June 27, 2012

"The left-leaning press should be all over this, no? Evil Big Drug Companies (PhRMA) funnel money to David Axelrod’s old ad firm..."

"... (which is still paying him for his share) even as they are negotiating with the Obama administration? Hello? Josh Marshall? Arianna? You there? Someone explain to me why this isn’t a scandal."

79 comments:

leslyn said...

Because no one's interested?

Aheitman said...

Because big Pharma isnt evil.

Anonymous said...

A big fat kiss to Big Pharma was Medicare Part D and Obamacare. Both parties are complicit.

tim in vermont said...

"Because no one's interested?" - leslyn

I have to agree with les here. For instance, Valerie Plame gets outed of her desk job in Va and it is the crime of the century. Somebody in the Obama administration apparently blows the cover of an agent who had infiltrated Al Qaeda in Yemen and the guy has to run for his life and nobody is interested.

Nobody is ever interested in stories that could damage Obama.

Obama fires the Inspector General investigating use of stimulus funds in San Diego illegally and no one is interested.

Bush fires US Attornies that serve at the pleasure of the President, and it is a huge story.

Do you guys have any self awareness? Any at all?

tim in vermont said...

Big Pharma and Obama get along great. Chicago Rules. Just like the trial lawyers who came out of Obamacare just fine. Pay up, and he will see you don't get hurt, at a minimum.

edutcher said...

That's corrupt and illegal and stuff like that.

Isn't it?

PS Gee, leslyn and Oop offering the usual Lefty excuses.

what a concept!

Michael K said...

I wonder, if the USSC throws out Obamacare tomorrow, if Obama will pull an Arizona caper and ignore the ruling. Why not just make the whole 2700 pages an executive order ? Who will stop him ? The House can refuse to fund the government. They should do that anyway when the next debt limit comes up. Will anybody have the guts ? What does Arizona do now ?

The last guy who made up his rules like this called himself Der Fuhrer.

victoria said...

You ignored Cheney's Haliburton connection, which, I suspect, continues to this day. You also ignored George W's connection to Blackwater, which I think was impeachable. Remember that the connection to big Pharma was started by George W and perpetuated by Obama.

I think that all the media is now interested in anything that damages Obama.

Is what is happening with Axelrod bad, you bet.But they learned from the best, Jack Abramov.

Vicki from Pasadena

tim in vermont said...

So the defense of Obama now is that he is no worse than Bush?

Really? To quote James Taranto: "HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!"

damikesc said...

You ignored Cheney's Haliburton connection, which, I suspect, continues to this day.

The company he divested himself of in 2001?

You also ignored George W's connection to Blackwater, which I think was impeachable.

The connection that doesn't exist? That one?

Remember that the connection to big Pharma was started by George W and perpetuated by Obama.

A guy on the executive branch payroll was being paid by a company that was getting work by the executive branch of the government?

This is not a big deal, apparently.

Is what is happening with Axelrod bad, you bet.But they learned from the best, Jack Abramov

Abramoff is in prison. Should Axelrod join him immediately?

And Democrats got a nice chunk of Abramoff's largesse. What Republicans have such ties to Axelrod?

edutcher said...

victoria said...

I think that all the media is now interested in anything that damages Obama.

Of course, dear. Anything you say.

victoria said...

Damikesc:

1. Cheney "divested" himself from Haliburton. If you don't believe the connection was there to this day, you are sadly mistaken.

2. GW and Blackwater, like eggs and ham, always there, always will be.

3. Whatever is bad, is bad, no matter who is the President.Do something about it. It didn't bother the Republicans when Bush was in office, now that Obama is, it bothers you? What crap.

4. What Jack did was proven in court to be illegal. Do you and your peeps plan on following up? Heck no, you all just like to whine and complain... Babies

I am not an Obama fan, but....

Vicki from Pasadena

X said...

dumb, dumber, & dumbest

Blue@9 said...

