General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsLobby E-Mails Show Depth of Obama Ties to Drug Industry
WASHINGTON After weeks of quiet talks, drug industry lobbyists were growing nervous. If they were to cut a deal with the White House on overhauling health care, they needed to be sure President Obama would stop a proposal by his liberal allies intended to bring down medicine prices.
On June 3, 2009, one of the lobbyists e-mailed Nancy-Ann DeParle, the presidents top health care adviser. Ms. DeParle sent a message back reassuring the lobbyist. Although Mr. Obama was overseas, she wrote, she and other top officials had made decision, based on how constructive you guys have been, to oppose importation on the bill.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/09/us/politics/e-mails-reveal-extent-of-obamas-deal-with-industry-on-health-care.html
-----------------
As a liberal Democrat it looks like my choice this November is between bad and worse.
I have never in my life been less enthused about an election.
AtomicKitten
(46,585 posts)Liberal Democrat? Congratulations on your conversion.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=103x142689#142761
EOTE
(13,409 posts)Not that they were particularly good ones.
Tarheel_Dem
(31,258 posts)paulk
(11,586 posts)Is that so hard to understand?
sabrina 1
(62,325 posts)that many calling them Democrats are Dinos, the better chance we have of electing Democrats who support the Working Class rather than Wall Street. They have the other party if that's who they want to support.
Good for you for being willing to change.
Response to AtomicKitten (Reply #1)
Post removed
"As a liberal Democrat it looks like my choice this November is between bad and worse."
...you're now a "liberal Democrat" basing your opinion of Obama (bad?) vs. Romney (worse) on a bullshit article (which is based on info from Republicans)?
<...>
Republicans see the deal as hypocritical. He said it was going to be the most open and honest and transparent administration ever and lobbyists wont be drafting the bills, said Representative Michael C. Burgess of Texas, one of the Republicans on the House Energy and Commerce subcommittee that is examining the deal. Then when it came time, the door closed, the lobbyists came in and the bills were written.
Some of the liberals bothered by the deal-making in 2009 now find the Republican criticism hard to take given the partys long-standing ties to the pharmaceutical industry.
Republicans trumpeting these e-mails is like a fox complaining someone else raided the chicken coop, said Robert Reich, the former labor secretary under President Bill Clinton. Sad to say, its called politics in an era when big corporations have an effective veto over major legislation affecting them and when the G.O.P. is usually the beneficiary. In this instance, the G.O.P. was outfoxed. Who are they to complain?
I mean, the information offers nothing new, just Republican shit stirring.