Obama rings Finance Dems

[SpartanDem]

President Barack Obama has been dialing up Finance Committee senators in a bid to move health care reform to the next step.

Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.) just got pulled away from a scrum of reporters, who were marveling at his fluffy white dog Dakota, to take a phone call from the president.

Obama called Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J) within the last hour. Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.V.) got a call Wednesday. He weighed in last week with Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.).

"There was not anything specific, he didn't ask for anything specific, just you know we hope you continue to make progress, hope we have a bill, it is really important the American people," Menendez said.

Menendez said he did not commit to vote for the bill. One of the senator's chief concerns is making the cost of insurance more affordable, and the committee has yet to take up amendments dealing with that issue.

http://www.politico.com/livepulse/1009/Obama_rings_Finance_Dems.html?showall

[rudy23]

1. Wait, why isn't Obama twisting their arms like Rahm tried to do w/ Trumka?

?

[truedelphi]

5. And no, Trumka will not disclose what was said

As it was PRIVATE.

So there goes all the juicy transparency that President Obama promised us.

Dick Cheney met in secrecy to draw up an energy plan, and now Obama officials are protected by "Privacy" for their engineering the Health Insurance Plan.

Well, at least we got stem cell research as promised. (Trying to think of any other SIGNIFICANT promises that have been kept in a significant manner.)

Of course, without health insurance reform that is meaningful, stem cells will not mean much to most of us. That will go to those who have the Boutique Health Insurance plans.

[Cant trust em]

6. The contents of every conversation people have needs to be made public?

let's be realistic for a minute.

[truedelphi]

8. I don't think there is a need to ask for privacy to shield

The overall contents of what is said between two important officials regarding a major policy matter.

I am not saying we need every word, but yes, details matter, and should be released.

It is our friggin' government and they are OUR friggin' public SERVANTS. Though few of them seem aware of that any more.

[Cant trust em]

11. I'm thinking about times that I've been in meetings and floated a potentially unpopular idea

just to put all of our options on the table. Trial balloons can be useful so that we can flesh out the idea to see if it makes sense or not.

Now, take that and put it in the newspapers and it could become a major story.

I can think of dozens of scenarios where the details of a private conversation wouldn't be productive.

[truedelphi]

12. No one is asking for every single word.

Just what major points were made (if any)

I too have attended many meetings in my lifetime. I understand that sometimes you don't want sunshine on everything.

But the whole meeting should not be allowed PRIVACY. Surely there is some glimmer of something that need sot be offered up.

[sharp_stick]

9. That quite likely

is the dumbest reply to an OP I've seen today. Congratulations there have been a shitload of dumb replies.

[Cha]

10. Oh, sorry you don't get to know everything at the moment

it's talked about. And, PO is out there doing the work inspite of all the sniping and sniffing on DU.

[truedelphi]

15. Here's one thing we know:

The Health Insurance (Murderering-Lying) Corporate Interrests conducted a very successful PR campaign on the President back in May.

Acccording to Mother Jones:

In a letter to Obama that was released over the weekend, executives from the Advanced Medical Technology Association (the medical device manufacturers lobbying group), the American Hospital Association, the American Medical Association, America’s Health Insurance Plans, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, as well as the Service Employees International Union, pledged to “do our part” to reduce health care costs. Their vague, pie-in-the sky promise amounts to just a 1.5 percent reduction in the growth rate of health care spending. Such is the explosion in health care costs that even this miniscule reduction represents a potential $2 trillion saving over 10 years. But there’s no guarantee this figure will be achieved. As the Washington Post points out:

The groups did not spell out yesterday how they plan to reach such a target, and…they offer only a broad pledge, not an outright commitment….

In addition, White House officials said, there is no mechanism to ensure that the groups live up to their offer, only the implicit threat of public embarrassment.


“Public embarrassment”? From Big Pharma and the health insurance companies–-two of the most shameless industries in the history of corporate capitalism?

An FDR were have told these bastards to put it where the sun won't shine. Though his language is much more elegant than I susggest - For instance, he was known to say, "Better to deal with the families behind organized crime than to deal with the organized bankers." (And insurance "providers" can be lumped in to the class of banking families without it being too much of a stretch.)

[Cha]

13. Do you have a link for that or are you just

passing extremist gossip?

[truedelphi]

16. Why don't you just try googling Rahm and Trumka

And then choose from whether you want the Reuters, AP or other versions.

It's pretty easy to do.

And all the stories say pretty much the same thing.

[thunder rising]

2. You can tell by the color of Kent's ears that Raum was on line first ... then the Pres

[truedelphi]

3. yeah, it is REALLY IMPORTANT THAT the Powers that Be

Continue to screw the American People.

Go Obama!


Don't stop dialing that phone, you might lose a campaign contributer or two!

[Cha]

14. Sorry..why are you so paranoid?

[budkin]

18. You obviously haven't been paying attention

[AndyA]

4. Obama needs to do more than just call them up.

He needs to "reach out and touch" a few of them with a slap to the face for protecting the insurance companies, and forsaking their constituents.

[MarjorieG]

7. Moving it along to conference, and he doesn't have to divulge every conversation as if it were over

the Public Address system.

[budkin]

17. Obama is aiding those clowns when he should be busting their asses!

Makes me fucking sick!