You ignored Cheney's Haliburton connection, which, I suspect, continues to this day.

Cheney had no Halliburton connection when he went into office. He had deferred compensation but that was set in stone.

You also ignored George W's connection to Blackwater, which I think was impeachable.

It's good you think that.

Remember that the connection to big Pharma was started by George W and perpetuated by Obama.

Funny, I don't recall Bush getting personal and political favors in return for policy support.


What else did Obama get from Big Pharma for their support?
Why is Jon Corzine still walking after committing a Madoff-lite?
What happened to the guys who approved the Solyndra deal? What about the Obama backers who got sweetheart loans?
Where's the story about how the Admin broke bankruptcy laws to give the UAW a sweetheart deal?
Where's the story about stimulus spending? That's a lot of effin' money-- where'd it go?

I think people care, but most of the media don't. The Fast and Furious affair is just a huge, glaring example. I'm guessing most Americans were shocked to learn that Eric Holder is about to be held in contempt, because it's been crickets in the media for the past year.

Once written, twice... said...

More evidence that big corporations have bought off both parties.

And the Supreme Court thinks this is a good idea.

sakredkow said...

I agree, nobody cares. Even edutcher just phoned his comment in, without reading leslyn's and Allie Oops's.

"PS Gee, leslyn and Oop offering the usual Lefty excuses."

Christopher in MA said...

Bush! Halliburton! Blackwater! Cheney!

God. Listening to the left is like listening to an oldies station that only plays Stairway to Heaven. It's just the same damned worthless crap over and over and over again.

tim in vermont said...

Remember when Obama used the stimulus to pay Hillary!'s campaign debt?

That was fine because, because, to quote Treacher, shut up!

X said...

Remember when Obama used the stimulus to pay Hillary!'s campaign debt?

whoa! that happened?

sakredkow said...

Bush! Halliburton! Blackwater! Cheney!

God. Listening to the left is like listening to an oldies station that only plays Stairway to Heaven. It's just the same damned worthless crap over and over and over again.


This is so true and I wish I could feel outrage over this, but I just can't. God, why not? It's so unfair...

Oh! It's because I'm more supportive of the left. Of course.

Anonymous said...

victoria, sorry to have to say it, girl, but your excuses are quite lame and very tiring.

And this may sound mean, but, really, just grow up.

How many more years of your life can you go whining "But Johnny hit me first."

damikesc said...

1. Cheney "divested" himself from Haliburton. If you don't believe the connection was there to this day, you are sadly mistaken.

This is where one would normally produce evidence.

2. GW and Blackwater, like eggs and ham, always there, always will be.

With that firm piece of proof, I feel bad assuming you pulled it out of your butt.

3. Whatever is bad, is bad, no matter who is the President.Do something about it. It didn't bother the Republicans when Bush was in office, now that Obama is, it bothers you? What crap.

Can you provide an example of this happening?

An ACTUAL example. You know, like was provided for the Obama case here.

4. What Jack did was proven in court to be illegal. Do you and your peeps plan on following up? Heck no, you all just like to whine and complain... Babies

Following up? Nah. We have bigger fish to fry than the sleaziest prick on Earth and his empty suit he got elected President.

Blue@9 said...

God. Listening to the left is like listening to an oldies station that only plays Stairway to Heaven. It's just the same damned worthless crap over and over and over again.

No way! I can't believe you just put Zeppelin in the same category as Obama. That's just wrong, man. Robert Plant didn't need no teleprompter.

Joe Biden, America's Putin said...

More evidence that when big business is in bed with democrats, the media will not report.
More evidence that when big business benefits from tax payers, you can bet there's a democrat and quiet media behind it.

Sal said...

"The left-leaning press should be all over this, no?"

What, like the right-leaning press is all over Fast and Furious?

So, what.

dreams said...

If it doesn't advance the socialist/liberal agenda then the corrupt liberal media doesn't want to hear about it much less write about it and especially if it reflects poorly on their liberal agenda.

tim in vermont said...

