C-SPAN: Health care talks should be televised

[The Northerner]

Source: Associated Press

WASHINGTON – The C-SPAN television network is calling on congressional leaders to open health care talks to cameras — something President Barack Obama promised as a candidate.

Instead the most critical negotiations on Obama's health plan have taken place behind closed doors, as Republicans repeatedly point out. In a Dec. 30 letter to House and Senate leaders released on Tuesday, C-SPAN chief executive Brian Lamb asked for negotiations on a compromise bill to be opened up for public viewing, as Democrats work to reconcile differences between legislation passed by the two chambers.

Obama pledged during a presidential debate in January 2008 that he would be "bringing all parties together, and broadcasting those negotiations on C-SPAN so that the American people can see what the choices are."

Read more: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100105/ap_on_en_tv/us_health_care_overhaul_tv

[napi21]

1. I disagree. All that would do is fuel the Pubs rhetoric to

complain and aggrivate the Dems who have already decided they aren'/t goig to like what the final bill is! The Pubs demonstrated for a whole year that all they wanted to do was kill the bill, and FINALLY, the Dems said "We've had enough. We're picking up all the chips and will do it alone."

Nobody likes what they see when all the games are played in Congress. I know now what was meant by Passing laws is like watching sausage being made.

Do it behind closed doors & come out when it's done!

[salib]

2. B.S.

We The People need to be informed and be able to watch. A closed-door session should not even be possible if a Representative Democracy, and will only "fuel the Pubs rhetoric to complain and aggrivate the Dems".

I want a public process, damnit!!

[salib]

3. BTW, stop being an apologist.

see http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7395760.

Nothing like Sunshine in politics!

[napi21]

6. Who am I apologizing for? I want to shut the damn nothing but

NO Pubs out of the process! If they don't know what's going on, all they can dois bitch about being shut out!

[salib]

9. Wow, you really do not understand.

And would sell everything for a simple "No Repugs allowed" sign.

We need openness. That is a principle. We stick to principle, right?

It might feel good to "shut the damn nothing bu NO Pubs out of the process". For a second. Then, WE realize that WE have no idea what actually went on.

And yes, you are being an apologist for the geniuses who conceived of this "process" behind closed doors and the "leadership" who are making it happen.

Do not be a sheep! It can be dangerous, but it is also a step toward freedom and a meaningful like.

[defendandprotect]

7. Oh, please . . . . Fear, fear, fear, fear . . ..

Do you do this in your private life as well?

What might the Repugs do !!! My, my . . .

Meanwhile, what we need to have our minds on is what is the Democratic Party doing

to deliver honest health care reform -- and what is our President doing to deliver it?

Giveaways to private "for profit" health care corporations and pharma is merely that . . .

giveways!

[WriteDown]

23. Yeah, none of that pesky sunlight. nt.

[EFerrari]

4. Brian Lamb wouldn't be doing this unless it would make Dems look bad.

He's probably right but he also has an agenda.

[defendandprotect]

11. And does he call for Supremes to be televised because he can make Repugs look bad?

Will somewhat agree that post the Gingrich "revolution" C-span has been

negatively impacted --

And, granted C-span is a product of cable corporations ---

However, the public has a right to see these discussions -- shouldn't be in back rooms.

[EFerrari]

14. FAIR did a study on Lamb's operation and found he regularly

gives more time to the right wing.

[defendandprotect]

18. I agree . . .

I think there was always a question about this happening --

and I missed more than a year of C-span during the Bush years --

Comcast moved it to a higher tier.

But what I was trying to point out was that everything went right wing with

the Gingrich "revolution."

They had control -- and Democrats were trying to hold hearings on stolen elections in

the basement. It effected everything that Lamb did.

Again -- I would certainly be suspicious of how C-span is run --

but when the right wing is in power -- especially the way that it was run by Gringrich

and De Lay, etal .... unquestionably it is going to effect them.

Is Lamb purposefully doing more right wing stuff than he should be doing ---???

I've only been back watching it less than a year now and I couldn't say.

I think it's something that always has to be considered and watched closely.

