[Guest post by DRJ]
From the Huffington Post:
“A memo obtained by the Huffington Post confirms that the White House and the pharmaceutical lobby secretly agreed to precisely the sort of wide-ranging deal that both parties have been denying over the past week.”
So this is what the most open and transparent Administration in history looks like.
— DRJ
Pronounced "Patter-EE-koh"
E-mail: Just use my moniker Patterico, followed by the @ symbol, followed by gmail.com
Disclaimer: Simpsons avatar may resemble a younger Patterico...
The statements made on this web site reflect the personal opinions of the author. They are not made in any official capacity, and do not represent the opinions of the author's employer.
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That’s so Russian gangster I don’t think the hood rat and crew can pull something like that off.
The think they’re far bigger dawgs than they really are, these ones. Mostly they’re just good at breaking stuff I think.
happyfeet (42470c) — 8/13/2009 @ 10:57 pmoh. *They think* is what that should be.
Good night.
happyfeeet (42470c) — 8/13/2009 @ 11:03 pmHow awful.
I really want to support this industry, and now I can’t. Sure, they were extorted by Obama… told they would have deeper and constant cuts if they didn’t play ball. Instead of leaking that memo, they make a deal and see this memo get leaked.
The companies need to get out of this cartel and say that this memo doesn’t speak for them by advertising against Obamacare. If any of them has information about the way the deal was brought up, they need to bring it out now.
Juan (bd4b30) — 8/13/2009 @ 11:17 pmChicago DC mob.
I knew Obama would be bad, but the guy is giving Hugo Chavez a run for his money.
This will not end well for Teh One™
ghost707 (643494) — 8/13/2009 @ 11:24 pmWow, I have been checking out the comments on the Roxana Mayer post(s). Is this the most widely commented upon post in the history of Patterico’s Pontifications? It is amazing how many lefty enablers came out of the woodwork on this one, all with the same talking points of course.
With respect to this post by DRJ, can we once and for all put to rest the tired canard that the GOP is the party of the large corporations? The fact of the matter is that for the last couple of decades — and especially since the days of Bill Clinton — the Democrats have found a way to win over the hearts and minds of the Fortune 500 companies, mostly by strangling in the crib any small-business competition to the big corporations. The only people that hate economic competition more than the Democrats are the companies that are currently sitting in market-leading positions.
JVW (3418f8) — 8/13/2009 @ 11:26 pmCurrent pharma deal, wasn’t Bush involved?, we will pay you whatever you ask and insure that none of your products produced on the cheap will ever be allowed into this country! (because we all know you make shit over boarders, right)?
WTF is the difference?
Telll ya what Pharms, iffin ya think ya’ll are such hot shit, I’ll open the internet for sales from all countries! Don’t seem to me that many more are dying from their stuff than yours are they?
TC (f5e8d1) — 8/14/2009 @ 1:48 am@ #5.
Exactly right. Rent-seeking has been the way to go for American big business.
What is particularly galling is when corporations say they’re for free enterprise, then cut back-room deals with Democrat governments.
KingShamus (4fabb2) — 8/14/2009 @ 4:43 amHearing the lefties squeal and wet themselves over this is almost enough to make up for hussein obama being preznit. Almost.
Gonad the Testicularian (b90bc6) — 8/14/2009 @ 6:42 amWhen the HuffPo does it … it is over Johnny.
The ObamaTars must be in fits.
Elegant black man sells them down a river.
HeavenSent (01a566) — 8/14/2009 @ 6:49 amGiven the way the auto and banking industry was treated, it is only reasonable and prudent for medical equipment sales, Pharma, and Biotech to get the best deal possible for themselves. This would be called extortion normally.
JD (545da5) — 8/14/2009 @ 6:53 amI’m waiting for the inevitable MSM stories regarding the AMA’s sell – out to Obama under similar guidelines. They don’t represent the doctors in this country, and haven’t for decades. Can you say “crony capitalism?” Sure, ah knew yew could.
* and after that revelation, the AARP will be next, despite their fervent bleatings to the contrary.
