Obama Administration Rejects Transparency on Healthcare
By Ani on July 22, 2009 at 6:01 PM in Current Affairs, Health Care, Medicare, Obama Administration, Obama's Broken Promises, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Stimulus Plan, Universal Health Care, stimulus tax package
In today’s LA Times, Peter Nicholas reports White House declines to disclose visits by health industry executives, “citing an argument used by the Bush administration, the Secret Service rejects a request from a watchdog group to list those who have visited the White House to discuss the healthcare overhaul.”
Reporting from Washington — Invoking an argument used by President George W. Bush, the Obama administration has turned down a request from a watchdog group for a list of health industry executives who have visited the White House to discuss the massive healthcare overhaul.
Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington sent a letter to the Secret Service asking about visits from 18 executives representing health insurers, drug makers, doctors and other players in the debate. The group wants the material in order to gauge the influence of those executives in crafting a new healthcare policy.
The Secret Service sent a reply stating that documents revealing the frequency of such visits were considered presidential records exempt from public disclosure laws. The agency also said it was advised by the Justice Department that the Secret Service was within its rights to withhold the information because of the “presidential communications privilege.”
Mr. Nicholas tells us the “Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics said it would file suit against the Obama administration as early as today.”
As a candidate, President Obama vowed that in devising a healthcare bill he would invite in TV cameras — specifically C-SPAN — so that Americans could have a window into negotiations that normally play out behind closed doors.
Having promised transparency, the administration should be willing to disclose who it is consulting in shaping healthcare policy, said an attorney for the citizens’ group. …
I guess President Bush’s policies and conduct in the White House are looking more and more inviting to our current President, since he is employing so much of the same behavior. It is fascinating to me that his supporters, who were so virulently opposed to George Bush see nothing wrong with this when their guy does it.
In its letter requesting the records, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics asked about visits from Billy Tauzin, president of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Karen Ignagni, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans; William Weldon, chairman and CEO of Johnson & Johnson; and J. James Rohack, president of the American Medical Assn., among others.
“It’s extremely disappointing,” said Anne Weismann, the group’s chief counsel. Obama is relying on a legal argument that “continues one of the bad, anti-transparency, pro-secrecy approaches that the Bush administration had taken. And it seems completely at odds with the president’s commitment . . . to bring a new level of transparency to his government.”
Well, yeah. What is also disappointing is that as usual the inside the beltway folk are formulating policy by giving face time to the big moneymakers on health care. Somehow I doubt that will result in a win-win for those most in need of assistance.
PhRMA, which represents the nation’s drug companies, said it had taken part in two meetings with senior White House officials in the Roosevelt Room. Participants, according to Tauzin, included White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel, along with the CEOs of some major drug companies. Both meetings were closed to the public.
Closed to the public? Transparency all the way. What would be the problem with our knowing what is being discussed? There is certainly widespread agreement that health care reform is needed. But that is where the agreement ends. The current legislation is over 1,000 pages – a labyrinth-like tome that is so confusing, those voting on it neither know how it works or how to explain it.
Distinguished newsman Sam Donaldson penned an article in the Daily Beast today, Obama’s Misguided Media Blitz, which reminds us that while Obama intends to stage another press conference tonight to sell his health care plans to the American people, his time would be better spent actually working on the proposals that are in massive need of a fix before they go to the floor in either the House or the Senate.
Unfortunately, the salesman-in-chief is far too invested selling the sizzle, while masking the deadly details of his proposals. Since he is also supposed to be the chief executive, if he manages health care reform the same way he “managed” the stimulus package — by outsourcing it to the likes of Pelosi et al — we may be in for a world of hurt.
President Obama’s ‘media blitz’ is yet another way to distract from the very information the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington are trying to determine – who wields the influence here and what will that mean for the American taxpayer.
(Release: November 13)
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I always thought that the White House was the people’s house.
Since the current resident seems to acting like a half a dollar hooker and that is illegal the last I heard, don’t we have the right to evict him.
My apologies to half a dollar hookers as they have more integrity then the current resident.
WOMEN WITH INTELLIGENCE AND EXPERIENCE,MEN WHO SUPPORT THEM AND COUNTRY BEFORE PARTY ALWAYS
PUMAS,BUBBAS,EQUALISTS AND THOSE PEOPLE RULE
For a title, how about “Obama Administration Rejects Transparency on Everything”?
