IS the media and the media is HIM. Tweety is the center of the media universe. So if a pharmaceutical CEO hasn’t walked straight up to HIM and told him what to talk about, then THE MEDIA is not “influenced.” It’s just that simple for his ilk to “prove” their cases – and to cut off further discussion…
tommy yum @ 57
Yep. Tweety is beefy himself.
Joe Klein @ 63, do you have a link for that last statement?
Hugh @ 63
Clears everything up for me.
Pharma companies advertise on the evening network news because of the demographic of the viewers: old. On the Sunday gabfests, on the other hand, you see more defense contractors and entities like ADM.
TeddySanFran @ 60
Same things as Tim Russert and the rest of the corporate media. They are beholden to corporate interests. They’ve sold out the American people.
Hugh @ 63
He does blow hard with the wind, and most often he is the wind.
LS @ 65, I noticed that as soon as he began his prepared remarks. Jittery and defensive. What’s he hiding?
punaise @ 61
And if it lasts more than 4 hours, see your doctor.
I wonder whether Matthews is dumb enough to think that if he wanted to, he could become (without getting fired) a gutsy reporter who pissed off people in power and served the interests of the poor. In fact, I bet Matthews is actually dumb enough to think that he already is a watchdog journalist. Assuming that Matthews really doesn’t think that he’s just working for MSNBC’s advertisers, this would be a prime example of how ideology works. Matthews reporting = Superstructure; MSNBC’s advertisers = Base.
Sally–what went down when he was questioned by Jackson-Lee? I tuned in at the tail end, and it seemed like some kind of a wall had been hit.
Biodun @ 74
What!?! Tweety thinks he’s Col. Flagg now?
eCAHNomics @ 57
You didn’t look at it???
I don’t want to spoil the surprise … but the company’s main product is a remote sensor of some kind for WCs, to tell if they’re overflowing or simply not shutting off, and they had the bright idea of a see-through WC for trade shows so prospective customers could see how the sensor worked (I understand that the sensor’s popular with assisted-living places; people with dementia tend to plug them up quite frequently).
Woodhall Hollow @ 54
BushCo’s constantly expanding view of Executive Privilege is exhausting. When was “conversations with principles” added to executive privilege? I’m so tired of the endless dodging around, especially Abu’s “I’m not gonna answer that question.”
It’s a co-equal branch of government, dude — you must answer these questions. When did our President become a King? All conversations with Him, whether advisory or simply threats to resign, are now privileged?
We must impeach. It’s the only trump to ExecPriv.
Sally @ 74
I guess it must be really scary to be asked about the Ashcroft visit. His voice was literally shaking, and he tried to say he wouldn’t answer..they said answer, and he did..sort of. They need to ask him much more. He’s treading on really thin ice with regard to that incident.
Just posted at CNN:
FBI Director Robert Mueller gives Congress testimony apparently contradicting Attorney General Alberto Gonzales’ testimony into a meeting with his sick predecessor
Break out the leg irons, babayyyy!
Sally @ 69
I have to find it. I remember it from somewhere. It might have even been in a debate. If someone can find it, please post it, otherwise I’ll keep looking.
Pharma controls a huge part of health policy – and the messages by which to influence the public to support its favored policy. It pressured media to cover Canadian prescription drug access to Americans under the guise of “safety issues” for Americans, while pushing to have seniors who crossed the border to obtain their prescriptions at prices they could afford, arrested when they returned and their medications seized. Those felonious seniors were simply used for the benefit of big pharma. Research is directly tied to projected return on investment, marketability and profit margins.
Big pharma’s greedy palm extends far into all layers of healthcare – from physician office “free” lunches while watching sales pitches, to “continue medical education” that is a slick veneer for direct sales to prescribers to direct to consumer advertising which they intend to have the patients do the legwork to pressure physicians to prescribe more.
But I’m going to be cranky again and say this: the progressive blogosphere does not adequately support progressive healthcare bloggers. Ninety percent of my readers come from rabid right wingers who insult, ridicule and rant without ever providing a logical argument that is factually based. I finally went to full comment moderation because there were NEVER progressive readers who commented, and I got tired of seeing the garbage that the wingnuts wrote. (Although these wingnuts are at least READING a little bit about issues for which they otherwise would not have any idea about.)
