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Loyal Democrats Endorse Obamacare

Is it News When Obama Donors Endorse Obama Policies?

By: Brian Faughnan (Diary)  |  October 6th, 2009 at 02:45 PM  | 

RESIZE: AAA

The White House made a big deal of the support it has garnered from physicians around the country. Yesterday they even held a doctors’ rally – complete with white smocks – to show support. Yet the physicians in attendance weren’t the disinterested crowd President Obama suggested – many were longtime Democrat donors.
Based on the list of attendees provided to Time, it seems that the crowd was full of ringers. Here is a look at the history of political donations by some in attendance. It is not complete, but this is what I was able to find by searching the database at Congressional Quarterly:

According to the White House, the rally was attended by about 150 doctors. I have only checked the backgrounds of the 50 identified to Time. Given the highly political nature of the debate, I’m willing to bet that the White House did its best to highlight the support of those who don’t have a long history of supporting Democrats. Thus, we might expect that the other 100 doctors are more consistent Democrat donors.
It’s too bad the White House didn’t state up front that some unspecified swath of those in attendance were confirmed partisans – not the impartial experts the White House claimed.
They should change their name to Liberal Doctors for America.
Cross-posted to theconservatives.com
Note: My Washington Times colleague Amanda Carpenter has more on this.
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  • E Pluribus Unum

    OK, it’s only funny on the level of clumsy Democrat astroturfing.

    What the administration and its stooges are trying to do — not so funny.

  • bobojake

    “Peter Principle”. All astroturf. Soon the democrats will start eatin each other like a mama pig does to its litter.

  • RedBeard

    …and had to be provided with loaner white lab coats by the White House staff. Too funny. Sad funny.

    • RedBeard

      Missed the Malkin link in the first post.

    • Right_Again

      I assumed that the coats were swag.

      • blooch

        and lined with red fleece inside. The docs had some scruples, though; they balked at wearing the head-mirrors and stethoscopes.

        • Right_Again

          With the swine flu potential maybe they do too.

          Honestly, how often do you see your doctor wearing a lab coat like these? I haven’t in years and it made it seem so manufactured to me. Which is the premise of this blog, isn’t it.

          • SteveLA

            I think there was a convention of Proctologists in town…so as a favor to one of their favorite examples of their specialty they showed up at the WH…

            They got free samples of Government Obama brand lube as a parting gift.

          • blooch
    • itdiehard

      Scrubs would have made a better AstroTurf photo op…

  • phillyred

    “Obama and the Amazing Unicolored Lab Coats”

    Hello, is this thing on??? Don’t forget to tip your waiters and waitresses.

  • henrygrady

    So 15 of the 50 doctors you found had donated to the Democratic Party or Obama…

    And according to your detailed and fully reasoned hypothesis, the other 100 must have been big-time Democrat donors….

    And…even granting the argument that Obama claims they are disinterested in the link you provided…which I don’t think he does…but again even stipulating that…

    Why should this take away from the fact that they are doctors giving their take on health care?

    Are you suggesting that somehow the only doctors that should give an opinion on health care are those that either do not donate to candidates they support or who donate to candidates you support?

    It is posts like this that ruin political discourse in this country. Obama’s doctors are obviously going to lean left…the doctors the GOP roll out are going to lean right…what matters isn’t their political affiliation…what matters is being able to make a case for one side or position over the other.

    This is a non-story for anyone with half a brain.

    • Richard Mullins

      always has people that agree with them over and never anyone that dissents.

    • http://khenzarovich.blogspot.com D.T. Dickinson

      150 hand-picked doctors are not representative of all U.S. doctors, despite these attempts to portray them as such to the public.

      • blooch

        Can’t you just get with the consensus?

    • Tbone

      Well, that explains why it’s a non-story to you.

      • blooch

        That’s gonna hurt. I hope he doesn’t have to go to Grady Hospital for treatment. They’re not too good at treating partial Recto-Cerebellum insertions.

      • 6eorge Jetson

        That would be five factorial or 120.

      • henrygrady

        That was a well reasoned and thought out response to the issues raised. Thanks for your comment.