CHANGE: Yeah, LOTS of change changing hands…just not into OUR hands.
What a long, strange trip it has been.
BO said he slept in an alley his first night in NYC.
Now on C-Span it is the BO show!
…everybody wants to know “what’s in it for me?”
.Zappa
I guess if the Washington Post can’t sell off-the-record access to administration insiders, then the White House has to offer the access directly to the privileged few. Having basically lost faith in just about every idiot in Washington, at this point, I just need to know whether to spend all my savings before Big Brother takes it away from me to send me to the cemetery.
Ouch. Yes, I guess that is one way of putting it. I am horrified to admit that the exact same thought has crossed my mind.
What do you expect from a guy who hasn’t even read the bill (HR 3200) enacting his so-called reform?
I am glad to see this making the rounds of the blogs. I hope we might see this story pop up on the msm. BTW—how is it that we have all these presidential speeches promoting his latest plan to screw us and none of the opposition gets equal time to rebut or offer alternative approaches. I think the universal health care/single payer folks should get msm time to respond; Blue Dogs should have time; even the Repubs should have response time. The networks should know that when they give Mr. TotusPotus the national platform they are going to have to give equal time to qualified opponents. I’m tired of his dominating monologues.
New boss? Just like the old boss. Here’s a proposition.
Until every Democrat, every Rep and Senator, every envoy and czar and party official, high and low, the President and his family included, take an oath that they will accept and sign onto what is being rammed down the national throat as reform, they can take this bill and shove it where the sun don’t shine.
It either applies to us all or it applies to no one.
I want to see the CEO’s of all those high and mighty financial institutions, members of the AMA, officers of the pharmacueticals and health insurance agencies, the unions, every screaming voice saying how anyone who resists is greedy and political and an obstructionist, sign their and their loved one’s health welfare and future over to this ugly, rushed plan.
Will it happen?? Don’t hold your breath.
Why are we spending all this congressional time on a health care bill that does not take effect until 2013—how does that help anybody???????????????
All the lefty blogs screamed LOUD bloody murder over Cheney’s secret meetings with oil execs to craft the energy bill, and rightly so.
Think they will scream now about Obama doing the exact same thing with healthcare legislation and the insurance execs? Nope. You’ll hear bupkus from them.
Well, WMCB, the reason that we can trust O’s regime but not W’s regime is that O is Thee One, and well, he’s got the whole world in his hands, and we can trust him because he pretty much emanates trustworthiness, whereas Cheney, well, would you want to go quail hunting with him?
Secret meetings? I’m sure the folks who were invited into the White House to talk about health care were mainly an assortment of unwed mothers, cancer patients, and disabled vets. Nothing to see here. Move on.
I think you have this backwards. He hears from ‘ordinary’ citizens as he travels the country holding town hall meetings. The big Pharma people, he invites to the WH.
Well, jdjb, I have been known to get things backwards before . . .
You made me laugh. Thank you.
by the way is that the same secret deal with Cheny and oil that Obama also signed?
http://atlasshrugs2000.typepad.com/
Seniors are especially affected by this bill, and so I am begging all you seniors and children of senior parents and those who will be seniors in the near future to take time to read this list below. It is written in Twitter language but I think all can “get” the gist.”
Following the mad recommendations of Peter Singer made in NYT’s Sunday magazine, it pays to take a look at what is actually in the healthcare bill.
It’s worse than you can possibly imagine. Somehow, it manages to be Singer on steroids. Who wrote this bill. It has Singer’s footprints all over it.
Peter Fleckstein (aka Fleckman) is reading it and has been posting on Twitter his findings. This is from his postings (Note: All comments are Fleckman’s)
Pg 22 of the HC Bill MANDATES the Govt will audit books of ALL EMPLOYERS that self insure!!
Pg 30 Sec 123 of HC bill - THERE WILL BE A GOVT COMMITTEE that decides what treatments/benes u get
Pg 29 lines 4-16 in the HC bill - YOUR HEALTHCARE IS RATIONED!!!
Pg 42 of HC Bill - The Health Choices Commissioner will choose UR HC Benefits 4 you. U have no choice!