On my blog, there is a button for a web ring of Progressive Healthcare Bloggers. It sure would be appreciated if we garnered some progressive readers, commenters and supporters. With one exception, no progressive blogger has ever agreed to guest blog, to author or in any way contribute to the success of a progressive health blog.
So if healthcare is really an issue of importance, now would be as good a time as any to actually support those who are bringing the news and analysis with a progressive point of view to the blogosphere. /rant
Sally @ 74
Here’swiki on Mueller:
My bold.
He’s always looked twittery & defensive to me.
Rep Betty Sutton asks about whistle blower protection – mentioning Sibel Edmonds..
Answer: “We’re not gonna go after them, will help them, blah,blah,blah.
“Can you be more specific”
Answer: “Nope, not really. Can’t talk about Sibel’s Official Secrets problem because I’m blocked by her Official Secrets problem”.
I feel much better now.
my take on tweety’s reaction — it had nothingn to do with tweety’s grasp of the issue; it was his confrontational way of shutting down that line of argument, which was really fucked up because he was challenging someone not accustomed to the spotlight and a hostile inquisitor. and unfortunately, the guy who brought it up wasn’t fully prepared with examples to shut tweety up.
do-si-do @ 51
Should we all send Tweety some Bean-o?
It’s much to subtle for Matthews to notice. First, the networks moved the news divisions into the entertainment divisions. Then they expected the news dept. to start making money, rather than being a part of the network public service since they use our airwaves for free.
Since then, tv news has been marketed, just like any other show. They use surveys, focus groups and consultants to design the shows to attract the most viewers (allegedly) at the expense of the facts the American people need to know.
The pressure is more on management and producers than the on air people. The vital stories discussed here and at many other blogs are never considered. It’s not that the stories are slanted, it’s the stories they ignore that’s the problem.
@ 82
Wasn’t Mueller once a USDA in San Diego?
P J Evans @ 80
I completely misinterpreted your comment. No I didn’t look at the link (it’s a pain cause when I return to FDL have to refresh & scroll back down, so often don’t look at links unless I think they’re critical). Then I thought your second paragraph was referring back to Tweety, not your link, which is why I asked for any explanation.
Now, having looked at the link, I think I’ll keep the one I have.
jayt @ 87
Me too.
Tweety is most definitely a bully. The only way he argues is by raising his voice.
Knut Wicksell @ 91
From wiki:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Mueller
Joe Klein’s conscience @ 83
Hopefully this story at MyDD has it:
http://kaleberg.mydd.com/story…..203811/070
I’ll keep looking for something better though.
Chris Matthews is a dirty old man. He had Obama girl, Hillary girl and Rudy girl, and he made them perform on his show.
He said, “You will be hitting this all night guys, over and over again.” Actually it was an improvement compared to his usual guests. But it does bring new meaning to “Hardball”
Some guy at RedState thought that
“Chris Matthews’ Hardball Steeps to New Low”.
I disagree, it was one of Matthews better shows.
TheOtherWA @ 89
Exactly. The sockpuppets are not really the point: it’s the producers. Get the names of the producers out in the public debate. Remember the Greek producer at NBC (I think) who made it his temporary life assignment to get Clinton impeached? They are the ones who decide what gets put on the air and how it’s spun, not the talking heads, who are just reading off the teleprompter and repeating what comes through the bug in their ear.
Mueller’s testimony today has roasted Gonzo to a crisp.
Davis is on the topic again.
dharmamarx @ 77
In fact, I bet Matthews is actually dumb enough to think that he already is a watchdog journalist.
In his mind, he is one of the greats of journalism, right up there with Murrow.
Asking about his understanding of Ashcroft’s condition!
Thanks Jane for pulling this all together. You are our very own investigative reporter. The ads from BIG Pharma on the evening news are enough to make you sick. But I had thought maybe Susan Denzler was not in their pocket.
