Gibbs: "I don't know what piece of legislation Dean is reading."

[Clio the Leo]

From today's WH briefing...

Gibbs strongly takes issue with Howard Dean's charge that the Senate health care bill is an insurance company giveaway.

"If this is an insurance company's dream, I think the insurance companies have yet to get the memo," he says. "They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against this legislation ... If this is such a good deal for them, I’m not entirely sure why they're fighting."

"I don't know what piece of legislation he's reading," Gibbs continues. "I think if you talk to members of the Senate, they'd represent a similar viewpoint in the political spectrum that Howard Dean does. They seem to disagree as much with Howard Dean as I think we would."

also

Could any insurance alternatives be added to the existing Senate bill? "I don't want to get into the conference procedure. The president is working hard to get legislation out of the Senate," Gibbs says.

and

Gibbs says it's time to look on the bright side on health care. "I think there's been a lot of focus on the last 24 hours by certain individuals and others about what they don't like in the bill," he tells reporters.

Gibbs says it's "silly" to suggest Obama's taking the left for granted.

"The president isn't generally presented with either-or options that includes everything he wants. That's the legislative process," he argues. "I've never heard the president say: I don't have to worry about that because these people are with me."

http://www.politico.com/politico44/wbarchive/whiteboard12162009.html

[David Zephyr]

1. Gag me.

with a spoon.

[Cha]

24. You're already gagged.

[truedelphi]

2. When Gibbs is willing to pose as an unemployed Fifty Something, who cannot EVER find work

because employers do not want to/ cannot afford the burden of paying this group of people's onerous Insurance Premiums, then Gibbs can tell me how wrong Howard Dean is!

[Sebastian Doyle]

3. Fuck Politico. Fuck the DLC. Fuck the Dean Bashers.

This shit is so transparent. Do any of you have the guts to actually post Rahm's email that ordered all this bashing?

[Clio the Leo]

6. No one is bashing Dean...

... I'm sure you've noticed I've been very respectful in my posts about him.

But like Gibbs, I'm curious as to which bill he's reading.

[Armstead]

8. Where is that email?

[jefferson_dem]

13. Get ahold of yourself, bro.

Nobody's bashing anybody. :)

[JVS]

22. +1

[Freddie Stubbs]

26. How dare Politico publish what President Obama's spokesman has said!

It is so unfair!!!

[Cha]

29. Good..and I'll add..Fuck the Obama bashers.

[GrantDem]

4. I hate to use a worn out saying from last years election, but...

It seems the White House and the Dem caucus is trying to put lipstick on the pig.

[truedelphi]

16. At least the other Pig Lipstick Putter, Sarah, fully believes the lies

Her Centrists ask her to tell.

No one in this Administration believes the swill they are selling us.

Obama looks more haunted ever time I stomach the TV appearance.

[Armstead]

5. Don;t worry...Be happy

Yes we have those liberals by the balls because they have nowhere else to go....But we don't take them for granted. Noooooo, not at all.

[VMI Dem]

7. What did he say about Lieberman?

[DJ13]

11. .........

[Laelth]

9. This is a bad move.

The Democratic Party will have serious trouble in 2010 and 2012 if the Administration keeps attacking Dr. Dean.

:dem:

Laelth

[freddie mertz]

10. They don't like Dean, but Stinky Joe is A-OK.

And Slapsie Maxie Baucus was right there, grinning like a cannibal after a lovely feast, at Obama's press event yesterday.

These are the faces of the Dem Party establishment 2009.

We need Howard more than ever now.

[GrantDem]

23. +1

[NJmaverick]

12. The White House isn't the only one's on Dean's case Rockefeller (a big public option supporter)

is also going after him strong.

[janx]

18. Rockefeller isn't going after Dean as much as he is trying

to make the best of a situation in which he got his ass kicked. His answer to a question about Dean was a part of that.

I feel for the guy, to tell you the truth. He was an early and ardent public option supporter.

[NJmaverick]

35. I don't think you have seen Rockefeller's comments

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x7243757

[janx]

37. I've seen them and stand by what I just said. n/t

[polichick]

14. What a load! nt

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

15. At least one flat lie right up front...

"They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against this legislation..."