How many liberals are calling in to say the left is getting shafted by Lamb.

And how many right wingers calling in to say he's unfair to right wing?

During the first years I watched C-span -- for a number of years -- it was the only place

you could see females -- female leaders. And African-Americans --

And -- it was the only place you could see Madelyn Murray O'Hare/?

In fact, I think the exposure that C-span gave her over two or more years may have hastened

her death!

I certainly trust Jeff Cohen's analysis -- and I am often disappointed in what I am seeing

on C-span. Whether Lamb is entirely the villian I don't know. I do know that it took

ages to get an African American host on C-span! They were very resistant to it and I'm

not sure I can really say why. But we continued to get one after another of new males

hosting -- and less and less of the two women who used to be regulars -- Susan Swain . . .

and can't remember the name of the second woman who used to be very involved.

Coming back to the subject-- I think the health care hearings should be televised and so

should the Supremes. There is a tendency when this happens, however, for more of the

discussion to be moved to the back rooms!

We have to get back to the concept of "Sunshine laws."



PS: Since I've been back watching, I've seen very little of Lamb --

Also they seem to have changed the BOOK programs and not for the better, IMO.

Haven't seen enough of it to say whether there are other compensations, but doesn't look

like it!

I'd be anxious to hear tomorrow what the opinion is on how seriously damaged the

Democratic Party is when Bryron Dorgan is leaving?

I think DU is only beginning to wake up to this perhaps fatal/? damage overall since '63.

[elleng]

16. Did you hear his interview with Naomi Klein?

The BEST, and they both obviously enjoyed themselves.

Silly of me, but I see his 'agenda' being to assist the public to be well informed.

[EFerrari]

17. He's a great interviewer but that doesn't mitigate

the fact that he gives more air time to the right wing. Look up the FAIR report.

This last weekend, they did "In Depth" with Michelle Malkin and ran it three times in 72 hours -- at three hours a shot.

Don't believe me. Do the research on your own and come to your own conclusion.

[defendandprotect]

20. The Malkin interview was three hours!!!???

How long ago was the FAIR report --- ?

Did he offer any hope of change with the Obama administration coming in?

[EFerrari]

21. It looks like 2005. Here's a link to the resuts page at FAIR

http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=13

[defendandprotect]

19. I've always felt that way about Lamb . . .

Lamb was dedicated to having the whole of the story shown/told.

And like everything else we can keep hoping --

However, he is financed by the cable corporations --

that had to effect him in some way during the right wing reign which has been

a long, long time now!

They really screwed him up when Gringrich came in -- he was just starting to put

C-span III in place.

I'll keep hoping -- have to say not quite as interesting as it used to be cause they

do have right wing stuff predominating. And very little of women, minorities --

used to be great for that!

Lamb also presented challenges to 9/11 when basically everyone else was making it a taboo!



:)

[FarLeftFist]

5. All the previous HC debates have been on C-Span....

Why not these.

[EFerrari]

10. I dont recall the administration filmng their meetings with Big Pharma

and the insurance industry.

[defendandprotect]

12. We might one day consider FOIA on at least the minutes of those WH/Pharma meetings????

hmmmm...

[BP2]

8. I want to know what the hell the

moderates sneak into the bill so it's not watered down even more.

If we can see the talks, there will be no surprises to slap us in the face after the fact.

[No Elephants]

24. People watering down health care are not moderates, but RW.

[Arrowhead2k1]

13. Just let them work this difficult bill out in private with no distractions if they need to.

It's just politics at this point. We'll get to see what they come up with after it's done. The bill might be even better because of it.

[elleng]

15. Testimony and hearings, YES, but

can't hold negotiations in public, imo. Makes the process even more difficult than it already is.

Assuming we're talking about 'Reconciliation' here.

[zbiker]

22. still, obama made me a promise

that he would have transparency, seems like this is everything but. i guess i am just a suspicious nature, if your afraid to tell me (as my elected official) what your up to, then it cant be all that good for me in the long run can it ???
i guess i just thought things would be different after we got control, guess i guessed wrong.