Public Option Champion Dean Says 'Incremental' House Bill Worth Passing

[ProSense]

Public Option Champion Dean Says 'Incremental' House Bill Worth Passing

Rachel Slajda

Former DNC chairman Howard Dean, who has long said the only way to health care reform is through a strong public option, told MSNBC today that even incremental reform could be "worth passing."

Speaking about the House health care bill, Dean said, "I think this is an incremental bill, but as long as it's got some elements of real reform in it, I think it's worth passing."

"When this all comes down, a vote for real reform, which is the public option, means you're on the side of the American people and giving them choices," he said. "A vote against the bill and against the public option means you're in favor of the insurance companies."

In the past, Dean has said that health care reform would be meaningless without a public option.

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[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

1. Ok, I'm gonna hate myself for saying this and many of you will too

But now the bill contains the Eshoo drug amendment with the 12 year data exclusivity which Dr. Dean is now paid to promote.

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1931595-1,00.html


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/james-love/howard-dean----now-a-shil_b_241465.html

[quantass]

5. I forgot about that -- Man...is everyone corruptable? Never thought Dean would be too...

Cenk talked about this about a month back and was a bit taken back...never tought Dean would be willing to go along with this too. I thought he was one of the few that couldnt be corrupted. Just proves that everyone can be bought.

I know if i were a politician i would certainly be very corrupt and getting into all kinds of scandals too, probably mostly to fit in with what everyone else was already doing.

[nightrain]

7. good for you Phoebe Loosinhouse..... Dean has some shadow parts...

Many of us have been saying this for months. Sunlight.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

9. I never heard of this at all until I was reading a bunch of stuff about the Eshoo amendment

and then you can't help but come across his name.

I don't mind if the guy has decided to become a lobbyist/advocate for the biotech part of the Pharma industry, that's his right. But, I don't think he can claim anymore to be the champion of the underdog American citizen against the insurance and Pharma industries when now he has a personal dog in the race. His status has changed and he should disclose his personal ties when they are relevant. Like in this. I'm sorry to see it.

[nightrain]

18. good for you. Here's a link from ?July

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x6129724

yep, from July 23.

slipslidingaway has also posted about Dean and the biologics issue.

[DrToast]

8. Let me add something else

I've never been impressed with Dean's understanding of the bills as they've moved forward. Every time I see him interviewed, he doesn't really seem to know what's in the bills and what they're supposed accomplish.

[vaberella]

13. I acually thought he had a relatively good understanding...

However,my problem was the fact he knew so much and supported so much of it. He tends to push himself a champion and many Dean supporters on this site who were for single payer were swayed by his statements. I basically thought he did a 180 of sorts, but accepted it because I support a PO and I do think it's incremental when we're faced with an extremely corrupt government.

[ProSense]

10. Well, this ought to be added:

Congresswoman Eshoo responds to Jane Hamsher

And this current diary My Rebuttal To Rep. Eshoo's Rebuttal To Jane Hamsher, which doesn't rebut Eshoo on the evergreening clause, but basically says that the Waxman amendment is better. Far cry from "a death sentence."

Seems the whole issue has nothing to do with the fact that Eshoo's bill is an improvement, but everything to do the 12-year period. The diary offers this:

Also, Sherrod Brown is looking to bring up his amendment which reduces the number of years of data exclusivity for PhRMA from 12 to 7 years, which is what the compromise position of the WH initially was, and he wants to know if he'll get support on his amendment, so please call his office and ask him to bring his amendment to the Senate floor.

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

11. And here is the point by point response on Firedoglake to Eshoo

which DOES rebut her on the evergreening.

http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2009/11/02/uaem-and-amsa-respond-to-rep-eshoo-point-by-point/

edit - this is a good link for a comprehensive overview of the Eshoo amendment and how it got in in the first place

http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1931595-1,00.html

[ProSense]

14. It really doesn't rebut Eshoo.

Eshoo: It’s important to note that today there is absolutely no restriction on data exclusivity — it’s effectively infinite. Competitors are never permitted to use the data produced by a brand-name biologic manufacturer. The Kennedy-Eshoo legislation brings this exclusivity down from forever to 12 years, in essence laying the groundwork for the creation of the biosimilar industry, new competition for the biotechnology industry, and reduced prices for patients.

Response: It is true that there is currently no pathway to make generic biologics. However, we need a pathway that will work, not one that will introduce so many barriers that the pathway will seldom be used.

That was the whole point of Hamsher's claim that the bill represents a "death sentence." In fact, it's an improvement.

Here's a current diary (by someone affiliated with FDL) My Rebuttal To Rep. Eshoo's Rebuttal To Jane Hamsher, which also doesn't rebut Eshoo on the evergreening clause, but basically says that the Waxman amendment is better. Far cry from "a death sentence."

Seems the whole issue has nothing to do with the fact that Eshoo's bill is an improvement, but everything to do the 12-year period. The diary offers this:

Also, Sherrod Brown is looking to bring up his amendment which reduces the number of years of data exclusivity for PhRMA from 12 to 7 years, which is what the compromise position of the WH initially was, and he wants to know if he'll get support on his amendment, so please call his office and ask him to bring his amendment to the Senate floor.

