White House denies allegations in "deal" memo, in a blow to the Huffington Post

[Becky72]

During today's press conference, Robert Gibbs denied the accuracy of a list of concessions that appeared in a memo by a lobbyist in today's Huffington Post today, including a supposed agreement to not import prescription drugs from Canada:

Q But the question is what the White House agreed to, bypassing most members of Congress? Did you agree to oppose importation of drugs? Did you agree to oppose rebates in Medicare Part D? Did you oppose a repeal of noninterference and oppose the opening of Medicare Part B? That is what some lobbyists are saying the White House has agreed to.

MR. GIBBS: Yes, and I think the same article that denotes that has denials from both PhRMA and us on that.

Q But PhRMA said -- PhRMA said that the deal was $80 billion, that's it, no more, they can't give any more. Yet in Portsmouth, the President said that maybe you could get more.

MR. GIBBS: Well, maybe you could get more savings as a result of health care reform. I do not believe that the President meant we could take an $80 billion agreement and make it $95 billion. I've been fairly clear on that from here. I think as a result of the change in health care, you can see health care costs and drug costs driven down. That's not to say we were reopening it.
Q So just to be clear, you're denying that the --

MR. GIBBS: I'm denying the --

Q -- administration agreed to any of those things that I just listed?

MR. GIBBS: I am denying that the -- I'm reissuing the denial that I think is in the story that you're referring to, on our behalf and on PhRMA's behalf.

Yes, sir.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/gibbs-wont-say-what-white_n_259061.html

[Drunken Irishman]

1. Not the first time...

I trust Huffington Post about as much as Perez Hilton - I just read it for entertainment.

[parasim]

4. Exactly.

More and more, that's about all HuffPo is good for.

[KittyWampus]

5. Hey dude. I think Huffington Post was deliberately and perhaps knowingly set up.

Gives Obama Admin a chance to deny it.

Who knows.

[Becky72]

8. We progressives should know better than to blindly believe what a lobbyist has to say

The Huffington Post's Ryan Grim should have sought further confirmation before running a front-page article on a claim by a health care lobbyist.

[rollingrock]

14. How do you know the WH isn't lying?

it's possible the WH made an agreement, but lied about not making it.

[mkultra]

23. we dont

But given the choice between trusting the WH and trusting a pharmaceutical lobbyist, which do you lean towards?

[ccharles000]

2. k/r

[wtbymark]

3. good, i wanted to hear this

a public option should include presciptions - and revamp medicare part D, and Phuck you PhRMA

[Enrique]

17. if you read the first Huffington Post story, you would have heard it

they reported that both the White House and Pharma "adamantly denied that it reflected reality."

[pennylane100]

6. Thom Hartman was talking about this today

He is such a reliable source and if there is anything to it, I will be very upset with Obama, I don't care how cute he is.

[IndianaGreen]

7. Actual headline: Gibbs Won't Say What White House Gave Drugmakers To Gain Their Support

NBC's Chuck Todd put the question directly to Robert Gibbs after the White House spokesman denied that a deal outlined in a memo obtained by the Huffington Post was accurate.

<snip>

"Forget the memo a minute," Todd said. "Can you answer that -- can you answer that question? Were they -- can you say for sure they were promised nothing in return?"

Gibbs ducked the question. "I can assure you that we've come to an agreement to seek some savings from the pharmaceutical industry as part of comprehensive health care," he said, declining to say what PhRMA was offered in return.

"And at what point are you going to release, then, the facts of the deal with them and with the hospitals and with a couple of these stakeholders that have come here and made these pledges and you guys have..." Todd followed up.

"I think some of this is going to be written into legislation that we'll hopefully see going through Congress relatively soon," said Gibbs.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/gibbs-wont-say-what-white_n_259061.html

[stranger81]

30. Ruh roh -- that sounds a lot like a non-denial denial,

if you know what I mean.

[Phx_Dem]

9. Oh noes, Huffington Post looks the fool! What to do. What to do.

:rofl:

[ncteechur]

10. Well the "memo" is posted and it looks like anything I could have typed on a TYPEWRITER

It is NOT on letterhead, just a typed outline. No names no references to anyone

Huh?? Not exactly a smoking gun.

[SpartanDem]

11. For reference this is the memo in question

[Uzybone]

13. Obamas Kenyan birth certificate looked more authentic

[Uzybone]

12. Internet media is a much bigger joke than regular media

is this the best HuffPo can do?

[Clio the Leo]

15. And the beauty of the Internet is .......

..... that all WH press briefings are uploaded to various and sundry sights.

http://www.youtube.com/user/whitehouse

or

http://www.whitehouse.gov/video/President-Obama-Hosts-a-Reception-for-Justice-Sotomayor/video-type18/

or

http://www.c-spanarchives.org/library/index.php?main_page=basic_search&sort=date&query=gibbs

so there is NO excuse for us to get caught up in the MSM BS.

[Enrique]

16. Huff Post scooped you on their denial

from the original story in the Huffington Post:

Representatives from both the White House and PhRMA, shown the outline, adamantly denied that it reflected reality. PhRMA senior vice president Ken Johnson said that the outline "is simply not accurate." "This memo isn't accurate and does not reflect the agreement with the drug companies," said White House spokesman Reid Cherlin.

How is this a blow to them? It just confirms what they originally reported, that THE WHITE HOUSE DENIED THIS.

[Becky72]

19. Then why did the HuffPo title read ": Internal Document CONFIRMS Big Giveaways In White House Deal"

How can something being disputed confirm anything?

[hileeopnyn8d]

26. Maybe they're taking lessons from

Glenn Beck? "This guy has a deep-seated hatred of white people", "I'm not saying he hates white people"

Make a wild statement as an intro, walk it back in the article/interview, restate wild claim again at the end of the article/interview.

This seems to be standard media operating procedures these days. I guarantee you the only thing most people will remember is the wild statement, facts don't matter anymore.

[Spider Jerusalem]

18. *yawn*

I'll start taking the Huffington Post seriously when they stop prominently featuring anti-vaccine nutters and 'alternative medicine' quackery. Their wilful and continued ignorance of, and disregard for, medical science do no favours for their credibility in other areas, as far as I'm concerned.

[Lorax7844]

20. I'm also growing quite wary of Huff post

If I wanted sensationalist crap, I'd turn on the tv news.

K&R

[robcon]

21. I think it'll be 24 'business hours' before the truth comes out.

We were taken in by a hoax. Again.

[high density]

22. The Huff Post article was BS from the beginning

Even the source of the memo admitted it likely didn't reflect any deal that exists today.

[Bread and Circus]

24. Gibbs admittted there was a backroom deal. That doesn't bother u?

[yodermon]

25. Even TPM was furthering this bullshit yesterday :(

http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/08/what-did-the-white-house-promise-phrma.php

"What Did The White House Promise PhRMA?" note the assumption and the framing. :eyes:

[Beetwasher]

27. What's This Yet ANOTHER Example Of Hysterics Over Something That Turns Out To Be BULLSHIT????

Will some DU'ers never learn?

How many times now have we seen articles purporting something heinous being done by Obama's admin., only to find out at some later time it wasn't quite true? How many times now? How many more times before people start to "get it"?

[Forkboy]

28. White Houses always deny shit. Always. Regardless of Administration.

And the trouble with that is sometimes they're telling the truth. But sometimes they aren't, and people are understandably cynical and wary of any White House denials on pretty much anything.

[grahamhgreen]

29. Obama should state the HC bill must include bulk drug pricing, then there would be no question.