        • janis

          Yeah, yeah, it’s stuff like what I posted that is ruining political discourse in this country, yada, yada, yada. Tell the truth, is this you, David Brooks?

        • Tbone

          The issues raised were baloney not worthy of a response. When I encounter a pile of dog poop on the sidewalk, I don’t have to consider it, just step over it.

          I have used statements containing visual imagery because the half you have left is obviously the right side.

    • Martin Knight

      … the Obama Administration is trying to sell to the American people. i.e. that doctors as a whole are overwhelmingly in favor of his plan to nationalize the health care industry.

      Capiche?

    • DONTTREADONME

      I am calling foul on you, to comment here says you were irritated by something implied, which leads me to believe you don’t need to be here. 1 day 1 comment not quite cause for oblivion, but I would consider your next comment very carefully before posting it.

      • henrygrady

        I think the point I was making was that the entire conclusion of the post was a non-story.

        So the white house is partisan…so are you…so are all of us. This is no secret. We all have our leanings and associations. It is a non-story.

        The point is what are we going to do about it?

        Are we going to cry and moan and call the President a partisan?

        The nerve of him calling supporters to the White House that actually agree with him and attempt to help his argument.

        No…my point is that crying ‘partisan’ has no relevance.

        Instead, try actually reading the press release and attacking some of the points made by the POTUS.

        #1″Number one, if you have insurance, the reforms we’ve proposed will offer you more security.” Ok…that may be true in the short term because of the restrictions the law would put on the insurance industry. But what about the big picture? How can we be more secure when our spending is out of control and damaging our national security. I would like to be able to receive health care while also not have to worry about paying homage to Chairman Mao or being able to buy grocieries with a glorified Lira (aka the Dollar circa 2030 on the current path), thank you very much.

        #2-You could even take a general approach and say “given the reforms you are speaking of…what in this package is designed to actually reign in the costs of health care in this country. Don’t most economists and heath studies show that the bigger issue is creating a scenario where we are not spending 25% of our GDP on health care…as is currently projected for 2050? How does this reform address that issue?

        My point is that just like this blog doesn’t give a spot for PETA to post articles, the POTUS doesn’t really need to justify bringing democrats to the White House in lab coats. Spending time on that rather than on the actual debate over health care reform is why conservatives have lost their voice on the actual issues in this country.

        • Streiff

          silly though it is. Now move on, to coin a phrase, to something else.

        • janis

          For future consideration when posting at blogs such as RedState, leave off the garbage about how conservatives have lost their voice. It was conservatives such as Glenn Beck who made sure that Van Jones lost his nice little office in the White House, helped make sure that hundreds of thousands turned up in D.C. on the 12th of Sept., helped bring about the downfall and defunding of ACORN.

          So what’s on your activist resume, if we may be so bold as to ask? While respectfully tugging our unkempt forelocks while we shuffle our bare feet awaiting your response.

          • blooch

            he has risen from the dead. That would be the ultimate in activism, I reckon…might have to drive down and check his crypt in Westview Cemetary.

        • DONTTREADONME

          where the heck have you been for the last 9 months? First, lets not forget that how much of GDP health sector includes “Government Spending”. Second, head up to that little search item at the top of Redstate and type in healthcare or look it up in the tags, then you will know that this post is off the beaten path, but heh, how many times have we argued our point? Now get your over-overconfidence away from me. BTW, I do not believe 25% of the GDP or maybe better yet we do not produce anything anymore maybe that has something to do with the increased share of healthcare to GDP. Baaah

    • http://www.nighttwister.com NightTwister

      I mean, your man-god hasn’t gotten a single thing done in almost a year, even with a huge majority in the House and a filibuster-proof Senate. He’s tried every way imaginable to sell his health care bill, yet every time he talks there are more people against it than for it before he spoke. He’s completely driven away the most reliable voting bloc (old people), and most likely won’t get nearly as much help from the youth & minorities in 2010 like he did in 2008, which means he likely won’t even have a majority to work with after that. Your guy really is just a big Zero.

    • rickjkrenz

      What I took away was the fact that POTUS made it seem as though this was a NON-partisan group. What we asre finding is that is purely partisan. Is that clearer for you?