PG 50 Section 152 in HC bill - HC will be provided 2 ALL non US citizens, illegal or otherwise
Pg 58HC Bill - Govt will have real-time access 2 individuals’ finances & a National ID Healthcard will be issued!
Pg 59 HC Bill lines 21-24 Govt will have direct access 2 ur banks accts 4 elect. funds transfer
PG 65 Sec 164 is a payoff subsidized plan 4 retirees and their families in Unions & community orgs (ACORN).
Pg 72 Lines 8-14 Govt is creating an HC Exchange 2 bring priv HC plans under Govt control.
PG 84 Sec 203 HC bill - Govt mandates ALL benefit pkgs 4 priv. HC plans in the Exchange
PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs for of Benefit Levels for Plans = The Govt will ration ur Healthcare!
PG 91 Lines 4-7 HC Bill - Govt mandates linguistic approp svcs. Example - Translation 4 illegal aliens
Pg 95 HC Bill Lines 8-18 The Govt will use groups i.e., ACORN & Americorps 2 sign up indiv. for Govt HC plan
PG 85 Line 7 HC Bill - Specs of Ben Levels 4 Plans. #AARP members - U Health care WILL b rationed
-PG 102 Lines 12-18 HC Bill - Medicaid Eligible Indiv. will b automat.enrolled in Medicaid. No choice
pg 124 lines 24-25 HC No company can sue GOVT on price fixing. No “judicial review” against Govt Monop
pg 127 Lines 1-16 HC Bill - Doctors/ #AMA - The Govt will tell YOU what u can make.
Pg 145 Line 15-17 An Employer MUST auto enroll employees into pub opt plan. NO CHOICE
Pg 126 Lines 22-25 Employers MUST pay 4 HC 4 part time employees AND their families.
Pg 149 Lines 16-24 ANY Emplyr w payroll 400k & above who does not prov. pub opt. pays 8% tax on all payroll
pg 150 Lines 9-13 Biz w payroll btw 251k & 400k who doesnt prov. pub. opt pays 2-6% tax on all payroll
Pg 167 Lines 18-23 ANY individual who doesnt have acceptable HC accrdng 2 Govt will be taxed 2.5% of inc
Pg 170 Lines 1-3 HC Bill Any NONRESIDENT Alien is exempt from indiv. taxes. (Americans will pay)
Pg 195 HC Bill -officers & employees of HC Admin (GOVT) will have access 2 ALL Americans finan/pers recs
PG 203 Line 14-15 HC - “The tax imposed under this section shall not be treated as tax” Yes, it says that
Pg 239 Line 14-24 HC Bill Govt will reduce physician svcs 4 Medicaid. Seniors, low income, poor affected
Pg 241 Line 6-8 HC Bill - Doctors, doesnt matter what specialty u have, you’ll all be paid the same
PG 253 Line 10-18 Govt sets value of Dr’s time, prof judg, etc. Literally value of humans.
PG 265 Sec 1131Govt mandates & controls productivity for private HC industries
PG 268 Sec 1141 Fed Govt regulates rental & purchase of power driven wheelchairs
PG 272 SEC. 1145. TREATMENT OF CERTAIN CANCER HOSPITALS - Cancer patients - welcome to rationing!
Page 280 Sec 1151 The Govt will penalize hospitals 4 what Govt deems preventable readmissions.
Pg 298 Lines 9-11 Drs, treat a patient during initial admiss that results in a readmiss-Govt will penalize u.
Pg 317 L 13-20 OMG!! PROHIBITION on ownership/investment. Govt tells Drs. what/how much they can own.
Pg 317-318 lines 21-25,1-3 PROHIBITION on expansion- Govt is mandating hospitals cannot expand
pg 321 2-13 Hospitals have oppt to apply for exception BUT community input required. Can u say ACORN?!!
Pg335 L 16-25 Pg 336-339 - Govt mandates estab. of outcome based measures. HC the way they want. Rationing
Pg 341 Lines 3-9 Govt has authority 2 disqual Medicare Adv Plans, HMOs, etc. Forcing peeps in2 Govt plan
Pg 354 Sec 1177 - Govt will RESTRICT enrollment of Special needs ppl! WTF. My sis has down syndrome!!
Pg 379 Sec 1191 Govt creates more bureaucracy - Telehealth Advisory Cmtte. Can u say HC by phone?