Um, no they haven't. They have spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against previous legislation that has been changed in directions favorable to them.

I am sure they would prefer total bill-failure because they want a Republican in the White House down the road, but "this legislation," meaning what the Senate is working on NOW, and what Dean was talking about is the result of lobbying not a bold defiance of lobbying.

[janx]

20. Both a good and obvious point.

They get a slap on the wrist and the promise of tax dollars for years to come.

[AndyA]

25. Thank you for that clarification.

You are correct. Hundreds of millions have been spent to bring us what we have today. Let's not forget what has been given up:

1. Single payer/public option.

2. Cost controls.

3. Competition.

4. No caps on payments (an annual cap is in the current version, to "keep premiums down") :eyes:

Checked the stock market lately? How about those health care stocks!

We are being scammed. So much for change.

[lapfog_1]

17. Fuck you Gibbs.

You lying sack of shit.

----
Gibbs strongly takes issue with Howard Dean's charge that the Senate health care bill is an insurance company giveaway.

"If this is an insurance company's dream, I think the insurance companies have yet to get the memo," he says. "They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against this legislation ... If this is such a good deal for them, I’m not entirely sure why they're fighting."

"I don't know what piece of legislation he's reading," Gibbs continues. "I think if you talk to members of the Senate, they'd represent a similar viewpoint in the political spectrum that Howard Dean does. They seem to disagree as much with Howard Dean as I think we would."

----

They LOBBIED against the Public Option and even the expansion of Medicare. They WON. You fucking piece of shit. You know that's what happened.

[Popular Front]

19. Gibbs has credibility

Dean is a has-been. Gibbs and Obama are populists who will strong-arm the insurance companies to give us health care.

[lapfog_1]

21. You forgot the :sarcasm: tag thingy.

Or you are a troll.

[Fire1]

32. Troll. n/t

[Popular Front]

38. Neither. Just sick of people questioning our President

I joined DU because I have to deal with teabaggers all day. I didn't join to hear this BS about how Obama is conspiring with the banks and the insurance companies to destroy middle America.

[Hell Hath No Fury]

39. That would be the later.

Big time.

[cali]

28. bwahahahaha. yeah, sure. Gibbs, the mouthpiece knows more

about insurance than Dean. And if Dean was such a has been, believe me, the White House and the Senate wouldn't be slamming him left and right today. He scares them because they know he has a lot of loyal support.

[BlueIdaho]

27. "it's time to look on the bright side on health care." now THAT"S funny!

The WH has sent out the marching orders - time to put some lipstick on this pig and sell it because the president needs a "win."

[Sebastian Doyle]

30. Always look on the bright side of life

This bill's a piece of shit,
When you look at it,
"health care reform"'s a joke, it's true.
You'll see it's all a show,
Keep 'em laughing as you go.
Just remember that the last laugh is on you.
And always look on the bright side of life....

(with apologies to Monty Python)

[BlueIdaho]

31. Hilarious! nt.

[Blasphemer]

36. That is the saddest and most disappointing part of all this

It's not just what it says about the hope for health care reform in this country, it's what it says about the administration's entire approach to the Presidency. It's all about political wins and public relations victories. Real policy shift is politically riskier and harder to dress up. Sometimes it's ugly. They don't want Obama getting too dirty. It would undermine his 2012 Rose Garden strategy. I think they have severely miscalculated. His second term will be utterly feckless once the GOP re-takes Congress.

[GOTV]

33. Gibbs sounds like an idiot here...

"If this is an insurance company's dream, I think the insurance companies have yet to get the memo," he says. "They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against this legislation"

He's wrong. They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars fighting all the previous bills and HCR in general. This version is brand new and for all I know, it's exactly the outcome that they hoped those hundreds of millions would produce.

Gibbs isn't even trying.

[Bluenorthwest]

34. Gibbs has like a dozen tells, stammering not included

And when he said "They've spent hundreds of millions of dollars lobbying against this legislation" he was just lying. They spent the money making this legislation out of the good possibilities. They spent millions to get this bill, rather than the one the people want. Gibbs fools few.