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?
The Wall Street Journal has long advocated free-market principles [and argued] that we have started down that slippery slope towards a single-payer system. Our argument is that we’re heading that way anyway, if we don’t work to rein in health-care costs.
Whoakay….
Meanwhile PhARMA is already disagreeing with Obama and company:
Congress has backed drugmakers who want to hold on to their data exclusivity for 12 years before letting other companies develop similar versions of their products. On Tuesday, the president called for drug companies to reduce that span to seven years. He has an ally in the AARP, the nation’s largest seniors group.
The drug manufacturers, however, say companies should have a longer time to keep their product exclusive since they spent so much money on bringing the drug to market in the first place.
“On average it’s about $1.2 billion a company spends to get a biologic on the market. And that’s well before the cost of actually building a facility, to manufacture the biologic, which often times run anywhere from a quarter billion to half a billion dollars to get on the market,” said Lori Reilly, vice president of policy for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers Association.
They have no idea….no friggin idea….that they are signing their industry away. Once you get in bed with big government you can expect the takeover to happen immediately.
…even if the deal holds, PhRMA will be at the mercy of a government system that will tend to squeeze out even those private players who have obligingly assisted in creating the predicate for their own destruction.
But hey…..this is the new White House….
and it’s called Socialism.
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“Welcome to my parlor,” said the spider to the fly.
Amazing to me the very smart folks at big pharma don’t see they’re dealing with a treachourous mindset–one that will destroy them as soon as they’re strong enough.
Big Pharma got big by developing and producing products that perform as advertised and serve a need. They’re used to dealing with other businesses that do the same. So of course they’re ill-equipped to handle politicians, who get big by other means entirely.
Don’t be so naive. Pharma is on board because more Americans on coverage equals more prescriptions equals more profit.
Loyalist, Pharma is on board to try to save their own skins, but Obama never keeps his word. Big Pharma’s “deal” won’t be worth beans if Obamacare goes through.
Yep. Doing business Chicago style may be a “teachable moment” for Pharma.
Keep one hand on your wallet and one hand close to your carry piece. The Obama Chicago Mob rarely keeps promises unless it gives them leverage and control.
Ok. So there IS an agreement. Then why did the white house – and the pharmacutical companies – originally deny that there was one?
Right up until the time that a written copy of the agreement was published.
If everything is so good, and on the up and up, why do the people pushing it lie so much about it and try to keep people from finding out what’s going on? Why are there secret deals being made?