PG 425 Lines 4-12 Govt mandates Advance Care Planning Consult. Think Senior Citizens end of life
Pg 425 Lines 17-19 Govt will instruct & consult regarding living wills, durable powers of atty. Mandatory!
PG 425 Lines 22-25, 426 Lines 1-3 Govt provides apprvd list of end of life resources, guiding u in death
PG 427 Lines 15-24 Govt mandates program 4 orders 4 end of life. The Govt has a say in how ur life ends
Pg 429 Lines 1-9 An “adv. care planning consult” will b used frequently as patients health deteriorates
PG 429 Lines 10-12 “adv. care consultation” may incl an ORDER 4 end of life plans. AN ORDER from GOV
Pg 429 Lines 13-25 - The govt will specify which Doctors can write an end of life order.
PG 430 Lines 11-15 The Govt will decide what level of treatment u will have at end of life
Pg 469 - Community Based Home Medical Services=Non profit orgs. Hello, ACORN Medical Svcs here!!?
Page 472 Lines 14-17 PAYMENT TO COMMUNITY-BASED ORG. 1 monthly payment 2 a community-based org. Like ACORN?
PG 489 Sec 1308 The Govt will cover Marriage & Family therapy. Which means they will insert Govt in2 ur marriage
Pg 494-498 Govt will cover Mental Health Svcs including defining, creating, rationing those svcs
They tell you when to die, how to die, they know your private medical facts, they know your finances, they probe your marriage, they pay to kill your babies, they fund illegals for free and tax Americans in punishment,
and THEY DON’T USE THIS EUGENICS PLAN THEMSELVES
this will guarantee the end of capitalism and will insure Obama’s dictatorship
Tzada, No fair! You read it! Not even Congress, not even Thee One himself would presume as much!
Pay no attention to that several-hundred page document behind the curtain . . .
Check the video on Katir Corics recent interview with BO.
He was asked a direct question by her.
On second thought what is more even bizarre is his response to “Why not?”.
I had to read it twice. Anyone? Is it possible No means Yes?
Now I understand what Retired was getting at.
Yup, Illegals won’t get health care under his admin, becuase he’ll make sure those illegals become “legal” just about November 2012.
Exceptions…first it’s vaccines, then checkups, then meds…then back to where we are.
I’m all for universal health care as long as the pay IN is universal, too.
In 2006, the state of Texas received approx. $8 Billion in sales tax from illegals. The counties and cities, on the other hand, had to pay OUT $4 Billion in services to illegals.
Wow! There Katie is, helping out Thee One the same way she helped out Sarah Palin. What a thoughtful, helpful journalist!
O boy! Do you remember in Soylent Green, how pleasant it was for Edward G. Robinson when they put him to sleep! He got to watch a beautiful travel movie and listen to serene music and really kick back and relax while sipping his “special cocktail!” I hope I can get a Doctor who agrees to write such a lovely end-of-life order!
But we can’t have that pleasant end until after the Obama term ends. I just might chose that wonderful, pleasant special cocktail over watching anymore of this debacle! LOL! No fair, if you’re gonna pass it in 2 weeks give us our please end order in 2 weeks.
As you can tell this is all hard for me to watch. I keep thinking, is it over yet?
I am the mother of a severly multiply impaired child! In the list of quotes to our supposed reform there are many of those that indirectly already exist! We are a three person family surviving on one below average income. Our daughter doesn’t qualify for SSI, cash, food benifits, or any other available benifits besides medicaid, CSHCS! Medicaid covers 10% of her medical cost as a secondary to Blue Cross! However they threaten to cancel her 10% almost monthly! Not due to money but asset such as our home, life insurance on her father, and retirement for her father! What I am getting at with this is a couple things….. 1) There are many ways to save and cut our system to make it more cost effective such as the &25,000 dollars worth of equipment I have sitting in my garage collecting dust. My daughter has either grown out of it or can no longer use it due to her medical condition. Can’t someone else use it??? I mean that lives in this state or country! All this used equipment gets sent over seas because americans only get new! That is wrong!!! 2) For that 10%, which I am very thankful for, the government today already has access to all of our assets. Such as worth of our home, all of our bank accounts, our vehical worth, ect….. It is comming to a couple chioces Special parents have. Give your child up and the govenment will pay a foster family to maintain your child or become a foster parent yourself. Foster families in our state get SSI, cash assistance, food benifits, help making their house accessible and so on. My question is how is the govenment by forceing bilogical parents to give up their children considering this cost effective? While paying someone else to care for them or paying me to care for someone elses child! I could go on all day about HOLES in our system! One day my life will be dedicated to changing some of these issues! Today I am dedicated to making sure my daughters life is as good as possible! Which means her having time with her family and friends and enjoying her quality of life as she knows it!
