Progressive Breakfast: Smears and Fears Don't Stop

The daily Progressive Breakfast serves up what progressive movement members need to know to start their day.

Health Care Attacks Continue, As Does Debunking

Roger Hickey maps out grassroots strategy to win health care for all on BlogTalkRadio's D'Antoni & Levine

GoozNews takes down Steven Pearlstein W. Post column advocating for weak compromise: "Allowing low-cost, high-deductible plans is bad health policy since it will be poorer Americans without employer-provided coverage, i.e., those who are often sicker, who are most likely to take advantage of such an option. That sets up a financial incentive for them to skip routine and preventive care. The other group opting for high-deductible plans will be the young who believe themselves invulnerable. Allowing them to opt out of insurance for routine care is just another form of adverse selection."

Naked Capitalism slaps NYT for repeatedly running pieces sympathetic to insurance industry: "A few weeks ago, it ran a story that was an obvious media plant, a flattering, or more accurately, one-sided portrait of a health insurance industry lobbyist, one Karen Ignagni. The latest salvo in the health care industry charm offensive is another story humanizing the health insurance industry, this one on the front page of the New York Times website, 'Dealing With Being the Health Care "Villains"' So what is the story about? The author, Kevin Sack, interviewed a bunch of employees at Humana, the fourth-largest insurance company. Let's start with the basics. Why is this even a reasonable premise for a story?"

Open Left's David Sirota notes Humana implicitly admits to rationing in NYT piece: "The obvious truth is that the health insurance industry works hard to 'control utilization' - that is, it works hard to make sure that when you need a costly medical service, you are 'controlled' (read: prevented) from getting it."

The Treatment's Harold Pollack recoils at Sen. Tom Coburn's handling of a distraught wife with a severely ill husband without sufficient insurance: "My wife and I watched this episode. She is a clinical nurse specialist who has cared for patients with delicate issues involving feeding tubes. We could not believe what we were watching. We were not the only ones. I've heard from many physician-researchers and health policy experts who have seen the clip. They react with virtually uniform dismay to Senator Coburn's comments. Among physicians, this dismay was tinged with embarrassment, since Senator Coburn is one of their own .. He and much of his audience miss the larger point. This Oklahoma couple deserves better than to be treated as the pitiable objects of charity. They are entitled to effective help and support as fellow Americans whose lives have taken a tragic turn."

Wonk Room's Andrea Nill pushes back on distorted reading of congressional report on illegal immigrants and health care: "CRS’ analysis is pretty much in line with what others have been saying. Edwin Park of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities and Jonathan Blazer of the National Immigration Law Center have both asserted that verification mechanisms for the new subsidy program will be determined during the implementation process (after the bill is passed) which allows the government to choose the 'mechanism [which] best matches the underlying process for getting a subsidy.' The report also points out that nothing in the House bill overturns the precedent set by the 1996 Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act which prohibited undocumented immigrants from being eligible for most public benefits and even severely restricted the eligibility of legal immigrants. It should also be noted that, in the case of Medicaid, stringent verification mechanisms are known to have barred more American citizens than undocumented immigrants at a high cost to taxpayers: for every $100 spent by taxpayers to implement documentation requirements in six states, only 14 cents were saved."

Media Matters tracks conservatives accusing Dems of playing "death card" by mentioning health care was the cause of Ted Kennedy's life.

DNC reacts to false RNC health care attack. Politico: "Democratic National Committee spokeswoman Brandi Hoffine is slamming a deeply misleading RNC mailing, obtained by POLITICO, suggesting Democrats may use voter registration information to ration health care — and might discriminate against Republicans ... RNC spokeswoman Katie Wright, e-mails to say the 'survey' sent out under RNC Chairman Michael Steele's signature was 'inartfully' written but reflects legitimate concerns about confidentiality. 'Inartfully' seems to fall short of a loaded question which seems to have little basis in reality."

