The only way that the public option doesn't pass with a Democratic President, Senate and House is if money buys its failure.
We know the Baucus Caucus and the Blue Dogs have been bought by health care lobbyists and PACs. Now, the White House has released the list of those buying the change our President had promised us.
From HuffPo (kos having trouble, so here's the link: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/...
Bill Tauzin (President and CEO, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America):
• March 5 (meeting with president)
• May 19 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
• June 2 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
• June 24 (meeting with Clare Gallagher)
• July 7 (meeting with Jim Messina)
Karen Ignagni (President and CEO, America's Health Insurance Plans):
• March 5 (meeting with president)
• March 6 (meetings with Elizabeth Bafford and Larry Summers)
• March 11 (meeting with Jennifer Cannistra)
• June 30 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
• July 24 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
Richard Umdenstock (President and CEO, American Hospital Ass'n.):
• February 4 (meeting with Tina Tchen)
• February 23 (meeting with president)
• March 5 (meeting with president)
• March 25 (meeting with Jennifer Cannistra)
• March 30 (meeting with Ezekiel Emanuel)
• April 6 (meeting with Tina Tchen)
• May 22 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
J. James Rohack (President-elect, American Medical Ass'n.):
• March 25 (meeting with Ezekiel Emanuel)
• June 22 (meeting with president)
• June 24 (meetings with Clare Gallagher and president)
William Weldon (Chairman and CEO, Johnson & Johnson):
• May 12 (meeting with president)
Jeffrey B. Kindler (Chairman and CEO, Pfizer Inc.):
• March 5 (meeting with president)
• May 6 (meetings with Sarah Fenn and Elizabeth Bafford)
• June 2 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
Stephen J. Hemsley (President, CEO, Director, UnitedHealth Group, Inc.):
• May 15 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
• May 22 (meeting with Peter Orszag)
• July 14 (meeting with Aneesh Chopra)
Angela Braly (President, CEO, Director, WellPoint, Inc.):
• February 13 (meeting with president)
George Halvorson (Chairman and CEO, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan):
• March 27 (meeting with Keith Fontenot)
• June 5 (meeting with Peter Orszag)
• July 23 (meeting with Kathleen Sibelius)
• July 24 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
Jay Gellert (President and CEO, Health Net, Inc.):
• February 10 (meeting with Tina Tchen)
• March 11 (meeting with Jennifer Cannistra)
• March 20 (meeting with Matt Flavin)
• July 24 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
Thomas Priselac (President and CEO, Cedars-Sinai Health System):
• April 3 (meeting with Ezekiel Emanuel)
Richard Clark (Chairman, President and CEO, Merck):
• March 24 (meeting with Ezekiel Emanuel)
Wayne T. Smith (Chairman, President and CEO, Community Health Systems):
• June 4 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
Rick Smith (Sr. Vice President, Pharmaceutical Research & Manufacturers of America):
• May 19 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
• June 2 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
• July 7 (meeting with Jim Messina)
• July 24 (meeting with Sarah Fenn)
Of course, the Congressional Progressive Caucus who got one measly meeting, that was probably too late, now that trial balloons aplenty have gone up threatening to compromise the CPC's compromises.
Why is Obama giving meetings to these execs in the first place? Who do they represent? Which citizens? Whose interests? What votes do they have in Congress? Why must they be happy?
Because I'm pretty sure the CPC has 80 members, all of whom represent actual citizens. But that's a novel concept — doing what is right for the country.
Disgusting. The more things change, the more they stay the same.
(Edited - acknowledged the CPC meeting. The ONE call. After all those meetings with health officials, I'm hardly impressed).
Also, let me say this. I was an avid Obama supporter in 2008. I'll end up voting for him again in 2012. But the fact of the matter is, the Democrats want the health industry's donations to stay with the Democrats, and not go over to the GOP. The fact of the matter is that these execs have gotten a lot more face time than any progressives have. The fact of the matter is that, unless we act (and probably even then), the public option is going down the drain.
I respect the office of the Presidency. But I know that just because the President does it, doesn't make it right. I wish I could be an unblinking Obama believer. But so far, he's shown no leadership on this issue, and until he does, I have no reason to believe he wants any real progressive solution to this crisis.
Does that make me a bad Democrat? Maybe, but it makes me a good democrat, someone who believes in rule of the people, not the corporation.