Comments on: Democrats in Pay-For-Play Deal With PhRMA? http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/ Firedoglake weblog Fri, 17 Feb 2012 13:42:11 -0600 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 By: rhfactor http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1953039 rhfactor Mon, 10 Aug 2009 05:32:15 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1953039 <p>Are you kidding me? The only possible person who could take on Obama in 2012 — and WIN — would be Howard Dean, who, of course, if hadn’t been sabotaged by Bill Clinton & DLC would have won the presidency in 2004 and most of the past 5 years would be moot. The only authentic leader at a national level in the United States who stands for, and would deliver, progress.</p> <p>I don’t need change. I need progress.</p> Are you kidding me? The only possible person who could take on Obama in 2012 — and WIN — would be Howard Dean, who, of course, if hadn’t been sabotaged by Bill Clinton & DLC would have won the presidency in 2004 and most of the past 5 years would be moot. The only authentic leader at a national level in the United States who stands for, and would deliver, progress.

I don’t need change. I need progress.

]]> By: John http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952920 John Mon, 10 Aug 2009 03:28:43 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952920 <p>The missed opportunities of the first six months of the Obama administration are absolutely staggering. The moment was there for transformation, and they blew it. Or did they? Unable to face the political risk of doing the right thing with the wars, the financial system, health care, or investing in a new America, they seem to be going the same old thing, but the same old thing isn’t viable… In other words, in some ways, the wingut crazies are <em>right</em>, they just have their reasoning backwards. The Democrats may very well have sealed the doom of the old order, in a sense: not by being “radical,” but by being too fearful and conventional.</p> <p>Real progressive policies might actually have slowed our evolution, in other words. :-) That’s not going to happen, though, so hang onto your hats.</p> The missed opportunities of the first six months of the Obama administration are absolutely staggering. The moment was there for transformation, and they blew it. Or did they? Unable to face the political risk of doing the right thing with the wars, the financial system, health care, or investing in a new America, they seem to be going the same old thing, but the same old thing isn’t viable… In other words, in some ways, the wingut crazies are right, they just have their reasoning backwards. The Democrats may very well have sealed the doom of the old order, in a sense: not by being “radical,” but by being too fearful and conventional.

Real progressive policies might actually have slowed our evolution, in other words. :-) That’s not going to happen, though, so hang onto your hats.

]]> By: jussumbody http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952888 jussumbody Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:53:03 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952888 <p>Why do I always start singing Cabaret and that Money song when I see pics of Rahm Emmanuel?</p> Why do I always start singing Cabaret and that Money song when I see pics of Rahm Emmanuel?

]]> By: Jane Hamsher http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952882 Jane Hamsher Mon, 10 Aug 2009 01:24:56 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952882 <p>Dunno, I’ll find out.</p> Dunno, I’ll find out.

]]> By: karendotcom http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952874 karendotcom Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:59:02 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952874 <p>Good God this is making me ill. I just got off the phone with my aged mother who lives in Texas, and she was railing on about how the new health care system was going to pay for sex-change operations.</p> <p>I said, well, I don’t know if that is true, but even if it is, just how many people do you think want sex-change operations?</p> <p>Then she went on about how they are going to euthenise old people. I tried to explain to her that the living will has been around for 20 years, and it is about the care you wish to receive when you are critically ill.</p> <p>All she could say was, “haven’t you seen the news?”</p> <p>Good Fucking Deep Fried Baby Jesus Christ on a Stick.</p> <p>I was able to make some headway with her when I explained that her Medicare was free to her as she was over 65, she said, “No it is not, I pay for it every month, they take it out of my check.</p> <p>The only way I was able to get any indignation out of her was to mention that Medicare pays for boner pills.</p> <p>I also got her to agree that insurance companies are denying benefits based on pre-existing conditions.</p> <p>How can we possibly pass a decent heath care bill in the country when this is the sort of ignorance that people like my mom have because they only get their news from TV. She doesn’t care enough about the process to become well informed, but she will parrot the talking points.</p> <p>My mom is not stupid, she is just easily led.</p> Good God this is making me ill. I just got off the phone with my aged mother who lives in Texas, and she was railing on about how the new health care system was going to pay for sex-change operations.

I said, well, I don’t know if that is true, but even if it is, just how many people do you think want sex-change operations?