ThinkProgress on insurance lobby astroturf operation: "Earlier this week, the Wall Street Journal reported that AHIP — the multimillion dollar lobbying juggernaut for the health insurance industry — has mobilized 50,000 employees to lobby Congress to defeat the public option. ThinkProgress has learned that AHIP’s grassroots lobbying is being managed by the corporate consulting firm Democracy Data & Communications. DDC has made a name for itself as one of the most effective stealth lobbying firms. Earlier this summer, DDC was caught by reporters using a front group called 'Citizens for a Safe Alexandria' to attack the Obama administration for seeking to prosecute Guantanamo Bay prisoners in Alexandria, VA. "

Ned Lamont chastises Sen. Joe Lieberman. HufPost: "He is playing right into the Republican talking points"

One more moderate senator for public option. TPMDC: "A spokesman for Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) confirms to me that Warner would vote for a health care bill with a public option. 'It's not a make or break thing--he wants to see a health reform bill that contains costs, and if it includes a public option...he would vote for it.'"

Institute for America's Future releases new report from Prof. Timothy Jost on the necessity of having a public option.

Change.org's Tim Foley on how public option will help hospitals: "As much as hospitals may complain about Medicare rates or low rates from HMOs, the fact is that uncompensated care is actually a larger drag. In my own Congressional district, hospitals and providers lose $135 million in uncompensated care each year. Sure, the Obama Administration is asking them to take on some cuts, particular in subsidies that they currently receive for caring for the uninsured – money that they won’t need if the uninsured have quality health care plans. Unmentioned in the Bloomberg article are the other goodies. After all, many of the more aggressive long-term cost-cutting measures actually involve compensating hospitals for something new – a social worker to follow-up with a recently-hospitalized patient to make sure they’re following instructions and preventing costly re-admissions. Medicaid rates - a much sorer spot for hospitals - would be increased under the House bill. And, of course, a national push for Health IT and new residency slots for primary care will benefit hospitals directly. So don’t listen to the insurance companies. Hospitals are going to be just fine when health care reform gets passed. In fact, they’re quite likely to come out ahead in the game."

Ezra Klein's argues that Nebraska poll should convince Sen. Nelson to reject filibuster: "If he doesn't support reform, he can use these polls to justify a vote against. But for all that, it's hard to see the alignment of interests that lead him to filibuster: That really would bring a lot of heat down on his head, potentially anger some of his voters, and presumably persuade the White House and the Senate leadership to spend the next year or two making an example out of him."

HCAN's Jason Rosenbaum tells support to fax five Senators: "It's time for Senators to get off the fence. They've had enough time to think about health care. They've seen a bill get passed out of Senator Kennedy's HELP committee, and they've had time to read and digest it. They've seen a bill passed out of three committees in the House. Now, they're heading back to Washington. It's time for them to tell us where they stand on the public health insurance option ... our top targets are Senators Begich, Warner, Tester, Carper, and Wyden. Fax them now and ask them where they stand."

Bailed Out Banks Get Even Bigger

W. Post checks up on our friendly neighborhood mega-banks: "When the credit crisis struck last year, federal regulators pumped tens of billions of dollars into the nation's leading financial institutions because the banks were so big that officials feared their failure would ruin the entire financial system. Today, the biggest of those banks are even bigger ... Regulators' concerns are twofold: that consumers will wind up with fewer choices for services and that big banks will assume they always have the government's backing if things go wrong."

List of troubled banks grows. WSJ: "The banking industry continues to deteriorate, with federal regulators adding 111 lenders to their list of endangered banks in the latest quarter, even as the economy shows signs of stabilizing ... The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. said it had 416 banks on its 'problem list' at the end of June, equivalent to about 5% of the nation's banks, up from 305 at the end of March and 117 at the end of June 2008. Problem banks had a combined $299.8 billion of assets at the end of June, compared with $78.3 billion a year ago. Landing on the FDIC's problem list means a bank is at a high risk of insolvency. State and federal regulators have already shut 81 banks this year."

Shelved Treasury document called AIG strategy "highly speculative." Bloomberg: "The U.S. Treasury said in a draft of a presentation that its $40 billion investment in the American International Group Inc. bailout was 'highly speculative.' A slide with the phrase was included in documents obtained in a Freedom of Information Act request by Judicial Watch, a group that advocates government transparency. The sentence was omitted from another version of the slide in a presentation describing the November revision to AIG’s rescue in which the insurer got $40 billion from the Treasury ... Andrew Williams, a spokesman for Treasury, said the document with the 'highly speculative' phrase was a draft created by the previous administration."