Yeah I love how all of the medicine advertised on their channels causes wierd discharges, leaks, irregular heartbeat, nausia, and involuntary prengancy.
Sometimes the side effects are worse than the effects. Either that, or I’m floating away from reality with a big SOMA smile painted on my face. Who the crap buys this shit?
BTW eCAHN @91, to check on links, you can also ‘right click’ on link and open it in another window. That’s what I usually do.
OT–
From NYTimes.com:
’scuse the drive-by…
rep. davis asking good questions of mueller wrt comey in the hjc hearing.
Mueller has notes on the Comey meeting.
Mueller has notes!! Trying not to give them up as “deliberative”.
Arthur David-D Alabama asks Mueller-what did you understand Ashcroft’s condition to be?
M-Did not see him as being condition to receive visitors on serious issues. Comey’s call was unusual. I have no dispute with Comey on making sure he’s not being going to be removed from the hospital room. I have notes. I’ll get back to you on whether you can see the notes.
Mueller took notes because it was unusual. Notes have not been shared with administration, only with staff and council.
Loo Hoo. @ 108
That was an astonishing & fascinating interchange. How did Davis know to ask? Wow.
This is a great week for my bosses to be at CLE at sea, I can get cought up at the lake.
Davis makes a point of asking that the senate and the HJC take note of Mueller’s Ashcroft notes. He had a conversation with Ashcroft after Gonzo and Card left. That is a juicy little tidbit that has not been previously revealed.
Why make notes?
Out of the ordinary situation.
Have you shared them with admin.
No.
Have you shared them with anyone else?
Have only shared them with counsel and possibly immediate staff.
Do you know if there was a notetaker present?
I don’t know. I didn’t see any.
Conyers interrupts questioning due to “time/votes”….Hmmmmm. They’ve got something.
Knut Wicksell and theOtherWA @98:
Great comments. There’s another factor: it’s simply a sound investment for GE, for example, to work to get Republicans elected; the returns are astronomical, and the “profit motive” people complain about for shallow coverage is a myth, or at least not the motive many people think it is.
The suppression is overt and there are too many examples that come to mind: I don’t think Nightline ever covered the Plame case or the Libby trial. They also ignored Goss’s resignation in the wake of gargantuan scandal including boy and girl hookers right in the Watergate, which gives the lie to the additional myth that they love sex scandals.
Question: Is it true that Alberto Gonzales stepped behind Mr. Ashcroft and used his hands to nod Ashcrofts heads in the affirmative as another lackey asked questions of Ashcroft?
-GSD
Wasserman-Schultz on child pornography online. 500,000 here in America. What percentage of money is spent on this? 2%. 230 agents. How many on white collar crime? 2,342.
thanks for the blogging of the Mueller HJC hearing…
Woodhall Hollow @ 112
The pieces are coming out & starting to add up. Anyone have any opinion of Mueller, wrt how revealing his notes are likely to be? My read has been that he’san empty suit but not an idelogue.
And what did he mean by “deliberative.” He showed them to the FBI lawyer. Is that a confidential relationship?
Hmmmm…whistleblowers…aha…
Perhaps Mueller’s staff shared the “notes” with the Committee.
Ooooh. Boy.
Woodhall Hollow @ 111
Maybe there is hope yet. I’d rather them impeach Gonzo … just to make a point. Screw letting that asshat resign.
Hugh @ 63
707!
“wipe!”
brendan
Exactly. The motive for producing a newscast used to be to inform the nation about what was going on. Now the motive is help make themselves money. That’s the core of the problem.
Now, they are asking him a bunch of “fluff” questions…they are “fluffers”.
Swopa’s upstairs on Mueller-Gonzo…
seems to me that the FBI was charged with blocking the access of Gonzo and (was it?) Addington to Ashcroft’s room until Comey got there (while racing with lights and sirens to the hospital)
“Out of the Ordinary”…interesting choice of words for Comey’s request that night, as well as the fact that he just cited “out of the ordinary” as the reason for recording on paper what had happened that night.
OldCoastie @ 125
gonzo and Card (WH CoS)
Knut Wicksell @ 98
EPU’d, but I thought this great comment about news producers worth amplifying by responding to it.
