In Private Retreat, Health Care Reformers Gird For Major Battle With Insurance Industry

[babylonsister]

This is going to be some fight. :popcorn:


In Private Retreat, Health Care Reformers Gird For Major Battle With Insurance Industry
By Greg Sargent - November 25, 2008, 11:39AM


Here's yet another encouraging piece of news on the health care front.

I'm told that dozens of the heaviest hitters from the health care reform world met for a private retreat in Virginia last week and spent two days girding for a major battle with the insurance industry, hashing out specific messaging, discussing organizing goals and planning a major fundraising drive to blanket the airwaves with ads next year.

At the retreat -- which was organized by Health Care For America Now, the major umbrella group of unions, reform advocates and providers -- the group agreed that they were aiming to start next year with at least $25 million for ads and field organizing, with the hope of raising many millions more.

Notably, the group, which is operating from the assumption that Barack Obama will act fast on reform, honed a message built around what they called "deficit investment." That's a more public relations-friendly term than "deficit spending," and the slogan is meant to encapsulate the case that health care reform is central to rescuing the economy, a primary talking point of health care reformers.

more...

http://tpmelectioncentral.talkingpointsmemo.com/2008/11/in_private_retreat_health_care.php

[Schema Thing]

1. let's help them

the insurance industry should now be considered the enemy.


they bring absolutely nothing needed to the table wrt health care. they have nothing to offer except for the fact that they exist. therein lies the problem.

[babylonsister]

2. Whatever we can do in the way of support, I'm there. I'm sure our

chorus of approval for the reformers will help.

[truedelphi]

3. Ubfortunately for us activists, the media tends to cater to the heavy hitters from industry

I briefly saw some of my least favorite faces discussing the positions of the "health care reform" on the hour long news program (used to be MacNeil Lehr news hour, forget what it is called now) It would have been nice if even one person on the true reform side of things had been present, but that is not gonna happen.

Maybe Michael Moore could take some of his millions and buy some ads (Assuming he has invested wisely and still has tens of millions left)

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

4. deficit investment

is a good description of what will be done. It's like a start-up company borrowing money to get their innovative ideas going.

I hope that Obama's health care plan emphasizes wellness--how to get and to stay well. Great way to keep costs down.

[Winterblues]

5. Harry and Louise are pissed and they don't want Americans to have Health Care

without paying through the nose for it.. When Harry and Louise speak Democrats tremble..at least they did in the past..

[babylonsister]

6. Who are you talking about? nt

[Winterblues]

8. I guess you don't recall the Ads the Industry put out against the Clinton Health Care Plan

Harry and Louise sitting around their kitchen table discussing the Clinton's Health Care Plan. It was devastating and the main reason Democrats turned against the Clintons and voted down their Health Care Plan in 1993. There was a good sized Democratic Majority in 1993 in Congress but Right Wing Talk Radio mainly Rush scared the beJesus out of America and caused the Debacle that took place in 1994 when fifty Democrats lost their seats in Congress. Harry and Louise were a main part of that..

[Cleita]

7. Good news. Now if they can gain enough clout

to twist the arms of the members of Congress already bought and paid for by insurance industry lobbyists, HR676 might have a chance of becoming law.