Deadly Spin Read Free Page B

Obama a Marxist: “It’s probably the next major step towards socialism. I hate to sound so harsh, but … this literally is a fast march towards socialism, where the government is bigger than the private sector in our country, and health care’s the next major step, so we oughta all be worried about it.”
    He then started accusing the Democrats of wanting to redistribute wealth in the country by taking money away from those who already had health care to pay for those who didn’t have it, many of whom, in his view, were just irresponsible bums waiting for a handout.
    “Listen,” he said. “The forty-five million people that don’t have health insurance—about half of them choose not to have health insurance. Half of ’em don’t have any choice, but half of ’em choose to, what’s called ‘go naked,’ and just take a risk of getting sick. They end up in the emergency room, costing you and me a whole lot more money. How many illegal immigrants are in this country today, getting our health care? Gobs of ’em!”
    As I listened to Wamp’s rant, I knew exactly where he’d gotten his talking points: from me.
    He was using the same misleading, intentionally provocative, and xenophobic talking points that I had helped write while serving on the Strategic Communications Advisory Committee of the insurers’ biggest trade group, America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). We PR types had created those talking points, with help from language and polling experts, and given them to the industry’s lobbyists with instructions to get them into the hands of every “friendly” member of Congress. Most of the friendly ones were Republicans, and most were friendly because they had received a lot of money over the years in campaign contributions from insurance company executives and their political action committees.
    (In spirited remarks on the House floor shortly before the vote on final reform legislation in 2010, Representative Anthony Weiner [D-N.Y.] called the Republican Party a “wholly owned subsidiary of the insurance industry.” As someone who had managed CIGNA’s PAC contributions for several years, I knew Weiner’s remark had the ring of truth. CIGNA and other big insurers have contributed considerably more to Republicans than to Democrats.)
    I was dismayed to hear Wamp’s demagogic remarks—and not just because I’d had a hand in writing his script, but also because I know his district well. If anybody in America could benefit from the Democrats’ vision of reform, it would be those who live in the counties he represents. Many are rural and remote, with high percentages of people who are either uninsured or underinsured. The per capita and household incomes in most of his counties are far below the national average. Yet the Third District’s representative—contrary to the best interests of his constituents—was saying exactly what the insurance industry wanted him to say.
    Later that evening, I saw a couple of TV reports about the summit. One of the clips featured Karen Ignagni, AHIP’s president, standing up at the summit and telling the president he could count on her and the health insurance industry.
    “Thank you, Mr. President,” she said. “Thank you for inviting us to participate in this forum. I think, on behalf of our entire membership, they would want to be able to say to you this afternoon and everyone here that we understand we have to earn a seat at this table. We’ve already offered a comprehensive series of proposals. We want to work with you. We want to work with the members of Congress on a bipartisan basis here. You have our commitment. We hear the American people about what’s not working. We’ve taken that seriously.”
    Turning in one of her best performances to date, she added, “You have our commitment to play, to contribute, and to help pass health care reform this year.”
    The president—having just been played like a Stradivarius by one of the best lobbyists ever