Yes, seven years is better than 12 years, but again, the "death sentence" claim was obviously over-the-top, especially since FDL admits there is no current pathway.

[joeycola]

12. .Among the biologics industry's most high-profile advocates...Howard Dean, who is consulting........

yes, I had read this somewhere.



http://www.time.com/time/politics/article/0,8599,1931595-2,00.html

......Among the biologics industry's most high-profile advocates has been former Democratic National Committee chairman Howard Dean, who is consulting for a law firm that has a deep roster of biologics clients. In July he wrote an Op-Ed in the Hill newspaper arguing for a "commonsense and fair approach" to give biologics companies at least 12 years of exclusivity. ("I wouldn't do this if I didn't believe it," Dean, a physician, said in an interview.) His former campaign manager Joe Trippi echoed Dean's views on a Huffington Post blog without disclosing that he had been paid by BIO to create two Web campaigns. (He also says his views predated his paycheck.)

[ProSense]

15. Howard Dean is now a biologics shill?

Did he just sign up this week?


:rofl:

[joeycola]

17. silly you, I thought you were smart and would know when he signed up.

[ProSense]

19. Evidently, you're not

as smart as you think

Now when did he sign up?

[joeycola]

20. You knew/know. Your silly game is boring.

[Odin2005]

23. wow, a DOCTOR promoting MEDICINE, who'd've think it?

:eyes:

12 years is perfectly reasonable compared to how insanely long rights for things like books and movies last.

[Armstead]

25. Oh F***K....Now it's Howard too?

I'll give him the bebefit of the doubt, ansd assume that his public opinions are strill honest. But, it makes ya wonder....

Can any of these guys keep their moral compass when they cross the Potomac?

I know Howard's got to make a living, and he deserrves gto make a good one. But it seems like he could do quite well getting paid for maiing speeches, writing books etc.

Why did he has to get into the lobbyist/shill pool too?

[uponit7771]

30. I'm willing to give him the benefit of doubt also,

[Clio the Leo]

2. Speak to it Bro. Howard! NT

[phleshdef]

3. Corporatist!

[HopeOverFear]

6. Sell Out!

:sarcasm:

[Armstead]

26. MAYBE YOU OUGHT TO READ the links about his current activities

It kinda sucks that Dean is using the goodwill he built up to write op-ed columns that reflect his being on the payroll of a movement to lock up patent protections for biotech products.

[quantass]

4. Yup...this is the reality of America -- Corps.,not the People run things -- Incremental is the only

way for true Change. I use to resent this weak attack at Heatlh reform but came to realize recently the reality of America and figured something is better than nothing since in the end America will have a choice of going bankrupt or truly fixing the problem. It is clear that the people want true reform but for now the WH and Washington are in varying ways bought and paid for by Corporations. We are not there yet (at the brink of bankruptcy) where America see's the need to fix the problem (ie. Single Payer) so we must allow Washington and Wall Street to continue their circle jerks but this time with 1 less person thanks to this public option (its weak but it does move forward...slowly).

[jefferson_dem]

16. The "Debbie Downer" contingent is growing smaller and smaller.

Good news.

[Bluenorthwest]

21. Dean as Chairman, went on TV and incorrectly said that

our Party Platform had a plank opposed to GLBT rights. It did not. So, Dean was either lying intentionally to score bigot points at the expense of others, or perhaps he did not even know the details of the platform while being Chairman, and simply projected his own prejudices into the gaps in his knowledge. Either way, since that day I know Dean will say anything he feels will serve him in the moment, and when called on it, he will refuse to correct his lies in public, where he told them. A man like that can not be trusted. Period. Many of the fierce Deaniacs I have met have called gay people 'that community' and 'those people' unwittingly to my face. So it all adds up to seeing Dean in a very poor light.
So hearing him shill for the biological companies is not a surprise at all. His words are without any grounding in the truth. And he does not care who gets hurt if Howard gets helped. He proved it in front of my eyes on national TV.

[Odin2005]

22. I agree with the good doctor.

[geek tragedy]

24. The Angry Mob has turned on Howard Dean now.

I guess St. Kucinich and their own personal purity is all they have left.

Well, that and wetting their diapers on message boards.]

[Armstead]

27. Listen A'hole......Numbnuts like you enable thecorruption that is wrecking the US

There's a vast area between "ideological putity" and supporting policies and politicians who over the years have wrecked the economy, shipped jobs overseas, allowed healthcare to become expensive, abusive and out of reach for many, etc. etc. etc.

Maybe if you'd become a little more skeptical of the people who enable the oligarchs, you might have something constructive to add -- instead of wetting YOU OWN DIAPERS on a discussion board.

[geek tragedy]

28. Your DU rants are really FIGHTING THE POWER, fellow citizen.

Or, maybe they're just gestures of onanism.

[Armstead]

29. Probably both...And you are so predictable

You getting on a discussion board is somehow different than people who have a different view.

Aren't you jacking off a bit too?