Concerned Mother
• The World Health Organization ranked the United States No. 1 out of 191 countries for being responsive to patients’ needs, including providing timely treatments and a choice of doctors. Among those currently insured, 84% are satisfied with their healthcare. But if you’re happy, don’t get too comfortable: ObamaCare will force people to change their insurance.
Without a proper cite to the WHO, we have no idea whether 1) your information is correct; and 2) whether it means anything, anyway (in the context of fashioning a more desirable national health care policy).
Essentially this Health Care Bill is just a way to begin to destroy Medicare - instead of extending the benefits of Medicare to all. I didn’t vote of Obama but he’s turning out to be worse than I ever imagined!!!!!
Yes, I knew America would suffer greatly if the worst happened and dumb people actually made this fraud president, but it is way worse than I can imagine. We are in serious trouble folks and I don’t know why all Americans are not equally upset about everything, no matter their party.
People, even those of you gullible ones, it is not about your party, ok? It is about your country! If you do not care about this country like many of the patriots here at NQ, who were able to vote country over party, thne go to some other country! We’ll clean up the mess and without you in our way, it will be much easier. Oh, and take your pathetic excuse for a leader with you!
This sounds awfully close to Cheney’s argument for not disclosing who (ie. which oil and energy companies) had visited the close door sessions that shaped the disgraceful 2005 Cheney Energy bill (which let’s not forget Obama was close to the sole Dem. Senators who votes FOR it!!).
Obama is even starting to look like Bush if you put their pictures side by side–wow I wonder about all those brain dead that voted for him because they hated Bush’s lack of transparency and Cheney’s ’screw you’ secrecy. How do they like their Messiah now?
How far we’ve have come” ???
Go for the kill. Break me?
TOTUS stuttered….
This only goes to demonstrate once again that all of Oblahblah’s high falutin rhetoric was nothing more than “words, just words.”
In all this discussion ove r”health care reform” where is the “insurance reform”
I want to know where in this law the American people are assured that this health bill will cap the skyrocketing charges imposed by the Insurance Companies.
All I hear is that charges to Medicare will be curbed, that doctors may earn a bit less (yeah right; they will just turn away the Medicare patients) but NOWHERE I have read that the Gov. will regulate the insurance companies earnings and charges. Does ANYONE believes the premiums of health care will go DOWN?
So, what is the “reform” about? Sure, I am all for savings in paperwork and electronic improvements that can save money. And of course I am for universal health coverage: but the people who should pay for it mostly are the insurance and pharmaceutical companies by curbing their astronomic earning : where in this bill is the Gov. regulating that?
I agree with all those who ask whether Congress and the resident will switch their own health coverages to what they are proposing.
What happened to the idea to extend to people Congress’ own health care program?
Someone explain me where in here do you see the insurance companies
sacrificing ANY earnings?:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124701192458308917.html
They lied to you. And they’re going to continue to lie to you over and over and over again…
It’s just that simple…
BO is riffing on Jefferson Airplane’s “Go Ask Alice”
One pill makes you larger (green pill)
And one pill makes you small (blue pill)
And the ones that mother gives you
Don’t do anything at all. (BO are you my mother?”)
Go ask Alice
When she’s ten feet tall. (”Why pay for something that doesn’t make you healthy”?)
Oh was that it? I thought he was taking off on the Matrix. Would you like the Red pill or the Blue pill? LOL
Hi shadow–wrote my response below before I saw yours. Funny how all of these images network together into a huge hodge-podge of fantastic associations.
Hi there. I think Obumblenuts wants us all the choose the Red pill and stay plugged into our pods so he can tell us all what to believe and how to live our lives. I can’t believe there are still people out there that are believing this charlatan.