    • rickjkrenz

      What I took away was the fact that POTUS made it seem as though this was a NON-partisan group. What we asre finding is that is purely partisan. Is that clearer for you?

    • constitutionalistconservative

      I do not care whether a doctor is left leaning or right leaning, as patients, we are their clients. It is our best interest that should be taken to heart by doctors, not the government’s interest. Doctors have a fiduciary relationship with their patients (clients) to disclose any possible facts that may/will affect a patient’s health. I hope that these doctors, having a fiduciary relationship with their patients, disclose to their patients all the information they have garnered about this bill. If they do, they will surely lose patients and their businesses will suffer.

      The fact that these doctors are willing to support a plan that is horrific for their patients shows their lack of Character and fiduciary relationship. Similar to the fact that President Obama, whom represents the American people, has chosen to promoted his anti-American agenda (anti-American speeches, spending countless trillions in a effort to devalue the dollar, not supporting our troops needs, attempting to pass a horrific health care bill, attempting to reprimand the CIA and those that try to protect us, etc.) that has harmed the well being of the American populace. Thus, he lacks Character.

    • The_Gadfly
    • chargis

      If you belive your last statement then why are you writting this at all.

  • reggie1

    Good work on cross-checking the list. I notice that no Kansas doctor was present. Couldn’t HHS Secretary Sebelius find one from the state where she was just Governor?

  • http://online.logcabin.org/about/ suzieQ

    especially for doctors.

    1. Dr. Gary Goldbaum: $300 in donations to Democrats since 2004. — Really? In five years he could only scrounge up $300 total? I thought MoveOn had the heavyweights.

    2. Dr. Stanton McKenna: $1,000 in donations to Democrats since 2001. — So over the last eight years combined, this doctor came up with a total of $1000.

    No wonder the democrats fundraising numbers are hurting!

    • reggie1

      1. …..In five years he could only scrounge up $300 total? I thought MoveOn had the heavyweights.

      2. …..So over the last eight years combined, this doctor came up with a total of $1000.
      ————————–

      The only doctors willing to support this pig are the ones without much of an income to be hit.

      • itdiehard

        All scrooges with their own money, but love to spend someone else hard earned cash…

  • cpe1704tks1

    Arnold, Tommy Thompson, Bill Frist, and almost a Republican Michael Bloomberg. More Republicans are jumping on the bandwagon all the time.

  • hickorystick

    last night endorsing Obamacare. Wouldn’t I like to know if he or his clinic received grants or no-interest loans from the American Re-Distribution Act. Wish they indexed recipients.

  • BlueLandRed

    and I came across this article.

    http://healthcarereform.nejm.org/?p=1790

    From the New England Journal of Medicine.

    The poll they took in Sept of doctors shows that

    9.6% Support a public option only
    62.9% Support both a public and private option
    27.3% Support only private options.

    To me that looks like 72.5% of doctors support some sort of public option.

    I have to say that I’m not surprised, I have a number of doctors in the family and they are really feed up with the current system.

    I hope they know what they are asking for, because if the Dems do push through some sort of Obamacare, I hope they like it, because it going to be very hard to undo.

    • Jack_Savage

      I hope you have enough room in your basement to house the doctors in your family, because in two years $35,000 with benefits is going to be what they are making.

      Your cover is being blown bit-by-bit, troll.

      • BlueLandRed

        I forgot, any deviance from the party line on Redstate means you’re a troll. Sorry, forget my facts and just pretend that all the Doctors in this country don’t want a public options, that will make it so much easier to somehow win. Sheesh, while we are at it, let’s just make up all of our own facts so we think the world is hunky dory. Better give me your address and I’ll send you another pair of Rose Colored glasses – just in case the pair you are wearing breaks.

        And that poll isn’t from Daily Kos, I found it on from Google. That you don’t like its results isn’t my fault.

        • Jack_Savage

          Continual deviance from the party line on Redstate means you’re a Democrat. It is quite simple, really.

          Care to answer the charge, friend?

          • BlueLandRed

            so then there is only one TRUWE way. Only one right answer. No need for debate or discussion or facts that disagree with the GOP ideology. The party elders have spoken and so this is what you have to believe or you have to leave the club house.

