NYT: Obama, Dems are laying the groundwork for an August offensive against the insurance industry

[Pirate Smile]

Two Sides Take Health Debate Outside Capital


President Obama speaking on health care reform in Bristol, Va., on Wednesday. Mr. Obama will be traveling to Elkhart, Ind., partly to sell health care to the public.

WASHINGTON — With Republicans mobilizing against the proposed health care overhaul, President Obama, Congressional Democrats and leading advocacy groups are laying the groundwork for an August offensive against the insurance industry as part of a coordinated campaign to sell the public on the need for reform.

The effort will feature town-hall-style meetings by lawmakers and the president, including a swing through Western states by Mr. Obama, grass-roots lobbying efforts and a blitz of expensive television advertising. It is intended to drive home the message that revamping the health care system will protect consumers by ending unpopular insurance industry practices, like refusing patients with pre-existing conditions.
“I think what we want to communicate is that this is going to give people who have insurance a degree of security and stability, the protection that they don’t have today against the sort of mercurial judgments of insurance bureaucrats,” said David Axelrod, a senior adviser to Mr. Obama, adding, “Our job is to help folks understand how this will help them.”

-snip-
That has led to a campaign of increasingly harsh rhetoric against the insurance industry, which says it favors an overhaul but is working to defeat Mr. Obama’s call for a government-run insurance plan to compete against the private sector. On Friday, Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Democrat of California, promised a “drumbeat across America” to counter what she termed a “shock and awe, carpet-bombing by the health insurance industry to perpetuate the status quo.”
The tough talk, however, has risks. The industry trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans, is urging members to confront Democrats at public meetings, and the rising tensions could make it difficult for the president to keep insurers at the negotiating table.

-snip-
“We understand the future of health reform could hinge on how the conversation with the American people goes in the next six weeks,” said Representative Chris Van Hollen, Democrat of Maryland and assistant to the speaker, who is coordinating the House effort.
Republicans understand that and will also be campaigning hard.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/03/health/policy/03healthcare.html?hp

edit to add the Wash Post article

Democrats Find Rallying Points on Health Reform, but Splinters Remain


(By Bill O'leary -- The Washington Post)

By Shailagh Murray and Paul Kane
Washington Post Staff Writers
Monday, August 3, 2009

Democrats leave town for the August recess with frayed nerves and fragile agreements on health-care reform, and a new bogeyman to fire up their constituents: the insurance industry.
With the House already gone and the Senate set to clear out by Friday, the terms of the recess battle are becoming clear. Republicans will assail the government coverage plan that Democrats and President Obama are advocating as a recklessly expensive federal takeover of health care. And Democrats will counter that GOP opposition represents a de facto endorsement of insurance industry abuses.

"We know what we're up against," House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) told reporters on Friday. "Carpet-bombing, slash and burn, shock and awe -- anything you want to say to describe what the insurance companies will do to hold on to their special advantage."

Although Pelosi won a significant victory last week when the Energy and Commerce Committee approved the House bill, setting up a floor debate after Labor Day, conservative Democrats were able to demand that negotiators weaken the government-plan provision. The uprising, which lasted for several days, suggested that the public option is growing increasingly vulnerable even as a consensus forms around other reform policies.

Republican leaders have pledged to use town halls, ads and other forums to intensify their assault on the Democratic-led reform effort. "I think it's safe to say that, over the August recess, as more Americans learn more about plan, they're likely to have a very, very hot summer," House Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) said.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/08/02/AR2009080202012.html?hpid%3Dtopnews&sub=AR

(great pic of Nancy by the way :))

[Jennicut]

1. Lets see the jerks try and "confront" Dems in favor of the public option.

Face to face is a lot more serious...probably don't have the guts to take anyone on except by using deceptive tactics like the crappy commercials I see or through Faux news. Saw Hannity today and his scare tactics about universal health care in Canada. What a crock of bull it was. I only watch to see what the other side is planning. Happy to see Obama and co are planning to step it up a notch.