Bill O’Reilly ripped him pretty good after his speech. Bill said he didn’t know what the hell he just said for the last hour. LOL
Funny-synchronicity everywhere–The Drudge Report’s story on O’s health care pitch is behind a link called “The Red Pill.”
Well Teak, I see you’re in a 60’s mood tonight!
As for the colored pills:
Do you suppose “Wonderland” is somewhere “Over the Rainbow,” right next to “Never Never Land” and the Hopey-Changey place that the Pied Piper promised?
“bending the curve” reminds me of Bob Dylan.
BO can’t sell it. To put in simple terms in a 1000 page bill with thoughtful reflection is a monster and as SusanUnpc said ther is no link for it in the known universe.
When BO held one of these meetings at the white house I recall one of the representives of a Nursing Association saying the representation at the table was lob-sided and she felt slighted and dissapointed, just like the lead counsel for CREW said.
He ducked the CRRW question saying photo ops fulfill the spirit and letter of the law.
Love the transparency. He also said he has released a list of “visitors”.
Where is the latrine? gag.
After knowing he was having another campai…press conference, I suddenly in need of some of the “health” care…
If you’re still watching, you’re braver than I.
Cannot watc–lies,lies,lies–it’s just too much.
Another complete line of BS in this post. You need to read the newspaper and understand what is going on.
http://voices.washingtonpost.com/44/2009/07/22/white_house_discloses_meetings.html?wprss=44
White House Discloses Meetings With Health Care Executives
Updated 9:04 p.m.
By Dan Eggen
The Obama administration released Wednesday night a list of 15 health-care lobbyists and senior executives who have visited the White House to discuss health-care reform.
Guests have included Billy Tauzin of the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America; Karen Ignagni of America’s Health Insurance Plans; Richard Umbdenstock of the American Hospital Association; and J. James Rohack of the American Medical Association, according to a letter from White House Counsel Gregory B. Craig. Senior executives at companies including Pfizer, Johnson & Johnson, UnitedHealth Group and Merck also visited at least once.
The list was released in response to a lawsuit filed earlier in the day by Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, a watchdog group, which had been denied access to the names by the U.S. Secret Service. Many of the meetings, it turned out, were well-known gatherings that had already been publicized.
Obama noted as much during his news conference Wednesday night, saying, “Most of the time, you guys have been in there taking pictures, so it hasn’t been a secret. … These have mostly been at least photo sprays, where you could see who was participating.”
CREW said in a statement that Craig’s letter “in no way” fulfills the group’s request, which was for the visitor logs themselves.
“Releasing some records because it is politically expedient to do so is not transparency,” the group said.
The White House’s decision to release the information marks another departure in policy from the Bush administration, which fought all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court to withhold the names of participants in an energy task force, run by then-vice president Richard B. Cheney, that was dominated by representatives of the oil and gas industries.
The Obama White House has made little secret of its intent to meet frequently with industry representatives in hopes of gaining their cooperation on reform efforts. One March 5 health-care summit, for example, was hosted by President Obama and featured more than 150 people, including physicians, business leaders, union representatives and consumer advocates. Four of the industry group leaders on the new White House list attended that summit.
Although most of the leaders on the list visited the White House once or twice, others were more frequent guests, the letter shows. The most frequent visitor was Umbdenstock, president and CEO of the hospitals group, who met with officials or attended gatherings at the White House eight times from Feb. 4 to May 22.
Aer you kidding? So now we have the list. What the hell did they talk about — what’s on the table — whio benefits. We still don’t know what we need to know.
They only did this BECAUSE of the article that this post covers and BECAUSE of the lawsuit that was coming at them ACCUSING them of a lack of transparency — they had to be threatened with a lawsuit to comply. Don’t YOU read:
If the lawsuit was not filed — they wouldn’t have released the names requested. It is not transparency when you have to threaten the WH with a lawsuit in order to get it. That runs completely contrary to everything your guy promised.
There is nothing BS about Mr. Nicholas’ LA Tmies article or the above post.
More transparency than you have ever had before.
no executive privledge BS.
not sure what you are complaining about, other than your typical Obama bashing for the sake of bashing…
did you get a list from Hillary and her healthcare reform?
I guess you really don’t want to look at the facts.
If you consider this administration transparent, I’m happy for you.
So what now Bush is your “golden standard” ? Please; get serious. We all deserve better than this.
