On TPM, economist Robert Reich has blogged a memo to President Obama detailing the Things He Must Do to save his drooping intiative for health care reform including acting like LBJ - Lyndon Baines Johnson, the only president who ever bested the medical and pharmaceutical lobbies.
Yes, once upon a time, LBJ knew how to twist Capitol Hill arms and knock skulls!
And as a former DC resident, I suspect that a smidge of blackmail was applied wherever needed. In most cases, powerful politicians consider themselves sexy beasts and the bevy of lady bees that have always flocked to Washington seemingly prove it to their massive egos constantly (until caught on film in unflattering poses. And nowadays it's cell phone records, too...change your vote?)
Washington has always run on power, money, sex, and blackmail. Did then. Does now.
Update 6.21.09: Actually there is a current example of such goings on with Republican Rep. John Ensign and his opened-to-public-view love affair which is threatening to stain the likes of Tom Coburn and perhaps others who knew but didn't tell.
And the husband of the lady-in-question....well, read it for yourself if you haven't and you want to. It's a sad testimony to some of what goes on around there, but that's DC for ya...and no, I don't thank them for making my point. I only hope there aren't children involved, esp young ones.
Back to health care reform...
Don't you think that many lawmakers on Capitol Hill may hold shares in the very corporations that are fighting against insuring the uninsured? What a racket!
Yet if 51 votes will pass the president's health care reform bill, why bother with lobby-whipped nay-sayers of any stripe?
If you really want it passed, that is.
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Update Monday 6.22.09: HealthCareForAmericaNow! seems determined to have health care reform...now! What can we do to help?
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Showing posts with label TPM. Show all posts
Showing posts with label TPM. Show all posts
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