OldCoastie @ 125
Andrew Card and Gonzo.
Anyone know where the nickname Tweety came from? Or why? Not that I like the guy, I’m just short on the punchline.
Thanks in advance!
So much for healthcare….
health care is not insurance.
We need universal health care not universal insurance.
Insurance is a for profit endeavor. Look as see how they make money. Like any corporation by lowering their expense side and increasing the revenue side. So they are there to deny as many claims as possible and fight the regulators for as many rate increases as they can. THEY HAVE NOTHING TO DO WITH HEALTH CARE and more the ADT which processes payroll for an engineering firm has to do with engineering.
Often journalism involves quoting opinions of learned experts, leaving the reader to consider the source rather than the messenger/mail carrier when weighing the value of the information. However, the value of the report is above all the responsibility of the reporter. They have to be able to make some intelligent choices when it comes to sources and they should at the very least identify the sources used and their areas of expertise. Excellent reporting goes further in seeking a balance of views.
If you go to a university, the NIH, other HHS agencies, the FDA, you’re likely to get responses from people who are beholden or who otherwise do fealty to Big Pharma. These sources alone are not sufficient for balanced reporting. An AMA source is not likely to shift the balance. You have to be able to discern who’s talking on a case by case basis. It’s a very dodgy business, reporting medical science and practice.
As Michael Moore so expertly conveys in Sicko, there is a vast philosophical difference in medical ethics between the U.S. and the rest of the world. It has insinuated itself into every aspect of the biomedical establishment. None of the Democratic candidates for president is propounding anything like HR676. It’s just not on. The top ones are already in the pocket of Big Pharma. As was pointed out in the film, Hillary went mute after being bought off.
Joe Klein: From your link above:
“Hillary on healthcare…
The plan is not as important as the political coaliation supporting the plan, whatever plan we put forward, the contour is pretty well known…
It is very important to realize this is not about a plan, it is about the political will and strength of the coaliation you put behind the concept, moving towards universal healthcare coverage. Whether they’ll stay or they’ll fold, because in 1993 and 1994, I had so many people who signed .. then they started to get pressed by all other forces and they all peeled off. So this time, we’ll go in this together.”
The above is what is not being considered when people bash Senator Clinton for getting contributions from BigPharma. A change requires a coalition and one I don’t think the Republics can frustrate again as they did her first time around. She will not back down on healthcare because 1) it’s always been a goal of hers and 2) she went about it wrong the first time and will get it right this time.
A few numbers:
USA spending on health care ~ 15% GDP
US GDP 2006 $13.3 trillion (13.3 thousand billion dollars)
Spent on Health Care (2006) — (0.15 x 13.3) = 1.97 trillion (1.97 thousand billion dollars)
Percentage spent on administration (i.e. not on care of patients)— 0.3 X Total = (1.97 x 0.3) = 590 billion dollars
A half a trillion dollars buys an awful lot of lobbyists, PR specialists, etc etc.
Noni
Sally @ 134
As long as any candidate talks “universal health care coverage,” they only prove that they either don’t understand or aren’t willing to address the essential problem. That problem is that for-profit health care–the insurance and pharmaceutical industries–is fundamentally broken. “Universal health care coverage” (read: insurance) continues to pay into and support that broken system. What we need is universal health care–the elimination of for-profit “coverage” in favor of a policy and philosophy of treating the ill and injured. It’s just as simple as that.
Loo Hoo. @ 116
I think this is one of those right wing blown up things (like missing children – the majority of whom are with one of their own relatives illegally). There is a sizable amount of the child abuse situation that is basically underage cohort identified. Another sizable amount is linked to step-parents in families. And, don’t forget the Catholic Priest scandal which the government until recently played little role in addressing. All of it is horrible but by focusing on child porn on the “internets” and elsewhere as if this issue as a deciding one in US society is to (intentionally) overlook a large number of other issues that we can do alot more about (health care – which could address this if funds were given to sex education- ending the war, supporting education, the environment etc.)