Stimulus money to Hillary's pollster

At the time of the writing of the above, Hillary still owed them $900 odd K.

tim in vermont said...

From the article above, I think I just found my favorite Stimulus program of all time!

"The National Institutes of Health got $219,000 in funds to study whether female college students are more likely to “hook up” after drinking alcohol."

dreams said...

Businesses are basically amoral and nonpolitical and just want to make money or just run their businesses which is why they contribute to both parties.

wyo sis said...

There can be no hypocrisy when there are no moral standards to begin with. Oh how very fine it is to be hypocrisy free. It's like being 14 forever.

furious_a said...

2. GW and Blackwater, like eggs and ham, always there, always will be.

Victoria -- if you had ham you could have ham & eggs if you had eggs. Scare quotes and unsupported assertions ain't either.

4. What Jack did was proven in court to be illegal. Do you and your peeps plan on following up?

Why yes, Bush DOJ secured two convictions against Abramoff, one in 2006 and the second in 2008. Let us know when Obama DOJ secures one for Axelrod.

sakredkow said...

There can be no hypocrisy when there are no moral standards to begin with.

Hypocrisy or no moral standards? As Woody Allen would say, let us pray for the wisdom to choose wisely.

Nathan Alexander said...

Oh! It's because I'm more supportive of the left. Of course.

I don't really see that you are more supportive of the left.

But you absolutely reserve almost all you criticism/pushback/etc, for conservatives.

And you always try to couch it false objectivity.

But even false objectivity is covered by the 1st amendment, so have at it. Just don't fool yourself that you are fooling anyone.

Cincinnatus said...

Victoria, why is believing a bunch of utter fabrications so important to you?

Is the world incomprehensible to you without some whacky Blackwater/Xe/George Bush conspiracy?

Beorn said...

It's just the same damned worthless crap over and over and over again.

The "worthless crap" is all they have, because it is the facade of their Potemkin village. Take it away, and they have nothing.

dreams said...

"You ignored Cheney's Haliburton connection, which, I suspect, continues to this day. You also ignored George W's connection to Blackwater, which I think was impeachable. Remember that the connection to big Pharma was started by George W and perpetuated by Obama."

There was nothing wrong with Cheney's Halliburton connection. As the CEO of Halliburton is an honorable job that a lot of smart successful people aspire to. I'd like to see you make the case for Bush's impeachment over his supposedly Blackwater connection.

Tim said...

"Remember that the connection to big Pharma was started by George W and perpetuated by Obama."

Dear God, but liberal are either dumb, ignorant, or intentionally re-writing history.

For how long have we been hearing liberals scream for a prescription drug benefit in Medicare?

And, when George Bush does it (albeit in a measurably more responsible fashion than the liberals would have ever done), he gets blame for, "the connection to big Pharma was started by George W."

How do you know when a liberal is lying?

Any time one is communicating.

Chuck66 said...

What ever happened to re-importing drugs from Canada? Remember when the Democrats made a big deal out of that? I do. Remember when Crazy Al Franken chartered a bus to Canada (sorry Minnesota drug stores)? Remember when they campaigned on this?

Remember when Big Pharma give Big Buckas to Obama's campaign? I do.

damikesc said...

What, like the right-leaning press is all over Fast and Furious?

So, what.


So, corruption and crime are, apparently, not a big deal to the left-leaning mainstream press.

What GOOD are they?

Chuck66 said...

Actually doing business with Haliburtan is a good deal for the gov't. Its like condemning someone for buying stuff at Wal-Mart instead of overpaying somewhere else.

roesch/voltaire said...

Speaking of Fast and Furious you can bet the right leaning media will not pick up on this:
Indeed, a six-month Fortune investigation reveals that the public case alleging that Voth and his colleagues walked guns is replete with distortions, errors, partial truths, and even some outright lies. Fortune reviewed more than 2,000 pages of confidential ATF documents and interviewed 39 people, including seven law-enforcement agents with direct knowledge of the case. Several, including Voth, are speaking out for the first time.

