Word of the day

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You know you're dealing with good times when you engage in a parlor discussion with your brothers regarding just what is the proper term to describe the state of today's national economic model. Crony capitalism, corporatism or...

Justicialism: (n) a fascistic theory of government in Argentina under the Peron administration involving government intervention and economic control to ensure social justice and public welfare; Peronism



Recall who it was that Nancy Pelosi said stood in opposition to ObamaCare:

“Here's the thing: the American Affordable Care Act stands there with Social Security, Medicare, health care for all Americans as a right, not a privilege," said Pelosi. “It was opposed vigorously by two forces: one, the health insurance industry, and secondly by anti-government ideologues who do not believe that there should be a government role in clean air, clean water, as well as health care in our country."

Just how much was the healthcare industry in opposition to ObamaCare? This much:

Newly released emails give an inside look at how the White House got the pharmaceutical industry to pay for millions of dollars in ads in 2009 promoting the president’s controversial health-care overhaul bill.

The emails also show that the money for the ad campaign from drug-industry companies, health-care lobbies and unions went through nonprofit groups that didn’t have to disclose their donors. One such organization, Healthy Economy Now, was created in the spring of 2009 in conjunction with White House officials and the Democratic Senate Campaign Committee according to the emails.

“As a 501(c)(4), Healthy Economy Now can accept unlimited contributions from individuals, corporations, labor organizations and association…. we are not required to publicly disclose donation amounts,” wrote Nick Baldick, a longtime Democratic strategist who worked with the nonprofit group. Mr. Baldick didn’t return a call requesting comment.

His letter was written after an April 15, 2009 meeting on health-care overhaul strategy and promotion, convened by then-White House deputy chief of staff Jim Messina, and held at the DSCC, according to emails. A lobbyist for the health insurance industry was also looped in for planning.

Mr. Messina is now Mr. Obama’s re-election campaign manager. He didn’t respond to a request for comment.

A clever phrase we became aware of during the legislative crafting of ObamaCare goes something like this:

If you aren't at the table, then you are on the menu.


The healthcare lobby knew that with the Oval Office and both houses of Congress in control of a single party, their options were limited but they were still going to bring force to bear to get their pound of flesh.

The emails show that drug makers hesitated to agree to pony up a lot of money for the ads without proof that their desires and concerns were reflected in the deal with the administration. One email from a Democratic consultant to PhRMA sent to other PhRMA folks on June 3, 2009, said that the start of the ads, and the “spend” on airtime “depends on how things develop.”

PhRMA spent $10.2 million on Healthy Economy Now’s ad campaign, according to the House committee’s statement Friday on the emails. When Healthy Economy Now went dormant during the summer of 2009, it was replaced by another non-profit, Americans for Stable Quality Care, to which PhRMA gave $59.4 million, according to the committee.

And with respect to the social justice part of the equation, as even the most ardent supporters of ObamaCare will admit if forced, ObamaCare wasn't/isn't really about lowering the cost of healthcare, rather making sure we all have equal access to the same crappy healthcare.




Justicialism: (n) a fascistic theory of government in America under the Obama administration involving government intervention and economic control to ensure social justice and public welfare; Peronism


That sounds about right.

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