I’m kinda wondering if Tweety ever went to J-school. Even first-year jschool students learn to do research to inform their stories. And, shockingly enough, they’re required to learn to research all sides of a story,not just the ones the newspaper owners want them to tell.
But then again, nothing Tweety shits out his piehole surprises me anymore.
Tweety is like on of the kids in the elite clique in highschool. He only is nice to other elites and he fawns over them so much — everyone else is a nerd that deserves to be trampled on.
Haughty bastard that Tweety.
I’m no fan of big pharma, and Matthews drives me crazy like everyone else. But if we’re going to puff out our chests and talk about a blogger besting a conventional journalist, how about a little accuracy? The caller said big pharma was controlling the news, and offered as an example the number of ads they run. The fact that some journalists are part of an insurance speakers’ bureau has nothing to do with the topic. If you want to talk about them being under the spell of the insurance companies, fine. But you can’t just lump two separate industries together and claim to have made your point.
If Tweety criticized the Democratic Party for something, and used as proof statements from the NEA because “they both represent enormous institutional roadblocks,” we’d all be up in arms. You can’t claim to be better than the journalists and then ignore the most basic journalistic principals because the outcome pleases you. Saying “the insurance lobby isn’t technically Big Pharma” is rather a large caveat. It’s more than a technical difference. While they both have reasons to obstruct single payer health care, I suspect big pharma would be perfectly happy to have those insurance companies writing huge checks for medicines, which would be the opposite of what the insurance companies would want. You can’t just lump them all together as “the bad guys.”
As for Tweety getting heated, what do you expect? A caller says the network news is in the pocket of big pharma, then offers nothing to back it up. Is Tweety supposed to agree with him based on that? “You’re right, we’re all whores. Thanks for the call.”
And before everyone jumps down my throat, I’m not saying the caller was wrong. I just don’t think it’s accurate to claim that “Eve whipped Matthews’ ass.” They were talking about different subjects. Blogger triumphalism gets really tiring sometimes.
Jane, by god you have a way with words! You cut right to the chase! Great work.
ChrisO @ 140
An appoligist for the MSM? Have another tankard of kool-aid.
Man, was that predictable. Just because I don’t follow a knee jerk catechism doesn’t mean I don’t know what I’m talking about. Disagree with me if you like, but I made a cogent argument. I can understand someone having a different point of view, but this response is just pathetic. Exactly what part of what I said do you disagree with? Or is that too much to ask?
Micheal Moore politely wiped Matthews ass too! Moore was so calm and collected as he wiped.
While I am never happy with Matthews past focus (not doing it lately) on Bills behaviour and whether Hillary is warm and cozy. He was the first MSMer to spend airtime (I believe it was a week) covering wounded soldiers in Walter Reed. This was quite some time ago.
Matthews has also hammered the cakewalk zealots (the ones that will still come onto his program) when they repeat unsubstantiated claims about Iran.
Although tonight when Stephen Hayes said we should go on into Iran, Matthews did not challenge him.
On Matthews tonight Hayes and Clintons campaign manager called Iranian Ahminejad(sp?) a Holocaust denier about 10 times. Matthews did not challenge these repeated statements.
I wish Chris Matthews would have Juan Cole on so that he could define what Ahminijad actually said about the Holocaust. I do not trust the cakewalk crazies or the Israeli lobby’s interpretation of what anyone says in Iran. They want Iran bad.
I sure would like to see Matthews have Juan Cole on to interpret exactly what the Iranian President said
Juan Cole Kucinich and Ron Paul Ahminijad is not anti-semitic
http://www.juancole.com/2007/0…..mitic.html
http://www.juancole.com/2006/0…..-as-w.html
August 28, 2006
Is Iran’s President Really a Jew-hating, Holocaust-denying Islamo-fascist who has threatened to “wipe Israel off the map”?
Putting Words in Ahmadinejad’s Mouth
By VIRGINIA TILLEY
http://www.counterpunch.org/tilley08282006.html
Oh they know they are tools, they just don’t care…
Rusty Austin says it all.
After asking for details, total piece of crap Chris Matthews is never going to bring up this evidence on his own. That would be journalism.