Has Obama made a new back-room deal with hospital lobbyists where the public gets the shaft?

[Karmadillo]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/greg-palast/obama-on-drugs-98-cheney_b_258209.html

Obama on Drugs: 98% Cheney?
Greg Palast

<edit>

ALERT

Now it's Let's Make a Deal with hospital lobbyists.

First, the President was caught with his principals down, cutting a scuzzy back-room deal with pharmaceutical lobbyist Billy Tauzin to limit drug price savings to just 2% over 10 years (see attached, "Obama on Drugs: 98% Cheney?"), the New York Times today reports that another deal was sealed by lobbyist Chip Kahn of the American Hospital Association.

Here are the numbers they don't want you to see: Hospitals will be allowed to hike their prices and revenues by six trillion dollars ($5,853 billion) over the next ten years, only $155 billion less than they had projected before the Obama "reform."

In all, the Obama back-room deal will "reduce" our $26 trillion total hospital bill over the next decade by one-half of one percent.

Once again, the lobbyists got the gold mine, the public got the shaft.

Say it ain't so, Mr. President.

<edit>

Cheney's secret meetings with lobbyists and industry big-shots were creepy and nasty and evil.

But the Obama crew's secret meetings with lobbyists and industry bigshots were, the President assures us, in the public interest.

We know Cheney's secret confabs were shady and corrupt because Cheney scowled out the side of his mouth.

Obama grins in your face.

more...

[elocs]

1. How could he? He is too busy playing chess,

using his machiavellian triple twist double reverse moves to make fools of the Republicans, giving us change we can count on.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

5. Guess who the (sacrificed) pawns are.

[ipaint]

2. Behind scenes, White House shapes health care deal

...Early last month, for example, hospital officials were poised to appear at the White House to announce a deal limiting their industry's share of the costs of the overhaul proposal when a wave of jitters swept through the group. Sen. Max Baucus, the Finance Committee chairman and a counterparty to the deal, had abruptly pulled out of the event. Was he backing away from his end of the deal?

Not to worry, Jim Messina, the deputy White House chief of staff, told the hospital lobbyists, according to White House officials and lobbyists briefed on the call. The White House was standing behind the deal, Messina told them, capping the industry's costs to a maximum of $155 billion over 10 years in exchange for its political support.

http://www.twincities.com/ci_13049359

[mod mom]

3. Internal Memo Confirms Big Giveaways In White House Deal With Big Pharma

WOULDN'T SURPRISE ME AFTER READING THIS:

Internal Memo Confirms Big Giveaways In White House Deal With Big Pharma

First Posted: 08-13-09 11:10 AM | Updated: 08-13-09 11:15 AM

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/08/13/internal-memo-confirms-bi_n_258285.html

[frebrd]

4. There are ever-larger segments of the population.......

crowding in under this bus.

:(

[nightrain]

6. being thrown under maybe..... so very disappointing. No wonder so many feel betrayed.

[nightrain]

7. knr. My disappointment and sense of betrayal rises.