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Threats, deals got drug companies on board with Obama: GOP releases data on health care talks
The Washington Times ^ | Thursday, May 31, 2012 | Paige Winfield Cunningham

Posted on 06/01/2012 8:24:34 AM PDT by Hunton Peck

Top administration officials cut backroom deals with the nation’s top drug companies to win support for President Obama’s health care overhaul, threatening them with steeper taxes if they resisted and promising a better financial deal for the industry if they acquiesced, according to internal documents released Thursday by House Republicans.

In some of the key deals, Mr. Obama agreed to drop his long-standing support for letting Americans buy cheaper foreign prescription drugs — something the pharmaceutical industry vehemently opposed — and the drugmakers promised to mount a public campaign to sell the public on the health care legislation.

The drug industry financed the famous “Harry and Louise” commercials in the early 1990s that many credit with helping to turn public opinion against President Clinton’s massive health care bill. In 2009, the industry revived the fictional married couple — this time with words of praise for Mr. Obama’s bill.

The material released by House GOP members provides a rare insider look at the wheeling and dealing on Capitol Hill as Mr. Obama tried to shepherd his bill through Congress, in the face of near-unanimous GOP opposition.

The details emerged as House Republicans released emails it obtained during a yearlong investigation into the closed-door negotiations between the White House and lobbyists for drug companies. House Republicans said those negotiations violated the promises of transparency Mr. Obama made during his 2008 campaign.

“We really have now been able to build a case that there was a sequential, planned, organized strategy for the White House to trade policy for politics, if you will,” said Rep. Michael C. Burgess, Texas Republican. “They were willing to give up on things they thought were sound principles.”

The documents show that former White House Chief of Staff Jim Messina and health care reform point woman Nancy-Ann DeParle told...

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Government
KEYWORDS: drugcompanies; healthcare; obama; obamacare
It all starts with a government that's big enough to decide who wins and loses...
1 posted on 06/01/2012 8:24:46 AM PDT by Hunton Peck
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To: Hunton Peck
It all starts with a government that's big enough to decide who wins and loses...

You got that right on. It's call communism. King Obama is a communists black Mulsim and typical of a full fledged gangster who installed his communists gang..

2 posted on 06/01/2012 8:28:39 AM PDT by Logical me
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To: Hunton Peck

I don’t think Zero is a Marxist socialist but a fascist-corporatist. He does not private control of industry as long as he can boss them around.


3 posted on 06/01/2012 8:29:11 AM PDT by C19fan
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To: Logical me

Predictably, there are now shortages of drugs in the USA, where they were previously invented, made and sold.
Why did this happen ?


4 posted on 06/01/2012 8:30:59 AM PDT by Eric in the Ozarks
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To: C19fan

Yep......last I knew it is called bribery and is supposed to be illegal. Except of course unless you have the DOJ in your back pocket and a dirty Congress.


5 posted on 06/01/2012 8:32:44 AM PDT by RC2 (Buy American and support the Wounded Warrior Project whenever possible.)
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To: C19fan

Letting some private businesses hang around does give him “shadowy” figures to blame when things go wrong.

That seems to be what 0bama and his friend Hug0 Chavez learned from Catsr0’s mistakes.


6 posted on 06/01/2012 8:36:52 AM PDT by Hunton Peck (See my FR homepage for a list of businesses that support WI Gov. Scott Walker)
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To: Hunton Peck

It’s a protection racket. “You really ought to sign on with ObamaCare, so you don’t get hurt.” I hope and pry that Obama’s evil and unconstitutional “health care” legacy will be ruled unconstitutional. If it stands, I hope every involved drug company gets what they so richly deserve for betraying their customers and the free market.


7 posted on 06/01/2012 8:38:23 AM PDT by Pollster1 (A boy becomes a man when a man is needed - John Steinbeck)
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To: Hunton Peck

OK—So who’s going to jail because of this?


8 posted on 06/01/2012 8:42:30 AM PDT by Arm_Bears (Journalists first; then lawyers.)
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To: Hunton Peck

Ya’d think that legislation that is supported thru the use of intimidation and threat would be illegal.

In DC, it’s business as usual.


