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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2009
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Obama Met at Least 27 Health Industry Execs

Lawsuit prompts White House to finally release the list

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(Newser) – Since February, President Obama has hosted at least 27 meetings with health industry bigwigs—representing hospitals, doctors, pharmaceuticals and insurance companies—the Huffington Post reports, in its campaign to head off resistance to health care reform. Names of the visitors were released last night, just before the president's press conference on health care reform, in response to a Freedom of Information request the White House had been dodging.

An ethics watchdog, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, yesterday filed suit against the Department of Homeland Security to obtain the records. CREW's chief counsel compared Obama's stonewalling on health to Dick Cheney's on energy and said, "I don't know if you can actually distinguish the two." 

Barack Obama during a visit to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, Monday, July 20, 2009. The teddy bear in the background is the hospital logo.
Barack Obama during a visit to Children's National Medical Center in Washington, Monday, July 20, 2009. The teddy bear in the background is the hospital logo.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
President Barack Obama speaks about health care, Friday, July 17, 2009, in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington.
President Barack Obama speaks about health care, Friday, July 17, 2009, in the Diplomatic Room of the White House in Washington.   (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
Barack Obama walks through the White House Colonnade to the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, to speak on health care reform.
Barack Obama walks through the White House Colonnade to the Rose Garden of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, July 15, 2009, to speak on health care reform.   (AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari)
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People wanted to know who Cheney met in formulating energy policy and we want to know who the Obama administration met in formulating their energy and now their health care policy. - Anne Weismann, chief counsel, Citizens for Ethics and Responsibility in Washington

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12 comments
VIEWING:
 
TerrifiedCitizen
Jul 23, 09 7:21 AM CDT
That's what we want; transparency in government! (at the point of a gun). Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
+4
IN RESPONSE:
radnip
Jul 31, 09 6:02 AM CDT
They can be distinguished by which records are now public...and which are still missing...
Vote up! Vote down!
0
Citrixguy
Jul 23, 09 7:23 AM CDT
so they had to file a lawsuit to get BHO's records...must be a new definition of transparency Reply
Vote up! Vote down!
-3
IN RESPONSE:
Fondue
Jul 23, 09 8:53 AM CDT
"CREW's chief counsel compared Obama's stonewalling on health to Dick Cheney's on energy and said, "I don't know if you can actually distinguish the two."" Apparently reading the whole summary would have derailed your statement.
Vote up! Vote down!
+2
IN RESPONSE:
Snowleopard
Jul 23, 09 2:38 PM CDT
Most of these meeting were open door, with the press there taking photos. The white house just hadn't provided a list.
Vote up! Vote down!
+2

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