            Do you even think before you write?

            Anyway, Good Boy, you’ve shot the messenger, so obviously you can now ignore the message.

          • Richard Mullins

            you’ve been doing it for a long time. Why do stick around a conservative blog and bring up the garbage? I’d like to see a reply from you on that.

          • Jack_Savage

            Are you a Republican, or not? Are you a conservative, or not? Are you hear to debate, or to throw in Democrat talking points as often as you can?

            I have looked at your posts for a while now, and I before we continue we need to get this straight.

            I am waiting.

          • BlueLandRed

            different, because I don’t see a poll from the New England Journal of Medicine as Democrat talking point, but simply a poll from the New England Journal of Medicine.

            I’ve been a fiscal conservative for a long long time. I left the GOP when it decided to stop being fiscally conservative. If you’d like to have a debate on fiscal conservatism, I’m happy to oblige.

            And I’m not for Obamacare or a public option. That said, I do find the US Healthcare system needs some reform. And, so not so surprisingly do most doctors. In fact, many Republicans admit that there is some stuff that needs to be fixed… like rescission and, well the cost.

            (and since I’m at it, after being against Medicare for decades, how did defending Medicare become a GOP talking point?)

            But facts are facts and it’s obviously you don’t like the facts in the poll, therefore your conclusion is that I’m a liberal. I liked the GOP better back before the whole Groupthink policy became mandatory.

            Whatever, I’m done with this place. If you want to have a debate, email me on gmail.

          • Richard Mullins

            I hope have some fun where ever you go. Just remember, were not a fiscal conservative site, just a conservative site(means more than a simple fiscal conservative).

          • Jack_Savage

            You left the GOP because you believe it is no longer fiscally conservative, and went….where?

            Go if you like, but it seems that you are the one afraid of debate and your departure seems to prove that point.

          • JadedByPolitics
          • Richard Mullins
        • DONTTREADONME

          you’re using a link that obviously is suspect. Now read the link you provided and tell me why I should believe a poll conducted by the AMA? BTW, I do not believe any poll that says 58-65% support the public option, kind of contradicts everything I have been seeing. Now be gone you dope.

    • blooch

      So 62% support a pie-in-the sky, unicorns and pixie dust, lambs and lions coexistence of public and private options. Go figure. I hope they know what they are asking for, too, but no one asked them to think it through or gave them empirical data showing what actually happens when such an animal is created. Poll respondents like to sound intelligent and reasonable, and they often tell the pollsters what they think the pollsters want to hear.

      It is interesting that the 7th paragraph begins thusly:

      “Overall, a majority of physicians (62.9%) supported public and private options (see Panel A of graph). Only 27.3% supported offering private options only.”

      What happened to the only 9.6% who support a public option only?

      My Rose Colored glasses must be telling me to discount the oh-so-moderate middle and focus on the nearly 3 to 1 private versus public numbers.

    • qurys

      So I found a little survey myself yesterday…..and now I went and read this one.
      I am coming to the conclusion that all these erstwhile polls about a “public and private option” and their heavy support are somewhat meaningless, in my humble opinion. First, because the one you cited as well as the supposed AARP study that shows some 80% of seniors support public option – - -both of these talk about a public/private option. I am thinking that that is what we have now. Medicare/Medicaid/Private Insurance. It would be ludicrous to think that doctors would want to abolish either Medicare or Private Insurance. Neither study, to me, indicates that they do. I think there is a distinct difference between “A Public Option” and “The Public Option” as it has currently been proffered in HR3200. Seniors aren’t opposed to a public option because they have one. However the Obamacare public option is a lot more than Medicare. Also, I am in favor of world peace, but that doesn’t mean that strong national defense can be ignored. In the real world…..what people are in favor of……and what the government wants to do……and what we are able to afford…..these could all be totally different policies. I don’t hang my hat on polls.

  • Tbone

    he could have had all them just have a malpractice summons sticking out of their pocket.