China Tire Tariff Debated

OurFuture.org's Dave Johnson urges White House to enforce trade laws regarding Chinese tire imports: "The ITC has decided by a 4-2 vote that the U.S. tire industry has been harmed by a large increase in imports. They have recommended increasing tariffs starting at 55%, falling to 35% over three years. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative now has to give its recommendation on this to the White House by Sept. 2. President Obama has until Sept. 17 to make a decision."

FT's Chad Brown urges White House to overrule ITC recommendation, because it would stir "anti-trade mobs:" "Neither China’s exports nor its policies are blameless in these affairs. Some of the US and other WTO member countries’ concerns are based on legitimate problems. It is simply that the mob mentality on new trade barriers does not help the trading system address such problems."

More Fossil Fuel Industry Front Group Fun

DeSmog Blog uncovers another front group for King Coal: "'The Federation for American Coal, Energy and Security (FACES of Coal).' the latest 'grassroots' organization to join the public conversation on behalf of the coal industry, appears to be a project of the K-Street public relations firm, the Adfero Group, one of industry's most accommodating voices in Washington, D.C. The FACES website, which includes no contact information, is registered to Adfero."

Grist reports those "faces of coal" are stock photos "They couldn’t even get real photos of their supporters."

EnviroKnow on legal tactics from PR firm found forging lobby letters: "Unbelievable. This is the same firm that stayed silent about the fraudulent letters prior to the House vote on the American Clean Energy and Security Act, despite knowing they were fraudulent several days in advance. Now we are supposed to believe that this whole thing is some sort of nefarious plot by a temp employee to sully their (already completely sullied) reputation?"

Conservative trade associations buying anti-climate bill ads. The Hill: "The National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) and the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB), groups that have historically leaned Republican, are targeting the House Waxman-Markey bill as a threat to the economy because it would raise energy costs ... The groups plan to pay for TV, radio and Internet advertising in states like Indiana, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio and Virginia."

W. Post/ABC poll gives solid support to climate bill: "Most Americans approve of the way President Obama is handling energy issues and support efforts by him and Democrats in Congress to overhaul energy policy -- including the controversial cap-and-trade approach to limiting greenhouse gas emissions, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll ... Nearly six in 10 of those polled support the proposed changes to U.S. energy policy being developed by Congress and the administration. Fifty-five percent of Americans approve of the way Obama is handling the issue, compared with 30 percent who do not. A narrower majority, 52 to 43 percent, back a cap-and-trade system; that margin is unchanged since June."

New report shows midwest states would be hit hardest by climate crisis. HuffPost: "Climate change is, in fact, a regional issue, but not in the short-term way that the coal senators think, according to new analysis from The Nature Conservancy. The environmental group finds that rural Midwestern states will face the greatest consequences of climate change. The three that will face the steepest rise in temperature -- Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa -- are farm states whose soil will be significantly less productive as temperatures rise more than 10 degrees Fahrenheit there by 2100."

Get Energy Smart Now and The Bellows rip flimsy libertarian attacks on high-speed rail.

Climate Progress concludes cash-for-clunkers cut carbon at no cost: "The $3 billion program “pays for itself” in oil savings in 6 years. And most of that oil savings is money that would have left the country, so it is a (small) secondary stimulus."

Republican Tries Delay of Student Loan Reform

CQ updates student loan fight: "The House Education and Labor Committee’s top Republican on Wednesday urged lawmakers to slow down the progress of legislation to overhaul the student lending industry in light of new budget predictions that the changes will cost the government billions more than initially anticipated ... But supporters of the bill hailed the projected increases as a positive sign. 'The increased cost Rep. Kline is referring to is a re-estimate of a provision in the president’s budget proposal — a provision that is not included in the Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act,' said Rachel Racusen, a spokeswoman for committee Chairman George Miller, D-Calif., the author of the bill. 'What this re-estimate does show is that the demand for the Pell Grant scholarship is growing in this economy — and so is the need to invest in it,' she said."

NOTE: The Breakfast will take a one-week hiatus next week, returning after Labor Day.

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