Chamber of Commerce plans to buy a "respected economist" to kill health care reform.

[Hamlette]

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and an assortment of national business groups opposed to President Obama's health-care reform effort are collecting money to finance an economic study that could be used to portray the legislation as a job killer and threat to the nation's economy, according to an e-mail solicitation from a top Chamber official.

The e-mail, written by the Chamber's senior health policy manager and obtained by The Washington Post, proposes spending $50,000 to hire a "respected economist" to study the impact of health-care legislation, which is expected to come to the Senate floor this week, would have on jobs and the economy.

Step two, according to the e-mail, appears to assume the outcome of the economic review: "The economist will then circulate a sign-on letter to hundreds of other economists saying that the bill will kill jobs and hurt the economy. We will then be able to use this open letter to produce advertisements, and as a powerful lobbying and grass-roots document."

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/15/AR2009111503159_pf.html

Perhaps the most amazing thing about this whole story is that the WAPO did a bit of journalism. Pointing out that the Chamber is merely trying to buy a preordained position paper.

How much more of these people can we take?

And why is this the hill the GOP wants to die on? Why are they pulling out all stops to prevent Americans from living healthier lives? I can see them fighting a proposal to ban indoor plumbing or alcohol or sex compound interest or the stock market or something but HEALTH CARE?

unfuckingbelievable.

[DJ13]

1. Where do you buy those?

Under the flashing red light in Wingnuts R Us?

[tsuki]

8. At Walmart's. Walk up the center, at the third aisle turn right. There

on the right is a great selection of Everyday Low Price Economist (Made in China).

[Clio the Leo]

2. Quick! Someone snatch Krugman's phone away from him! lol NT

[BrklynLiberal]

3. They would never actually go to a REAL respected economist!!!!

They have to find one in the Enterprise Institute or perhaps the Cato Institute.

[Sinti]

14. Only problem is

AEI and Cato, Hudson, or any of their other ancillary arm people would be considered "real and respected," just like the C Streeters are considered respected because of the National Prayer Breakfast BS, and all their other arms, Cedars, Aspen, et al. It's one giant tangled web of ... unspeakable evil.

[chill_wind]

4. $50,000? Whatever happened to just pure raw threats?

Worked for the Paulson Plan.. Just ask Pete DeFazio.

In two separate stories, The Politico reports that Corporate America is intensifying its efforts to ram the Paulson plan through Congress, despite the House's stunning rebuke. Specifically, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce - the most powerful corporate font group in the country - is overtly threatening retribution against any lawmaker that opposes the $700 billion bailout. Meanwhile, the lobbying industry is beginning to reap a windfall from industry clients expecting to profit off the Paulson plan.

Though House Democrats spent yesterday claiming that the original Paulson plan was amended to include stronger protections for taxpayers (CEO pay limits, aid for homeowners, equity stakes in financial houses for taxpayers, etc.), the Treasury Department was simultaneously holding a secret conference call with Wall Street analysts explaining how those new provisions were specifically written to be unenforceable (you can listen to the conference call here).

The conflicts and corruption surrounding the bailout have even impacted internal Democratic Party deliberations. At an afternoon press conference (video here or at right), Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-OR) recounted how when progressives and Blue Dog Democrats proposed a financial industry tax to pay for the bailout, Democratic leaders sent in Laura Tyson to kill it by saying "the street wouldn't like it." According to DeFazio, Tyson was brought in "under the guise of being a former Clinton economic adviser, forgetting to tell us she's on Morgan Stanley's board of directors." Despite her corporate ties (or perhaps because of them), Tyson is also simultaneously an adviser to Barack Obama's presidential campaign.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/david-sirota/turning-a-wall-street-giv_b_130831.html


David Sirota
Political journalist, best-selling author and syndicated newspaper columnist
October 1, 2008 10:55 AM

[stevietheman]

5. Divest from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce! n/t

n/t

[annabanana]

6. Well, THAT'S pretty damn bald. (Morning kick to alert the day crew).

This should be kicked with some regularity.

[JVS]

7. Ben Stein?

[bulloney]

9. The C of C--supposedly representing businesses--wants to keep status quo?

They want to keep the present system where businesses provide health insurance to employees?

[mopinko]

12. if they want to. or don't

if they don't. there is provision in the bill mandating employer provided insurance.

[drm604]

10. Maybe someone should do a "study" showing that C of C officials

are pedophilic cannibals or something. It would be as scientific as this "study".

[tridim]

11. So I guess the CoC's BS anti-HCR commercials didn't work? That's a good sign.

[Hamlette]

13. aren't they dreadful?

I knew the c of c was conservative but you'd think all of them would want universal health care.

The only thing that makes sense to me is they fear it would be so popular with Americans that Obama/the dems will rule forever (amen)

In which case, why they hell don't they do it? They did prescription drugs (horrible bill, needs fixing) so we know they can. I'm lost, as usual.

[LatteLibertine]

15. Honestly

they need to streamline the whole process. Set up an auction house in Washington where the wealthy can go and bid on politicians votes. Or make it like E-bay.

[Nicholas D Wolfwood]

16. So do people still think the health insurance companies love this bill?

Or can we end that meme once and for all?

[Hamlette]

17. Follow up: WH declares open war on Chamber of Commerce

as a result of this plan.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=433&topic_id=4180&mesg_id=4180

[Cha]

18. I knew they had to freakin' LIE..

and now the White House is going head to head with them.

Cross Post..

babylonsister (1000+ posts) Mon Nov-16-09 02:32 PM

Original message
White House Talking Points Declare Open War On U.S. Chamber
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/health-care/white-hou... /

"White House Talking Points Declare Open War On U.S. Chamber"


The White House is seizing on the news of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s planned anti-reform study to declare open war on the organization, circulating talking points on the Hill declaring it an “intentionally skewed” effort to “safeguard the insurance companies’ bottom line at the expense of the American people.”

There is no report yet, but the talking points, sent over by a source, launch a preemptive strike, linking it to the insurance industry’s earlier, widely-criticized anti-reform study:


* This so-called study would be at least the third intentionally skewed report as part of the last-ditch effort to safeguard the insurance companies’ bottom line at the expense of the American people.

* You may recall that last month, the insurance lobby offered an “analysis” that even the company who produced it said was skewed because that’s what the insurance companies paid for.

* And just days after that report, another insurance company produced a similarly flawed study.

* The only difference this time is that the insurance industry’s defenders were caught red-handed before producing their intentionally misleading “study”.

* So whenever we finally see this supposed analysis, we should all take it with a huge grain of salt.


The White House had been treading carefully in its standoff with the Chamber, perhaps not wanting to hand ammo to those portraying the reform proposal as a threat to the private sector. But the Chamber’s planned study has given the White House an opening to put the Chamber on the defensive at a delicate moment for the organization, much as the insurance industry’s study did.

It appears that any fragile peace that may have existed between the Chamber and the White House is off.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x4180