Then she went on about how they are going to euthenise old people. I tried to explain to her that the living will has been around for 20 years, and it is about the care you wish to receive when you are critically ill.

All she could say was, “haven’t you seen the news?”

Good Fucking Deep Fried Baby Jesus Christ on a Stick.

I was able to make some headway with her when I explained that her Medicare was free to her as she was over 65, she said, “No it is not, I pay for it every month, they take it out of my check.

The only way I was able to get any indignation out of her was to mention that Medicare pays for boner pills.

I also got her to agree that insurance companies are denying benefits based on pre-existing conditions.

How can we possibly pass a decent heath care bill in the country when this is the sort of ignorance that people like my mom have because they only get their news from TV. She doesn’t care enough about the process to become well informed, but she will parrot the talking points.

My mom is not stupid, she is just easily led.

]]> By: TarheelDem http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952871 TarheelDem Mon, 10 Aug 2009 00:16:58 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952871 <p>You think that the lobbyists are not above using psy-ops to try to discourage the activists pushing for real healthcare reform?</p> <p>And do you really think that Obama would veto a bill from Congress that was either single payer or had negotiated rates in it?</p> <p>What would you do to have Harry and Louise happy talking about healthcare reform instead of savaging it?</p> <p>And what exactly did he promise the AMA doctors?</p> <p>Only AHIP is the odd man out at this point. And you see what a firestorm they’ve generated.</p> <p>The big rock in the road is not the Obama administration; it is the Democratic Congress and especially the members that United Healthcare and other lobbyists have cultivated. It’s not ideological; there are Blue Dogs standing up in support of a public option. It’s about who is on the take in Congress.</p> <p>Tauzin going to the New York Times was a shot across the bow because the public option and real rate reform on pharmaceuticals was beginning to get just a little smidgen of traction in the House.</p> <p>The immediate issue for progressives is getting Congress to make healthcare reform real, either through single-payer or a public option.</p> <p>Let’s not get distracted here.</p> <p>The after we accomplish that (or not) we can go back and take names of who sold out. It’s not over until it’s over, and it’s not over yet.</p> You think that the lobbyists are not above using psy-ops to try to discourage the activists pushing for real healthcare reform?

And do you really think that Obama would veto a bill from Congress that was either single payer or had negotiated rates in it?

What would you do to have Harry and Louise happy talking about healthcare reform instead of savaging it?

And what exactly did he promise the AMA doctors?

Only AHIP is the odd man out at this point. And you see what a firestorm they’ve generated.

The big rock in the road is not the Obama administration; it is the Democratic Congress and especially the members that United Healthcare and other lobbyists have cultivated. It’s not ideological; there are Blue Dogs standing up in support of a public option. It’s about who is on the take in Congress.

Tauzin going to the New York Times was a shot across the bow because the public option and real rate reform on pharmaceuticals was beginning to get just a little smidgen of traction in the House.

The immediate issue for progressives is getting Congress to make healthcare reform real, either through single-payer or a public option.

Let’s not get distracted here.

The after we accomplish that (or not) we can go back and take names of who sold out. It’s not over until it’s over, and it’s not over yet.

]]> By: ShotoJamf http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952834 ShotoJamf Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:31:11 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952834 <p>I hear you. The more progressive, the better. That’s why progressives must hold these lame-ass Demo’s accountable for their actions. No sane legislation, no reelections. No exceptions.</p> <p>Suck it, Rahm</p> I hear you. The more progressive, the better. That’s why progressives must hold these lame-ass Demo’s accountable for their actions. No sane legislation, no reelections. No exceptions.

Suck it, Rahm

]]> By: Teddy Partridge http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952830 Teddy Partridge Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:27:36 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952830 <p>Must have missed this deal being done on C-SPAN. Anyone know when I can catch a re-run?</p> Must have missed this deal being done on C-SPAN. Anyone know when I can catch a re-run?

]]> By: pfoorion http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952826 pfoorion Sun, 09 Aug 2009 22:24:32 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952826 <p>I’m more concerned about enacting progressive legislation than protecting BO.</p> I’m more concerned about enacting progressive legislation than protecting BO.

]]> By: ShotoJamf http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952794 ShotoJamf Sun, 09 Aug 2009 21:37:20 +0000 http://firedoglake.com/2009/08/09/democrats-in-pay-for-play-deal-with-phrma/#comment-1952794 <p>Nicely stated.</p> Nicely stated.

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