Dmac (e6d1c2) — 8/14/2009 @ 6:53 amMost of us knew that the “Most transparent Administration” talk was just another election year lie. Only the hate filled left was blind enough to believe they would get the truth from a Chicago politician.
tyree (b7243f) — 8/14/2009 @ 6:54 amMuch more “transparency” will be the death of us!
GM Roper (85dcd7) — 8/14/2009 @ 7:26 amSpeaking of “transparency”, here’s the results of a FOIA request for the $18M redo of the transparency website. Short version, redacted to the point of being useless, kind of like BHO’s biography.
Pete
Red County Pete (69a5ba) — 8/14/2009 @ 7:49 amSay it ain’t so, O!
quasimodo (4af144) — 8/14/2009 @ 7:52 amBy transparent, Obama means his government will look through you, like the Beatles song:
“I’m looking through you, where did you go
I thought I knew you, what did I know
You don’t look different, but you have changed
I’m looking through you, you’re not the same
Your lips are moving, I cannot hear
Your voice is soothing, but the words aren’t clear
You don’t sound different, I’ve learned the game.
I’m looking through you, you’re not the same
Why, tell me why, did you not treat me right?
Love has a nasty habit of disappearing overnight
You’re thinking of me, the same old way
twolaneflash (931ca0) — 8/14/2009 @ 7:55 amYou were above me, but not today
The only difference is you’re down there
I’m looking through you, and you’re nowhere”
“When we’ve lost Huffpo, we’ve lost America.”
Patricia (29a01d) — 8/14/2009 @ 8:38 amWhen companies do it — it is called extortion.
When Obama does it — it is called saving America.
HeavenSent (01a566) — 8/14/2009 @ 8:49 amFrom my perspective the basic problem with ObamaCare is the market choking monopolism of a state run system. To whom does an individual turn when one is dissatisfied with some aspect or other of care or reimbursement? Beg your Congressman? Please.
I would much prefer very broad competition to none at all.
Allowing ObamaCare to monopolize medical care will result in state-run, crony capitalism. It will result in backroom deals between politicians and large companies. It will result in patronage jobs, poor care, endless taxes and price fixing. It will result in rationing and unavailable care. The fact that anyone at all is in favor of this is unbelievable.
MTF (551a4b) — 8/14/2009 @ 9:39 amI’ve mentioned this before, but it bears mentioning again. I work for a company that provides drugs (and lots of ’em) to facilities across the country. When the backroom deals were done, ‘they’ (those that run this company) decided the best way to make up the expected losses was to institute a 5% layoff and to allow no raises for the next 12-18 months.
Corwin (ea9428) — 8/14/2009 @ 12:25 pmObama seems to think he did a great thing to garner concessions from the Big Pharmas – but in reality, the costs are just passed along. And businesses like mine, must figure out how to handle the lost revenue. In our case, we added people to the unemployment lines.
I also work for a company that manufactures drugs (lots of ’em) and distributes them in every corner of the world. First, I’d like to mention that we Americans pay the highest pharmaceutical prices in the world while this company is HQ’d right here in the US. We basically subsidize the rest of the world. Being in the finance division, I see a tremendous amount of money being wasted – millions. In fact, the company spends more money on marketing and lobbying efforts than on discovery (i.e., research and development). The trend at big pharma is to hire layers of new management and increase the sales force when times are good. When revenues fall, typically from the loss of a “blockbuster” patent and nothing in the pipeline to replace it, they will have layoffs. Any agreed upon concessions between the Government and big pharma can easily mitigated by avoiding the waste that these companies occur on a daily basis.
Bill Owens (d97f34) — 8/14/2009 @ 1:52 pmOh, well, I guess it’s all OK then.
MTF (551a4b) — 8/14/2009 @ 2:38 pm(Sighs deeply.)
The Emperor (09c9e3) — 8/14/2009 @ 4:55 pmAnd, what’s going on between Billy Tauzin and Linda Douglas that prevents her from giving a straight answer on this?
AD - RtR/OS! (48f167) — 8/14/2009 @ 6:19 pm