    • mom2oneson

      Transcriptionists often feel their work is unnoticed & unappreciated by physicians and the joke is not to worry – the lawyers are seeing it. ;)

  • redpens

    BHO will try to manipulate any issue to make us all look like idiots. Hey
    Barry, let me spell it out for you. WE THE PEOPLE DON’T WANT GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH-CARE!!! You can call in 150 or more doctors who are Democratic donors. THE ANSWER IS STILL NO!!!

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    Murdoch is a noted fan of Obama so expect Fox News to fall in line with rest of Obama media. Politico report today re meeting. Savage played audio about an hour ago of Shep Smith fervently defending the public option. Score one for Hugo Chavez.

    • Robert A. Hahn

      No, I don’t think I will expect Fox News to fall in line with the rest of Obama media. Shep Smith is one of at least two resident liberal news readers, but that’s why they call it “fair and balanced.” I seriously doubt that Murdoch is going to can Glenn Beck and replace him with Keith Olbermann.

    • qurys

      Murdoch may be a noted fan of Obama…..but long before Obama was on center stage Murdock was a noted capitalist. And a successful one at that. I think he knows which side his bread is buttered on. I would take a meeting with Axelrod too! Obama should only be so lucky as to have Fox News ratings!

  • ciscoguy

    Why didn’t they go the whole 9 and have them wear surgery masks and eyewear? Drape stethoiscopes around their necks, maybe tuck a medical journal under their arms – why not.

  • http://xmmlbchat.blogspot.com katesmith

    The issue is that this was the second meeting either Obama or his head stooge has had with Fox. First sometime last summer, Obama met with Murdoch and Ailes in NYC to plead his case. Now, 2 weeks ago Ailes meets with Axelrod. Murdoch does own the place and does love Obama, did instruct Ailes to send a memo to select staff last November telling them to treat Obama with kid gloves. I don’t watch news on tv, but am informed about how various outlets are perceived. Obama has 99% of the media promoting and protecting him, with Fox perceived as not doing so. It is an outrage that this man and his masters aim to have 100% control of the media, per Chavez in Venezuela whom Obama’s guy Mark Lloyd praises for having a democratic media.

    • illinoisconservative

      Obama does not get treated with kid gloves on Fox. They are the only voice of reason, especially in the healthcare debate.

      Fox was the only news channel with enough guts to air the ACORN undercover videos.. until the rest of the MSM was embarrassed into airing them as well.

      “I don?t watch news on tv, but am informed about how various outlets are perceived.”

      Well.. maybe you should try a few hours in front of the boob tube.. there’s never a replacement for first hand knowledge..

      • The_Gadfly

        Shep Smith especially. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out it was true that such a memo had circulated, but was strongly resisted by those whose reputations were on the line. Also note that Beck, Hannity, and O’Riley are not news, they are opinion. To have them do a 180 would set off alarms all over the place. Beck himself has been going on about how he’d like to give up the whole ACORN thing and let real news organizations that have investigative reporting staff work on it. And if only they would, he’d move on to other things. But as they haven’t he feels compelled to continue the investigations.

        Don’t get me wrong, Fox is still the best option for video news. But I am concerned that they are resting on their reputation while sliding left. The same thing happened at CNN which made the opening for Fox.

  • http://brockwayfamily.spaces.live.com/ Erick Brockway

    …the headgear

  • OccamsRazor

    What’s important definitely to understand here is that the White House, for good reason, realizes the backing of _Doctors_ (who everybody puts faith into when their guts are hanging out) versus the backing of Health insurance (everybody hates those guys) is the leverage to be used in this sliver of debate.

    The reality is that most doctors know Obamacare is bad, there needs to be a unified voice from the GOP for the majority of doctors, in particular those who oppose Obamacare. There also needs not only a clear plan to retool insurance practices (tort reform), but also to point out how Health insurance has been a huge donor/ally to this administration.

    • OccamsRazor

      They recognized the power of it and our now running with it. Let us not allow them to frame this issue-it’s extremely personal in it’s innate nature.

      Doctors are Republican. Health Insurance is Democrat. Period.

      • OccamsRazor

        :|

  • Rod_Patrick

    BIG LIE = FACTUAL TRUTH THAT IS SO DISTURBING TO THE LIBS’ LIES AND PREJUDICES.