Colonel Angus said...

More evidence that big corporations have bought off both parties.

I'm amused many think this is some kind of new phenomena as if big business never mixed and influenced politics since the nation's founding.

Perhaps some of you need a primer on how democracies work where the elected officials have to cater to voters to attain and retain office. It's not just big corporations but any interest group that can influence a large segment if the electorate.

I'll wager the AARP can make a Congressperson jump higher than Goldman Sachs. Obama flouted Federal bankruptcy laws in favor of his loyal union constituency. Obama just granted amnesty so he could appeal to Hispanic interest groups. This is how politics is played.

If you don't like your representatives being influenced then don't live in a democracy.

Rusty said...

victoria said...
Damikesc:

1. Cheney "divested" himself from Haliburton.

Someday when my fingers and brain aren't so stiff I'll explain the likes of Haliburton, Bechtel and Procon to you and ask if you could provide the same services cheaper.

Revenant said...

Bush! Halliburton! Blackwater! Cheney!

You forgot "Citizens United!". :)

Unknown said...

RV said:

"Speaking of Fast and Furious you can bet the right leaning media will not pick up on this:
Indeed, a six-month Fortune investigation reveals that the public case alleging that Voth and his colleagues walked guns is replete with distortions, errors, partial truths, and even some outright lies. Fortune reviewed more than 2,000 pages of confidential ATF documents and interviewed 39 people, including seven law-enforcement agents with direct knowledge of the case. Several, including Voth, are speaking out for the first time."

No wonder Holder is stonewalling. The evidence is all on his side.

dreams said...

"A big fat kiss to Big Pharma was Medicare Part D and Obamacare. Both parties are complicit."


A lot of us don't like the fact that Bush was a big government spender but remember he ran as compassionate conservative which meant big spending government. Sometimes we have to choose the best of our options. I don't think the most affluent of us, those who have had their whole lives to build and save their wealth should have their drugs bought and paid for by young people who are just starting their working lives and building their families. It was Carl Rove who push Bush to go for Medicare part D for political reasons but it didn't help Bush with the liberal media and the 2006 election was a repudiation of Bush's big spending.

Matt Sablan said...

Man. Forbes can get information that Congress can't. I wonder why that is.

Anonymous said...

Blogger Old Dad said...

RV said:

"Speaking of Fast and Furious you can bet the right leaning media will not pick up on this:
Indeed, a six-month Fortune investigation reveals that the public case alleging that Voth and his colleagues walked guns is replete with distortions, errors, partial truths, and even some outright lies. Fortune reviewed more than 2,000 pages of confidential ATF documents and interviewed 39 people, including seven law-enforcement agents with direct knowledge of the case. Several, including Voth, are speaking out for the first time."

No wonder Holder is stonewalling. The evidence is all on his side.
________________________________

Holder's been busy so investigating Joe Arapio that he let Fortune compile all the documents in his defense.

Roger J. said...

RV: I am glad Fortune was on the case--I understand there are more than 80K documents out there, and they reviewed 2000 (presumably those that have been provided to committee). Tell me, sir--Does Fortune have subponea power for the documents? And has their investigation reviewed ALL relevant documents? I fear Fortune's investigation is not very compelling.

Matt Sablan said...

Here's the article RV quotes from: http://features.blogs.fortune.cnn.com/2012/06/27/fast-and-furious-truth/


It's... terrible, really. No mention that they ignored gun stores telling them about straw purchasers and being forced to go through with the sales that I saw. Also, it seems to spend some time deciding to demonize a whistle blower.

Remember when that was bad?

Matt Sablan said...

Straw purchases are illegal. They were reported as such. Prosecutors would have known that, if DOJ had not forced gun sellers to stop talking.

