Axelrod Holding Private Messaging Session With House Dems On Selling Reform
In another sign that the White House will play a very hands-on role during the looming Congressional health care wars of August, senior Obama adviser David Axelrod is set to hold a private messaging session with House Dems tomorrow on the Hill, I’m told.
With a House Dem bill closer to reality, the battle will shift to a new phase: Selling it. And according to an email to House Dems that was sent over by a source, Axelrod and top White House health care adviser Nancy DeParle will be attending a breakfast with members to discuss “health care reform messaging.”
“This meeting is MEMBERS-ONLY,” the email reads, meaning no press and no staff.
The health care delay has dramatically upped the stakes for the White House and individual members of Congress, who will be at home for a month while their constituents are strafed by advertising from all sides. As Nancy Pelosi put it today, “insurance companies are out there in full force carpet bombing” in a “shock and awe” campaign.
“We have a month where 256 members will be in their districts with a bill to sell,” a senior Dem aide tells me. “Axelrod is going to talk to them about getting out there and selling it. House Dems are going on the offensive in August.”
It’s gonna be a hot month. Heck of a lot riding on them getting this messaging right…
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I think framing this as a battle of Americans and their future against insurance companies protecting their interests is the way to go personally.
Make people aware insurance companies are against lowering costs on their own. Then tie only those Republicans out there obstructing constructive debate using fear tactics and misinformation to the insurance companies.
But then again I’m just some dude at a computers…what do I know. heh
I’d like to see ads that paint health insurers and big pharma as the evil liars they are. A bit of pounding on how much $$ they contribute to legislators’ campaign coffers couldn’t hurt, either.
Hmmm… ya think I should hold my breath?
Good. It’s needed. The next month or two are going to be very interesting (”strafed” being an excellent verb choice here). This looks to my eyes as a pivotal moment which will tell us a fair bit about the next half decade and beyond.
Greg: Do you have any examples of those insurance companies strafing people? It’s my understanding that the insurance cos have not really come out forcefully against the Dem plan yet. In fact, they have already conditionally agreed to some reforms sought by the Dems. They are spending their money on lobbying to protect their interests – not on strafing me with adverts (yet). My understanding is that the insurance companies support “reform” because it will mean 46 million new customers who are mandated to purchase insurance. (They DO have a problem with the public option, though. Maybe that’s what you and Nancy are referring to?)
sbj,
Rachel Maddow pointed out last night The LewinGroup is funded by UnitedHealthCare (insurance company) via a subsidiary IGENIX. This was uncovered by the Washington Post a few days ago.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/22/AR2009072203696.html
So, direct advertisements on TV?
Maybe not.
Providing talking points and figures being used by Republicans while they try and take down health care reform on talk shows, yes.
Yesterday de Mint spewed the usual point about the Lewin Gruop – an independent polling firm – and that dumbass Blitzer let it slide. We have the most useless MSM and Cable TV types engaged in this debate. The idiots are right there on our tv screen.
And their most important topic today: the President was not drinking Amurrican beer; just one from an international conglomerate. But Bud is as American as they come. But…but…but it is owned by a furrign company. MSNBC is no better. Idiots all.
foster – and on the beer “issue”, believe it or not, the temperance people are oozing out of the woodwork (who knew they were still around?”… http://yglesias.thinkprogress.org/archives/2009/07/just-when-you-thought-the-beer-summit-story-couldnt-get-any-more-ridiculous.php
During that one month recess, 30×14,000 = 420,000 people will lose their healthcare coverage. That ought to be a point worth making.
@mike: My point is that the insurance cos are not (yet) trying to take down reform, they are trying to take down the public option. (Pelosi can’t make them the bad guys when they have already conditionally agreed to some reforms.) Greg links to HuffPo where it is explained that groups in favor of reform are spending far more in advertising than groups opposed to reform. Among those in favor? “More than $20 million has been spent by groups that have pushed … a “general health care message,” including … Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA).”
