Deputy Assistant Under-Minister of Truth Linda Douglass tried her best to dodge the questions from Wolf Blitzer regarding the 150 million dollars PhARMA is agreeing to pay for advertising to support ObamaCare socialism:

BLITZER: Did PhRMA, in exchange, make a promise of $150 million to pay for advertising to help the president’s plan go forward?

DOUGLASS: What — what you have, Wolf, is this deal that is $80 billion. And we are very pleased, obviously, that — that the pharmaceutical industry agrees with us, that there’s an urgent need for comprehensive health insurance reform that’s going to protect Americans from unfair rules, from rising costs. They agree with that. They’ve agreed with it from the beginning. That’s why they came to us and we worked out this agreement with the pharmaceutical industry. And they’re supporting health reform legislation. And that is good for the country.

BLITZER: So is part of the deal that they would support this legislation, go forward with $150 million in advertising?

DOUGLASS: You know, Wolf, part of the agreement here is that we’re all going to work together to bring comprehensive health reform. I mean, clearly, the pharmaceutical industry said we are going to support comprehensive health reform. And that’s what they’re doing.

Which is a yes.

150 million dollars….more then McCain spent for his White House bid…..from an industry that not too long ago was vilified by Obama and the left.

And why would PhARMA make this kind of deal with Obama? Why, to stop the Socialism. Yeah, you heard me right:

Ken Johnson, adviser to Billy Tauzin (PhRAMA’s chief lobbyist), and the senior vice-president for PhARMA, said this to NRO on Friday:

What we’re trying to do is move the debate closer to the center. That said, we need health-care reform but should not sacrifice medical progress or set us on a path towards a single-payer health-care system.

So, they will spend millions to get ObamaCare pushed through that will most definitely lead to a single-payer system….all to stop single-payer system? Read the rest of this entry »

You know the messiah is tumbling back to earth when HuffPo puts up a investigative post about the collusion between Obama and big Pharma:

A memo obtained by the Huffington Post confirms that the White House and the pharmaceutical lobby secretly agreed to precisely the sort of wide-ranging deal that both parties have been denying over the past week.

The memo, which according to a knowledgeable health care lobbyist was prepared by a person directly involved in the negotiations, lists exactly what the White House gave up, and what it got in return.

It says the White House agreed to oppose any congressional efforts to use the government’s leverage to bargain for lower drug prices or import drugs from Canada — and also agreed not to pursue Medicare rebates or shift some drugs from Medicare Part B to Medicare Part D, which would cost Big Pharma billions in reduced reimbursements. Read the rest of this entry »

I thought I’d have some fun with the DNC Rabid Attack Ad:

Amazing that the DNC believes their ad to be a winning strategy: Let’s characterize and flippantly dismiss concerned Americans on both sides of the political aisle as nothing more than torches-and-pitchforks-style rabble-rousers. Brilliant.

Thanks to skye for use of her photos and apologizes to Dana Loesch for pillaging her photos like the uncouth, ill-mannered mobster, that I am.

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There are many issues where Obama and McCain supporters live on opposite ends of the spectrum. But there is at least one where most of the populus… and if you read their campaign promises, the DNC and GOP candidate themselves… were on the same page. And that is on the price of prescription drugs in the US.

For the young and healthy, prices of medications seem low priority. For a nation of boomers, coming into their golden years, this is a looming… if not already omnipresent…. reality already.

The top three profit industries in America are pharmaceuticals, investment banking and oil/energy. Contrary to popular belief, the pharma industry held the #1 position thru most years historically, with oil coming in third. Needless to say investment banking will be losing that lofty status in the wake of our current economic status.

Even the most sensible citizen should be able to acknowledge that profit is integral to expansion of the business. And in the case of pharmas, that would mean the R&D/patent/development process necessary for new product… not an inexpensive path in itself.

So the argument seems simple on the surface… why is it so expensive to buy pharmas in the US compared to the rest of the world? And can we achieve competitive prices without risking R&D and development of new and better product?

I’ve been taking a crash course in pharmaceuticals, research, and drug manufacturers… and our recent Congressional history affecting the prices to the end consumer. What I found was surprising… and should turn out to be perhaps the second issue (the bailout being the first…) uniting the nation’s population, regardless of party affiliation…. provided they are well informed on the history of reform, and the nuances between each party’s suggested “cure”.

What I’ll also expect to hear is the typical blaming of the other party. Unfortunately, from what I can see … both in financial support, and deliberate thwarting of legislation… there is ample culpability to be borne by both sides. So allow me to pass on what I’ve learned… and then let ‘er rip in the comments.

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