9 posted on 06/01/2012 8:45:53 AM PDT by NormsRevenge (Semper Fi)
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To: Hunton Peck

In some of the key deals, Mr. Obama agreed to drop his long-standing support for letting Americans buy cheaper foreign prescription drugs — something the pharmaceutical industry vehemently opposed — and the drugmakers promised to mount a public campaign to sell the public on the health care legislation.


This is a key thing for me. Some in Government and in Corporate business really don’t look upon the citizens of the country as being “real”. I think they look upon the citizenry as a cash cow that they can milk whenever they have the desire to do so.


10 posted on 06/01/2012 8:55:15 AM PDT by The Working Man
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To: Hunton Peck

I’ll believe the GOP is on to something here when I see them running ads addressing this issue.

It will be the only way to get around the Progressives’ (aka Marxist communist) MSM massive propaganda machine.

Will the GOP pull out all the stops this year or give the half hearted Bob Dole/McCain type campaigns were they just let the dems keep banging away while the GOP pulls their punches and refuse to use Wright, Holder, Van Jones, Anita Dunn, stealing from the GM bond holders, etc.?

This year of all years, the GOP must have a scorched earth policy to burn away all the underbrush in the democrat party exposing completely the communist infiltration which has been underway for decades.

If they play Mr. Nice guy the Muslim Marxist will win without a doubt.


11 posted on 06/01/2012 8:56:11 AM PDT by Wurlitzer (Nothing says "ignorance" like Islam!)
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To: Hunton Peck

If anyone thinks this is going to see the light of day from any of the biased, corrupt, in-the-tank-for and “protector-at-all-costs” of this FASCIST Neo-Commie and his Chicago-Thug, regime Lame Stream Media (including, I would bet, Fox News) well, I’ve got some nice water front property for sale cheap in LA; that would be not Los Angeles, but in Lower Louisiana...as in the Bayou!!!


12 posted on 06/01/2012 8:56:11 AM PDT by Conservative Vermont Vet (l)
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To: Pollster1

I agree. PHARMA/Obama are two mafia godfathers just running the rackets— making offers not to be refused. Simple.


13 posted on 06/01/2012 9:01:51 AM PDT by RitaOK (I DID vote against Romney! Few are unafraid, but I thank God for the few. We are the resistance.)
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To: Pollster1

I wonder how much it happens in the STATES also....if you look at contributions to State Legislators (at least in Oregon) a good deal comes from Pharma companies.....hhhmmmm


14 posted on 06/01/2012 9:21:15 AM PDT by goodnesswins (What has happened to America?)
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To: Hunton Peck

Thanks to the relentless aggressive efforts of the Mass Lard _ss Ted Kennedy for his guidance in Congress to centralize health care under government control.

Another of many Leftist results that must be removed from the Executive tool bag.


15 posted on 06/01/2012 9:37:48 AM PDT by rockinqsranch (Dems, Libs, Socialists, call 'em what you will, they ALL have fairies livin' in their trees.)
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To: All

Here’s an idea for the GOP. Tell the drug companies you’re going to tax the crap out of them. In fact, I didn’t know the president had the power to tax to begin with.

My wife gets some drugs from Canada. Every shipment for the past year or so has included a letter asking people to contact their congress people because the government was going to stop the sales.

Some drugs from Canada are less than the insurance co-pays here. He is going to force a single payer system down our throats. Will the people ever yell “ENOUGH!”?


16 posted on 06/01/2012 10:22:47 AM PDT by Terry Mross ("It happened. And we let it happen." Peter Griffin - FAMILY GUY)
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To: lonevoice

ping


17 posted on 06/01/2012 10:30:18 AM PDT by Pride in the USA
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To: Eric in the Ozarks
there are now shortages of drugs in the USA, where they were previously invented, made and sold. Why did this happen ?

It's like any cartel-induced shortage. The big drug companies had a major push over the last few years to limit competition from generics. They used various business tactics but also got help from the FDA and Congress. This was successful in improving the market for their much more expensive patented drugs, But they went a little too far and now many useful generic drugs are not available. The remaining generic makers (which are sometimes the same companies now) will bring the generics back - at higher prices.

18 posted on 06/01/2012 11:03:53 AM PDT by wideminded
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To: Pride in the USA

Thanks for the ping


19 posted on 06/01/2012 4:01:25 PM PDT by lonevoice (Klepto Baracka Marxo, impeach we much.)
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