The insurance companies and drugmakers are salivating at the thought of 46 million new customers who are mandated to purchase insurance.
@jzap: “A bit of pounding on how much $$ they contribute to legislators’ campaign coffers couldn’t hurt, either.”
Well . . . might hurt Dems!
“Democrats so far this cycle have received $7.3 million in contributions from the health sector, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, which is 72 percent more than the GOP’s haul. The top two recipients of cash from health sector political action committees are Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The top recipient of PAC money from HMOs is Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., lead architect of the House plan. And then there’s Baucus, whose coziness with industry lobbyists is legendary. Last election, Obama far outpaced John McCain in contributions from the health sector, HMOs and drugmakers.”
They just want to pass something they can sell as “reform” to the voters.
Health Care Reform is essential, but this bill has so many hidden agendas not directly aimed at the correct problems. My complaint arrives from the lack of input from all areas involved in health care, not simply politicians/Congressional members, too many career ones. One aspect not seen is how hospital/clinic companies overcharge insured patients with highly inflated bills sent to insurance companies. Reform in high medical bills from Medicaid/Medicare are also a vast problem. People without insurance frequent ER who cannot refuse them and the costs are offset by patients with insurance. Government cannot effectively operate and manage any business as Social Security and IRS are so enormous and full of vast problems. Let’s get a health care bill with input from all areas concerned, not a bill government wants to run yet another enterprise and run it badly. Always, always, always, taxpayers pay the bills. And if this health care is passed, Congress, the President, The White House, union members, all, must receive the same packages. Why should Congress and The White House write a health care bill that they will not be in and receive far, far better coverage than common citizens? After all, who pays the bills for these segments? Taxpayers.
Sorry to use my native language (French). I can’t get Axelrod email, so I’m dropping this message here hoping that he’ll get it….. Because I think the Health care reform is not only essential but it determinate the way we will want or not to live together as American. My idea is just to link it to solar energy. If we really want, there an huge amount of energy available in space were our taxes can, through NASA, bring it down on earth. Even less than 1% will overcome our need of energy on earth in all domains. So, the idea is to put mirrors, lens and solar panels in space, to focus the light toward specific targets and so, concentrate it before to send it on the earth. There, it can be transform in any kind of energy. Solar energy is having hard time to take off now because we keep trying to get it under the clouds. If our solar panels are above the clouds than we are all set. The amount of energy available is so huge that we can even it as a “lamp” to explore universe than just wait passively light coming from universe. We need to be ambitious…….
Il faut lier le droit a la sante au droit de vote. Ce sont les memes qui diffusent des informations bidons a la veille des elections pour decourager les gens a aller voter qui sont derriere tout ca. Ce sont des gens qui abusent de leur droit a la parole en mentant sciemment. La liberte de parole n’est pas liberte une liberte de mentir dans le but de refuser a d’autres cequ’on s’autorise a soi. Comme Mc Caine avec George Bush, il faut attacher ces institutions qui torpillent le projet de sante universelle avec le refus de donner le droit vote. Parceque quand on ment sciemment dans le but d’empecher des gens a exercer leur libre choix, on veut les empecher de voter. On leur refuse donc le droit de vote. Or refuser le droit de vote est le premier stade du refus de droit de vie comme le droit a la sante. On refuse l’alterite comme une tare congenitale et definitive a eliminer. Il ne faut pas avoir peur de mettre le pied dans le plat. L’enjeu n’est pas que financiere; elle est civilisationnel. La solidarite nous a fait des hommes. On a les moyens pour que tout le monde profite s’il n’y’avait pas la peneurie organizee qui fait qu’on explose de bouffe dans un coin du monde alors qu’a l’autre, on creve de faim. La NASA a les moyens de nous fournir de l’electricite solaire gratuitement a tres court terme (dix ans). L’energie genere sera echange contre la facture electrique des hopitaux.. S’en servire pour limiter le cout en enlevant la facture energetique et le cout des medicaments en utilisant les generiques. En bref, lier l’energie solair a la sante.
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