Joe Scarborough Praises Howard Dean

An interesting tweet from Joe Scarborough.

I don't agree with Howard Dean's approach to HCR but I think he is a GREAT spokesman for Democrats. He's fearless.

The neoliberal Obama administration would never allow the progressive Dean to be a health care spokesman. The Obama health care message is mush. Dean's voice is clear, concise and strong. Scarborough is a die hard Republican but respects a good politician giving straight talk. The Obama people thought (get ready to laugh) Tom Daschle was going to be their neoliberal Dean. Nevermind, Daschle works for the anti-health care reform UnitedHealth Group.

Sommer has retained such influential outsiders as Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Senate Leader who now works for the large law and lobbying firm Alston & Bird. Daschle, a liberal from South Dakota, dropped out of the running to be Obama's Secretary of Health & Human Services after disclosures that he failed to pay taxes on perks given to him by a private client. He advised UnitedHealth in 2007 and 2008 and resumed that role this year. Daschle personally advocates a government-run competitor to private insurers. But he sells his expertise to UnitedHealth, which opposes any such public insurance plan. Among the services Daschle offers are tips on the personalities and policy proclivities of members of Congress he has known for decades.

Conceding that he doesn't always agree with his client, Daschle says: "They just want a description of the lay of the land, an assessment of circumstances as they appear to be as health reform unfolds." He says he leaves direct contacts with members of Congress to others at his firm.

I find at hard to believe Obama wanted to appoint Daschle to create real change.

Update: Keith Olbermann reports on Obama meeting with UnitedHealth Group CEO Stephen Hemsley twice to discuss health care reform. Why is Obama meeting with a CEO of a company sued for Racketeering. UnitedHealth have settled many cases out of court.

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