Well rock my world!
Ani, I wonder how this one cost.
I had my stop watch going on this marshmellow. Danny is gagging on talking points in record time.
American, your freakin’ head should be exploding into thousands of pieces by Obama’s betrayals and reversals from campaign to now. Wake out of your stupor and recognize the treachery.
I just read the quote of the night on HotAir…
Priceless.
It’s also bull shit but what the hey, right?
Not b.s. at all — Even if not taken literally — I think you can catch the drift. I mean geez, it’s a joke!
The point is, he is trying to ram through crucial legislation that will affect all Americans in record time. Leigslation that the whole of congress has not even read, that he does not fully understand and has not read either and that even he is admitting still needs work.
Get it now?
Oh, really? How so? How long has this bill been worked/discussed/circulated for?
You can hear the call for yourself here:
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/07/21/obama_not_familiar_with_key_provision_in_health_care_bill.html
Oh really? How so? How long do you think this bill was discussed/worked on/circulated? Not even Obama knows it…
And I seriously doubt you have a clue what all of it is about.
JULY 21, 2009
Obama “Not Familiar” With Key Provision In Health Care Bill
http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2009/07/21/obama_not_familiar_with_key_provision_in_health_care_bill.html
That’s dead on Ani; thanks for the laugh !!
“American”: Obviously you don’t even read what you post nor anything else.
Otherwise you would have noticed the sentence:
Come on “American” do you still read the same Washington Post that was desperately trying to sell off-the-record access to administration insiders?
Why don’t you think a bit for yourself based on the evidence?
Mr. Obama’s Press Secretary responded to a question about this on Rachel Maddow’s program this evening with the information that the names of the people who had visited regarding this issue had been released. He also said he would be happy to email them to her. She then asked if the administration would continue to argue that it wasn’t required to release information like that. Mr. Gibbs said that he didn’t want, for lots of reasons, to answer for Mr. Cheney. He went on to say that the administration was reviewing the policies that had been in place in the last administration with an eye to providing transparency.
I was relieved to see this and glad Maddow asked. I felt that Obama was shrub light regarding this issue and I did not like it.
It is unfortunate that the Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics actually had to file a lawsuit today to threaten the WH into complying. We shouldn’t need to go through this rigamarole. The american people have so much on their plates. Let’s hope this will not be necessary again.
But it made gugalooloo feel better:-)
How can anyone watch Madcow
At least we know that you love bottom feeding journalism.
Your a vet…I understand
How’s that animal tranquilizer working for you?
JG, where is the transparency?? What about this promise: President Obama vowed that in devising a healthcare bill he would invite in TV cameras — specifically C-SPAN, that has not happened. Where are the actual White House visitor logs that full transparency requires of an honest president? I hope to see the transcripts of the meetings with the insurance and health care CEOs to expose this corrupt process, but I won’t hold my breath. Why does this administration act on obvious ethical improprieties only when legally threatened, and yet not completely comply by withholding the White House visitor logs? This is not what Candidate Obama promised! As a Democrat I am stunned by Obama’s arrogance in modeling the abhorrent behavior of Cheney and Dubya.
Ani, great post! Thanks.
All of this is tremendously frustrating. Many of us remember precisely Hillary’s well-considered positions on creating jobs, real health care reform, the economy and how best to deal with foreclosures to turn things around, the environment, etc. Six months into Hillary’s presidency and things would have been drastically different, I am convinced of that. It’s unbearable to see how destructively mangled things have become under Obama’s incompetent and inexperienced leadership.
I sadly joked with friends this afternoon that with Obamacare there will be many a Dr. Deaths (Kevorkian) to rise from the rubble. A friend emailed a link to an opinion regarding swine flu and the population and considering this fall’s flu vaccination doesn’t include a strain to help resist it, and considering health care coverage for the uninsured will not be in effect until 2013, it lets a conspiracy theory take root or at least makes you wonder… scary… http://solari.com/blog/?p=3532
WAKE UP PEOPLE AND START THE REVOLUTION.
VOTE ALL OF THESE JACKA**ES OUT OF OFFICE.
CALL YOUR REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS AND KEEP THEIR PHONE LINES TIED UP WITH YOUR ANGER.
In the words of MC Hammer, “Whoomp, There it is”
and
“you can’t touch this”