This is a terrible article. Why are you quoting it RV? It's incredibly wrong. Ah, but of course, there's also a secret whisper campaign too, against the noble, military, super loyal Voth. Well, at least he can fall on his sword.

Roger J. said...

RV--if you think the fortune analysis is dispositive, well, thats your opinion. But you seem to be clinging to a very weak straw. You usually do much better than that.

Matt Sablan said...

Also... normally, don't they do the stings to arrest people selling illegal things... when they do it? Not long after when the guns could be any where?

Also:

"It was the first time Voth learned that Dodson intended to walk guns. Voth says he refused to approve the plan and instead consulted his supervisor, who asked for a proposal from Dodson in writing. Dodson then drafted one, which Voth forwarded to his supervisor, who approved it on May 28."

So... Voth never knew they were going to walk guns, except when he got approval for walking guns.

Matt Sablan said...

I like the use of "reversed themselves" instead of "lied to Congress."

This is a puff piece trying to demonize whistle blowers and pretend that everyone but them are the real good guys who got tricked. I also didn't see any mention of the hundreds of dead Mexican civilians. But, maybe I just don't remember it under all the desperation.

Roger J. said...

Seems to me the issue that is inherent in F and F is how high up did approval go, and who knew and when. It is also quite clear that the operation flew in the face of laws that prohibit the sale of arms to foreign countries (see Dave Kopels discussion on Volokh). It is quite clear that the State Department who would have to approve this operation was not in on it, and the operation violated US Law re sale of guns to foreign countries. Oh--Fortune didnt spend a lot of time trying to whitewash it, and you took it hook line and sinker.

dreams said...

"Also, it seems to spend some time deciding to demonize a whistle blower.

Remember when that was bad?"

Whistle blower in a Republican administration is good, whistle blower in a Democratic administration is bad. Mark Felt (deep throat) watergate whistle blower is good, Linda Tripp the Monica Lewinsky/Bill Clinton whistle blower is bad. Those are the liberal rules.

Christopher in MA said...

You forgot Citizens United.

Only because Vicki didn't employ it as part of her whiny shtick.

Democrats ran for 80 years against Herbert Hoover. Apparently for the next 80, they're going to run against Bush.

Matt Sablan said...

"But there is no documentary evidence that agents Dodson, Casa, or Alt complained to their supervisors about the alleged gun walking, had confrontations about it, or were retaliated against because of their complaints, as they all later claimed."

---

Wrong. "Every day, Dodson and the other agents watched and stewed while the straw purchasers bought boxes of guns and sometimes took the weapons to stash houses and cars waiting in parking lots. Each time they called in to supervisors, they were told to stand down."

Also: "ATF agents stationed in Mexico were also raising objections, according to a congressional report that will be released Tuesday."

So, you see, we have plenty of reporting showing that concerns were raised. No one is accusing any of those men of perjury. But, go ahead. Do it. That's from the WaPo, I believe.

Christopher in MA said...

Also it seems to spend some time deciding to demonize a whistle blower. Remember when that was bad?

Ah, yes. Those halcyon days when dissent was the highest form of patriotism and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan were moral OUTRAGES! that had to be ended immediately.

Scott M said...

We're not much more than 1/2 a day from you know what...

Roger J. said...

Scott M: well the SCOTUS will rule on the ACA--but irrespective of their ruling, the world will go on and the ultimately important issue, IMO, is the November election. At the end of the day, SCOTUS's ruling will be important, but not nearly as important and November. Thats the game changer.

Scott M said...

At the end of the day, SCOTUS's ruling will be important, but not nearly as important and November.

Yes, but that's more than 24 hours from now and my popcorn is ready to go. The behind-the-scenes at the big media outlets must be overcharge mode this evening, prepping sets, lining up analysts and pundits galore.

A circus.

The last time I waited for a decision like this, with this much obvious emotional intensity for the nation at large, OJ walked.

Curiously, Bush v Gore didn't have the same...oomph.

Amartel said...