[firedupdem]

2. I don't care what the media tries and the naysayers spout off.....

This President is NOT going to fail. He's been stomping non stop on this issue, and he's making the congress WORK and the insurance industry will not win this one. Keep going President Obama!

[Parker CA]

4. I agree 100%, firedup. He will not fail on this. He will use the August recess to destroy the lies

and misrepresentations the freeps and GOPiggies have been spewing.

[Better Believe It]

20. So you don't think the insurance industry will get a law requiring people to buy their insurance?

[drm604]

3. keeping insurers at the negotiating table

the rising tensions could make it difficult for the president to keep insurers at the negotiating table

Maybe I'm missing something here but why do we even need them at the negotiating table? Why would we even want them at the negotiating table? Why do we even have a negotiating table?

[jmondine]

5. Agreed. The insurance industry has no interest in negotiation.

They want reform stopped dead in its tracks.

[drm604]

13. Even if they were interested in negotiation,

why should we be? Why should they have any say in this? If they want to give their advice and opinions that's fine, we can accept or reject their ideas as we see fit, but the idea that we need make some sort of compromise - meet them halfway - just doesn't make sense to me.

We should figure out what plan is in the best interests of the American people and then implement it.

[dreamnightwind]

17. they want the mandated buy-in part of the reform

The insurance industry is salivating over the prospect of Americans being required to buy private insurance, especially if they can cripple the public option. They stand to make many billions more in profit if we're ALL IN.

My worst nightmare, everyone required to buy it but no meaningful reform to curb insurance company profits and denial of care.

[crazylikafox]

8. Insurers have never been at the negotiating table.

I hope Obama is finally realizing that.

[MarjorieG]

11. At the table while we get bills through. Something about keeping enemies closer and less noise. Now

we're going to get legislation. I wish we could attend to actually fixing health care delivery legislatively, while we're fighting about money.

[truedelphi]

19. Have to admit it -

I am missing exactly what you are missing.

Do we need a mandate driven "health insurance reform" bill that forces us to buy a defective product?

There is absolutely no reason why we cannot have Single Payer Universal Health Care. All it takes is for Obama to call a news conference. Then turn to the camera and say, "Corporate America, I know I promised many things to you when I was taking your campaign contributions.

But I also promised hard working Americans that I would help them see that we had real Health Reform. So since breaking my promise to you will only hurt you financially, but breaking my promise to the working class will end up killing people, I am breaking my promise to you, Corporate America."

[wildflower]

6. I think they should be calling this reform "health security"

""I think what we want to communicate is that this is going to give people who have insurance a degree of security and stability, the protection that they don’t have today against the sort of mercurial judgments of insurance bureaucrats,” said David Axelrod"...

I think "health security" is the best term to connote this to the public. Is there a reason they're not using it? Like it might remind people of the UN or something?

[drm604]

7. I like it.

I think "health security" would remind them of "social security", which people like.

[wildflower]

12. That's one of the two reasons I like it too

The other reason is that it invokes an emotion, a feeling of relief, much like "tax relief" does (which is why they called it that).

Plus it's simple and understandable. Well I guess that's a third reason. :)

[drm604]

14. Maybe "health care relief"

or "health care relief and security".

Probably too long. I think you have it right.

[MarjorieG]

9. AHIP TV ads are mellower, saying trust them, go for bi-partisanship. That's where their lobbyists

are spedning insurance co dollars to defeat gov't plan. I wish people who thought Obama is on the side of insurance, against the people, understood the balancing act to get reform.

After a few months of civility, but underhanded lobbying, it's going to get ugly.

[inna]

10. "offensive against the insurance industry" - that's just MUSIC to my ears.

rec'd!

[Cha]

15. President Obama always wins against the

do nothing but disrupt, assholes.

They have nothing so they bring out their bullies who are just cowards when confronted by strength.

[BlooInBloo]

21. :) Even the best lose sometimes.

I hope this isn't one of those times. I don't think it will be.

[TeamJordan23]

16. About f'n time! nm

[saltpoint]

18. I'm for it. And may it be fierce and mighty.