One of the big ironies of the past two decades is that one of the best interviews ever of Bill Clinton was done by Leonardo DiCaprio, who did it while at the White House for Earth Day 2000. And of course the mere fact that President Clinton bypassed the pro-GOP White House press corps for him just sent the Heathers into fits of hairtossing jealousy.

Big Pharma isn’t selling us down the river, it’s just trying to do what it has always done – act in its own short term interest to make ever more money. It’s our elected Representatives who are selling us down the river. This is a tremendous distinction.

jane, it’s interesting you posted this today, I just got off the phone with a long time childhood friend who is a mega force in the medical industry, I can’t say his name

it seems doctors are livid obama sold out to big pharma giving them exclusive profit protection from competition abroad and even here

what exactly about this president are we liking so far?

and then, there’s Jane.
single-handedly wrestling these corrupt types to the mat.
and laughing while she does it.

you know, I just get the feeling the health care reform issue is going to be the one that parts the red sea in the US. the one where all the regular folks, red and blue, eventually realize they’ve been sold down the river if a public option doesn’t happen.

Jane,

What’s your prescription?

Mo and better Democrats?

Third party?

Trying to get Obama, Reid, Pelosi, et al to do what they should?

The sellout is why the anti-HCR ads didn’t start hitting our TV screens full force until last month. That’s about the one good thing that’s come from it.

So, big Phama is doing what it always does, makes it right? Short-term profits at the expense of all of us is OK? That politicians might cave-in does not lessen in any respect the immorality. And, Big Pharma needs to be called on that over and over again, rather than excused. This is precisely why capitalism needs regulatory oversight.

If it wasn’t for Jane, the deal would have gone down months ago. As it is, she and the rest of us — working for far less than what the anti-HCR folk spend in a day — have fought them to a standstill.

Fill me in please. What does DiCaprio bring to the Climate Change discussions and why should it be important that he wrote the intro?

I think if you add up all the lefty blog monies and people’s individual candidate donations from the beginning of the year to now, it probably adds up to maybe 2 or 3 days at best of PHrMAs daily spend.

So isn’t it interesting that 2 or 3 days of peoplepower can help thwart 300 days of corp power to the extent that we do?

The battle isn’t over yet, but thinking of it that way makes me smile. A lot.

It’s a shame. Doctors and hospitals don’t like Pharma that much. Obama should have pitted them against each other to get a better deal for the public. Instead he bought them all off with our money.

PW,

I respect your and Jane’s efforts working within the current system.

If those efforts bear fruit, I’ll say the current system is OK.

I believe it’s fucked. So I’ll wait to see.

Meantime, I’m greatful for your efforts. But I think the current system is fucked, and any efforts to work within it for progressive change are doomed.

you know, you just gave me an idea!

the president can deal with the doctors now, even though the ama has endorsed a public option it’s tepid at best

here’s the deal;

the government will allow competition from abroad for drugs, competition from the government for volume buying which the private insurers will not enjoy

the government they will also pay a few percent higher then the rates private industry pays AND the government will add to the contract for public members they have a cap on law suits

I think if they do that the ama and every doctor will be ALL OVER the public option

someone get that idea off to obama, that idea might save his presidency

poppycock, – the sell out is just that!

Dec 27, 2007 – Barack Obama quotes.

Des Moines Iowa.

“At this defining moment, we cannot wait any longer for universal health care. We cannot wait to fix our schools. We cannot wait for good jobs, and living wages, and pensions we can count on. We cannot wait to halt global warming, and we cannot wait to end this war in Iraq.”

******************************************************************************************************

“I’ve heard from seniors who were betrayed by CEOs who dumped their pensions while pocketing bonuses, and from those who still can’t afford their prescriptions because Congress refused to negotiate with the drug companies for the cheapest available price.”

******************************************************************************************************

“The real gamble in this election is playing the same Washington game with the same Washington players and expecting a different result. And that’s a risk we can’t take. Not this year. Not when the stakes are this high.
In this election, it is time to turn the page. In seven days, it is time to stand for change.
This has been our message since the beginning of this campaign. It was our message when we were down, and our message when we were up. And it must be catching on, because in these last few weeks, everyone is talking about change.”

******************************************************************************************************

“We’ve seen this script many times before. But I know that this time can be different.
Because I know that when the American people believe in something, it happens.
If you believe, then we can tell the lobbyists that their days of setting the agenda in Washington are over.
If you believe, then we can stop making promises to America’s workers and start delivering – jobs that pay, health care that’s affordable, pensions you can count on, and a tax cut for working Americans instead of the companies who send their jobs overseas .
If you believe, we can offer a world-class education to every child, and pay our teachers more, and make college dreams a reality for every American.
If you believe, we can save this planet and end our dependence on foreign oil.
If you believe, we can end this war, close Guantanamo, restore our standing, renew our diplomacy, and once again respect the Constitution of the United States of America .

******************************************************************************************************

“That’s the kind of change that’s more than just rhetoric – that’s change you can believe in.”
(slamming fist on podium)

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2007/12/our_moment_is_now.html

Unfortunately, I’m starting to agree with the “we’re fucked” opinion. I’ve been pretty on fire about HCR over the summer, believing that we could really make a difference, I donated probably about 1-2 grand to various progressive causes (mainly ActBlue/FDL etc.), and now, seeing the fruits of our labors, I’m really just burnt out.

It seems like it really doesn’t matter what we want or do. Big Business ALWAYS wins. About the only thing we can try to do is try to throw a wrench into the works once in a while.

I think that bailey2739′s comment is spot on, also. Our anger is misdirected. Yes, of course, the pharmaceutical industry’s profits are immoral. But our government’s complete and utter sellout to Big Business is far more immoral.

If a thief breaks into your house by bribing the night watchman, who should you be more angry at; the thief for just doing what is in his nature, or the night watchman for betraying your trust?

I think that if we progressives ever want to make a damned bit of difference in the world, we need to make REAL campaign finance reform and transparency our number one issue going forward; nothing else matters when every important progressive cause just becomes a big kabuki show with a predetermined ending like HCR has been. Who watches the watchmen, after all?

And yes, un-electing Obama in 2012 and corrupt congressional incumbents in 2010 should be a big priority, too. Our system is broken.

By one measurement, these statements make Obama worse than W. Bush never conned us into thinking he wanted to make the changes we were asking for.

The US will be out of Afghanistan by 2017. Son-of-a-bitch.

Have I got this straight? It is now an investigative coup to discover that the congressional record is a farce? Thanks for stopping the presses on that one… Just be careful that those sore arms you get from patting yourselves on the back aren’t considered a pre-existing condition.

http://www.democrats.com/node/8350