Impeding changes to our Health Care system

[xoxoxoBruce]

If it's a "non-tranparent back door deal", how come everybody knew, and commented, about it?

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

If it's a "non-tranparent back door deal", how come everybody knew, and commented, about it?

It started off with people from the industry who had been meeting with Obama and his staff in the White House, which only until recently and under pressure from the press, whom then agreed to admit they had been making deals with the Pharm Industry prior to dropping the Bill and moving forward with public anouncements. Yea, sure you know about it now.

[jinx]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

The only way to do that is vote their asses out

We did vote their asses out when it was a conflict of interest with oil companies and Haliburton and look where it got us. Why not try something more effective like restricting conflicts of interest with laws and shit? No one HAS to run for office...

Don't you think they brought the threat of fighting it to the table? Why else would they be offered the price of only 80 billion?

No I don't.
Maybe they own more than congress.

LA Times article

Reporting from Washington - As a candidate for president, Barack Obama lambasted drug companies and the influence they wielded in Washington. He even ran a television ad targeting the industry's chief lobbyist, former Louisiana congressman Billy Tauzin, and the role Tauzin played in preventing Medicare from negotiating for lower drug prices.

Since the election, Tauzin has morphed into the president's partner. He has been invited to the White House half a dozen times in recent months. There, he says, he eventually secured an agreement that the administration wouldn't try to overturn the very Medicare drug policy that Obama had criticized on the campaign trail.

"The White House blessed it," Tauzin said.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Merc, go back and read what you wrote.

As I said, if pharma opposed the bill they have to power to kill it. The white house lining up support, from as many corners as possible, is crucial in a battle against the health insurers, but nothing they promise pharma to support is carved in stone. Remember the executive branch only pushes ideas, congress writes and passes laws. With the health insurers against it, and with half the republicans acting like soccer hooligans, makes it a tough row to hoe.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by jinx

We did vote their asses out when it was a conflict of interest with oil companies and Haliburton and look where it got us. Why not try something more effective like restricting conflicts of interest with laws and shit? No one HAS to run for office...

Uh, hellooo. Who makes the laws?

No I don't.
Maybe they own more than congress.

LA Times article

Read my last post about lining up support, Tauzin represents pharma. Does that make him a "partner" with Obama? I suppose you could call it that. They need all the partners they can get, to pass this bill.

[jinx]

That's right, the other team is fucking everything up.... sigh.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Your words, not mine.

[Radar]

I'm disgusted at the fact that Obama doesn't say, "This health care reform will happen and it will have a public option whether Republicans like it or not."

and the fact that he has made a deal with the pharmaceutical companies not to negotiate lower prices for drugs or import drugs from Canada. The whole point is to lower costs and use greater buying power as a way to do it.


I know someone with lung cancer and his meds are over 15 thousand dollars a month. That's insane. The drugs do not cost a hundred thousandth of that to produce. I see putting drugs that can save lives out of the price range of people as an affront to humanity and a disgusting display of profiteering on the human suffering.

[xoxoxoBruce]

Originally Posted by Radar

I'm disgusted at the fact that Obama doesn't say, "This health care reform will happen and it will have a public option whether Republicans like it or not."

I agree with you 100%, he's let the soccer hooligans cause too many distractions from the business at hand. Git r dun.

and the fact that he has made a deal with the pharmaceutical companies not to negotiate lower prices for drugs or import drugs from Canada. The whole point is to lower costs and use greater buying power as a way to do it.

True, but regardless what he promised them he'd recommend, he doesn't write the bill or pass it. It's still on congress to do this thing... plus it can be changed in the future.

The drugs do not cost a hundred thousandth of that to produce.

No, but they do cost a fortune to develop, with lots that never make it to market or have a small demand that will never recoup their investment.
That said, their bottom lines are enormous, even after the fortunes they spend on bribing... uh, I mean educating, doctors and politicians.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

uh, I mean educating, doctors and politicians.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Merc, go back and read what you wrote.

As I said, if pharma opposed the bill they have to power to kill it.

Bull shit, they are in so deep they have no choice but to go along at this point.

The white house lining up support, from as many corners as possible, is crucial in a battle against the health insurers, but nothing they promise pharma to support is carved in stone. Remember the executive branch only pushes ideas, congress writes and passes laws. With the health insurers against it, and with half the republicans acting like soccer hooligans, makes it a tough row to hoe.

Call it what ever you want. "Lining up support" or as I would call it making back door deals that will fuck you and the common man as well as water down a bill in the favor of those they make the deals with the Dems. The Demoncrats are no less Soccer Hooligans as they demonize those who appose their socialist agendas. The Republickins are no better. In the end, and mark my words, you will not get a bill that fixes healthcare and you will pay out the ass for it all, as will your fucking children.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

True, but regardless what he promised them he'd recommend, he doesn't write the bill or pass it. It's still on congress to do this thing... plus it can be changed in the future.

So basically he is selling a lie to the American public who is un-insured or under insured. That is fucking BS. If the president stands up and makes the promise then the Congress who happens to be his party in power should at least try to make it happen. If not then Obama is a figure head and deserves not a nod in approval for anything he spouts off as support of a fix for this fucked up economy, or for that matter the system of healthcare. As I have said repeatedly, Obama matters very little, Pelosi and Reid are in charge and deserve all of our angst if this reform is a massive failure dominated by back door deals for the big Pharm industry or Insurance industry. And the failure of Congress to make changes and do it right is solely their responsibility. The voters will remember.

[xoxoxoBruce]

No, he's not selling a lie, he's trying to get this done. But the fact remains it's congress that has to do the job.
And there's a bunch in congress that were there long before Obama came on the political scene, and will be there long after he's gone. They keep getting reelected for what they can do for the homeboys.

[dar512]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

No, he's not selling a lie, he's trying to get this done. But the fact remains it's congress that has to do the job.
And there's a bunch in congress that were there long before Obama came on the political scene, and will be there long after he's gone. They keep getting reelected for what they can do for the homeboys.

Excellent argument for term limits.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

No, he's not selling a lie, he's trying to get this done. But the fact remains it's congress that has to do the job.

We can agree on that much. The Demoncrats own this one. I am interested to see if they can get it done. I support reform.

And there's a bunch in congress that were there long before Obama came on the political scene, and will be there long after he's gone. They keep getting reelected for what they can do for the homeboys.

Here, here....