"God. Listening to the left is like listening to an oldies station that only plays Stairway to Heaven. It's just the same damned worthless crap over and over and over again."

"No way! I can't believe you just put Zeppelin in the same category as Obama. That's just wrong, man. Robert Plant didn't need no teleprompter."

Agree with both sentiments (although if the stairway to heaven was a shovel-ready project stimulus funds would be made available and Obama would buy it. For the children.)

Regardless, I hereby nominate Debbie Boone's "You Light Up My Life" as the cloying and annoying oldie tune that the left just can't stop playing. It's supposed to be about Jesus but, you know ...

(When I was a kid the local radio station switched from rock to country and the outgoing DJ put this treacly horror on repeat for the whole weekend before the switch. Pure evil genius.)

Roger J. said...

ScottM: indeed--the ruling however it unfolds, will keep the pundicracy and 24 hour news channels in business for at least a week. Enjoy your popcorn, sir. Clifton Chenier Jr is coming to the local venue and my lady and I plan to be zydeco dancing--a whole lot more fun than listening to idiot commenters on cable tv

Rusty said...

Chuck66 said...
Actually doing business with Haliburtan is a good deal for the gov't. Its like condemning someone for buying stuff at Wal-Mart instead of overpaying somewhere else.


Precisely

Amartel said...

Vicki in Pasadena: show your work.

Michael said...

Vickie from Pasadena:

Here is a time saving hint for you: blpdbfo (bush lied people died blood for oil) wmdh (weapons of mass destruction halliburton). Or. Blpdbfowmdh.

Brian Brown said...

leslyn said...
Because no one's interested?


Actually, it is because people like you are silly, ignorant, hypocrites.

Brian Brown said...

victoria said...


I am not an Obama fan, but....


You're going to vote for him in November, rube.

Michelle Dulak Thomson said...

roesch/voltaire,

Speaking of Fast and Furious you can bet the right leaning media will not pick up on this:

Oddly enough, I'd read the Fortune report some hours earlier today. Because National Review linked it.

(Here is the linking piece, if you're curious.)

Revenant said...

RV assumes the right-wing media operates the same way the left-wing media does. :)

Eric said...

Is what is happening with Axelrod bad, you bet.But they learned from the best, Jack Abramov

Let's not forget Abramov's firm gave more money to Democrats. You didn't forget that, did you?

The fact that the media somehow managed to convince people that was a Republican scandal was the con of the century.

Tim said...

"The fact that the media somehow managed to convince people that was a Republican scandal was the con of the century."

Con of the century?

So far, maybe top ten.

To date, the con of the century is the risible notion that Barack Obama, the least experienced person ever nominated by a major political party for president was, somehow, actually qualified for office.

Had some third-world nation pulled the same stupid stunt, we'd all be laughing at them as some irredeemably backward banana republic.

But then 53% of the electorate had to go and make us be that country.

Way to go, morons.

Methadras said...

Leftards don't care about other leftards nuanced problems.

DEEBEE said...

Would have loved to have Victoria's views Secret

Fen said...

Victoria, why is believing a bunch of utter fabrications so important to you?

Because those are the values of the Left: "we can do whatever we believe the other side is doing"

[and we'll pretend "they do it too!" if we have too]

Fen said...

Its useful to remember that. For example, when the Left starts accusing the Right of shooting people down in the streets, its time to check your ammo.

Rusty said...

Matthew Sablan said...
Straw purchases are illegal. They were reported as such. Prosecutors would have known that, if DOJ had not forced gun sellers to stop talking


The gun dealers were told not to record the purchases (form 4473) Which is a violation of federal law. They got a written waiver from some controlling legal authority in Arizona. Otherwise they'd be the scapegoats for this clusterfuck. This is why you don't see the dealers dragged in front of the TV cameras. They can also get their FFLs yanked by the BATF if they open their traps.

Fen said...

Weren't they also coerced into doing this? Told that if they didn't cooperate, they would be shut down?