  • geraldstephens

    POTUS (P arking – O- T icket – U – S cofflaw) is obviously desperate!

    Every profession has its misfits available to sell their mother for personal advantage. It has always been evident within medicine that one can buy any medical opinion to the highest bidder.

    In this case, it is for a photograph with the ‘anointed one’ or perhaps sucking up for a czar job wherein they can pronounce that ‘the proposed treatment is not medically necessary’.

    Gerald Stephens
    Hartford CT

  • diakrioi

    Knowing that, I suspect that many of the doctors who support Obamacare are psychiatrists or are connected to the substance abuse treatment industry because they will benefit greatly by the expanded coverage in Obamacare. Many others are probably doctors who work in government funded clinics.

  • Joe_Cor

    isn’t whether the rally was disingenuous or deceptive (this is Obama after all, what else would it be?). It’s whether it’s effective PR that concerns me. And it may very well have been good PR.

    I have a fear that Barak may have turned the PR tide on this issue. The bills chug through the Senate and House, slowly but relentlessly. A new AP poll shows supporters now tie opponents of Obamacare. His popularity is rising.

    Part of the problem may be that opposition has passed from ordinary citizens in townhalls back to Republicans in Congress, who just don’t know how to, or are afraid to, oppose Democrats forcefully. The initiative needs to be taken back by opponents, and I’m not sure exactly how that is done at this point.

  • mecat212

    Has anyone had the chance to find out if any of the doctors present at this fru fru event were practicing physicians? A friend indicated that most of the members of the AMA are teaching, retired or consulting. You do not have to be a member of the AMA to practice medicine.
    And most of the doctors with which I have had contact indicate that they are vehemently against this health care proposal.

  • independenttom

    Too bad Obama doesn’t mention that the AMA only represents 17% of doctors. I read a very good op-ed the same day as the White House “dog & pony” show signed by THREE ex-presidents of the AMA that were opposed to this bill and presented the changes that should be made in health care.

  • Ausonius

    We knew this would be happening: the MSM needs NObama to succeed, and so here comes Gallup galloping to the rescue.

    Is it rigged? Is it really possible that e.g. 16% of the elderly changed their minds in the last weeks because of the agitprop blizt from NObama? That opposition and supporters are evenly split at 40-40?

  • dclamage

    And don’t forget to point out that doctors who showed up without their white smocks had one handed out to them by staffers!

    In IT we call this a “dog and pony show”.

  • johnstoirvin

    when he coined the new word, “blackwhite” in his book, “1984″. Orwell defines Blackwhite: ” the ability to accept whatever ‘truth’ the party puts out, no matter how absurd it may be. Orwell described it as: “loyal willingness to say black is white when party demands this.” The people of today, especially our leaders, are so engrossed in being loyal to their own Party, that nothing else, including consideration of the well being of the entire country and the 300+ million people in it, is important or even necessary. Further, a basic ignorance on the part of most people about the country’s problems, along with a lack of understanding of the real consequences of some of the proposed remedys, allows “blackwhite” to exist and thrive.

  • dclamage

    I especially like how helpful Republicans have been, to support Obama’s agenda by submitting amendments enforcing Obama’s policies — and have them slapped down by Democrats dismissively, in direct conflict with their Dear Leader’s own spoken goals!

  • Sunnie57

    But then, most of the Dems are phonies like when they say Republicans have no ideas of their own about health care reform. Many of the Republican politicians have proposed GREAT ideas, but the Dems don’t like anything that won’t include taxpayer abortions down the line.

    I emailed my Dem rep with some health reform suggestions, copied and pasted it, and sent it to a newspaper in the town where he lives, and said that this was my “note” to my congressman, and they published it. Now he can’t say that conservatives don’t have any ideas of their own because HIS home town knows that we do.

  • redpens

    say the Republican party has no ideas because Republican ideas don’t agree with theirs. Portability, tort reform are Republican ideas
    but the Democrats won’t do tort reform because they care more about
    the trial lawyers than they do about the American people. Portability
    doesn’t equal government run health care, so the Demo-commies won’t
    go for that, either. It’s all about GOVERNMENT CONTROL OVER YOU!
    That’s it.