Hadassah Lieberman under attack over industry ties

[grantcart]

Source: CNN.com

Washington (CNN) - Sen. Joe Lieberman – whose opposition to a public insurance option has drawn outrage from liberal groups for months – is used to finding himself in progressive crosshairs.

Now it's his wife's turn.

Activists are setting their sights on Hadassah Lieberman, launching a celebrity-studded petition drive to convince the nation's largest breast cancer non-profit to end the Connecticut senator's wife role as a spokeswoman.

The move to pressure the Susan G. Komen for the Cure foundation came the same day Lieberman's husband angered Democrats by announcing that he would not support an expansion of Medicare to cover individuals under the age of 55. Organizers did not point to that decision, instead citing Hadassah Lieberman's own ties to the health care industry.

Lieberman has worked as a consultant for companies including Pfizer and ALCO.

"We are asking Ellen DeGeneres, Christie Brinkley and other high-profile celebrities who are associated with Komen to demand that no more money raised for cancer treatment be given to Hadassah Lieberman or any other ex-Pharma/Insurance strategists," said Jane Hamsher, founder of the Firedoglake blog


Read more: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2009/12/14/hadassah-lieberman-under-attack-over-industry-ties/

[FrenchieCat]

1. would not support an expansion of Medicare to cover individuals under the age of 55?

They must have meant 65, no?

As for the rest of it.....Good! :mad:

[jasi2006]

44. Nothing will come of this outrage. Yes, they meant 55.

These people's links to conservative, pro-neocon, groups far surpasses the power of any petition. Some things may change on the surface, but the power ties will remain the same. And remember, they are not about to let any fly-by-night-community organizing-Muslim-African American-long shot-President be successful with improving health care in America. Same goes for the banking industry.

[JDPriestly]

56. The idea is to expand Medicare to permit people from 55 to 65

who are not otherwise insured to buy into Medicare. I think it is a great idea.

Most people 55 and over have pre-existing conditions. Health insurance companies charge people over 55 a lot for an individual policy. Allowing people 55 and over to buy into Medicare would help them care for conditions like high blood pressure (common at that age) or diabetes, etc. and thus perhaps, hopefully, decrease the cost of the treatment of those people once they are 65 and over.

[AllyCat]

59. It would also allow some of these people with a lot of experience and ideas

to leave their jobs and start new, small businesses if they didn't have to worry about insurance. At first I thumbed my nose at this idea, but it sounds like it could be a good plan and possibly even a back door into getting what we really want: Medicare for All

[dkf]

2. Joe and Hadassah. What an awful good for nothing couple.

I can't believe Al Gore gave these people the time of day.

[IndianaGreen]

7. add to those two, Evan and Susan Bayh

Susan Bayh sits on the board of WellPoint while her husband works on health "reform."

[David Zephyr]

9. Tom and Linda Daschle. Phil and Wendy Gramm.

Sickening, corrupt politicians.

[Hardrada]

33. Tom and Ruth Harkin

300 million bucks at least.

[Mass]

75. Can you link this to something? Because it makes no sense what so ever.

[MilesColtrane]

86. Maybe the poster was referring to the fact that Ruth Harkin sits on the board...

of the 5th largest oil company in the world, ConocoPhilips.

:shrug:

[Hardrada]

102. Among other lofty positions she has held.

The Des Moines city Skinny had a long article on this last week of November.

[BluDemocratGirl]

34. And don't forget another odd couple: Frick and Frack

a/k/a Bush and Cheney. LOL

[Myrina]

68. Phil and Wendy Gramm, Mr and Mrs Enron

:nuke:

[Cha]

11. Such hypocrites..all religious and crap and

wtf good are they?

[bdamomma]

51. they are just out for themselves, we should all know the American

people are not in their best interests. They watch out for themselves and how much money can be made. Damn them.

[Gman]

14. That was pre-911 and a different, more peaceful world

in the interim, Joe has been sold to the GOP, big business and the right wing.

[ashling]

42. That was in a post Lewinski America

And Holy Joe was the first to take to the floor of the Senate to shake his finger at Clinton.

Gore was trying to distance himself from that.

Gore lost the minute he picked Lieberschitz.

[disndat]

70. On the button.

LIEberman came close to becoming POTUS. Gruesome thought! Looks like the evil couple are too smart by half.

[Gman]

74. Gore did not lose in 2000.

Lieberman probably helped Gore win as he came across as so level headed and a common sense moderate.

[floridablue]

89. In 2000, he could not even raise money from

the Jewish people in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach, nor could he get them to vote for Gore.

[thunder rising]

92. And that is bad ... 'nuf said

[Gman]

105. I don't know where the hell you came from

but your revisionism is not going to do well here.

[floridablue]

106. Thank you for swearing at me as you defend Lieberman

But as for your facts ??? You don't have any.

[Gman]

108. LOLOL!! Defending Lieberman by stating that Gore won in 2000

incredible. only the nuts here at DU.

[disndat]

98. Actually, Gore/Lieberman did win in '00.

Give the devil his due. The Supreme Court overruled the electorate, remember?

[curiousdemo]

38. Legalized Pimps!

Him and his wife......"You better have my Insurance Money, America!"


Here's where's her insurance money is stashed!

[Frank Cannon]

41. Two absolute pieces of shit

They are proof that there's someone for everyone.

[The Wizard]

50. It cost Gore his home state.

And rightfully so. Liebermann hates America. He's the Senator from Aetna or Israel's Likud Party.

[sasquuatch55]

90. Jerusalem Joe!

nt

[disndat]

99. Tennessee is a tobacco state.

Let keep the record straight, Gore campaigned against smoking.

[The Wizard]

100. How many Tennessee voters

were going to vote for a guy with a wife named Hadassah?
Looks like the Confederacy actually won the Civil War. The difference is the slaves are rented by the hour instead of owned.

[saigon68]

107. Lame People

Joementum is an Evil Man (And a Draft Dodger)

[CTyankee]

3. It is a sad day when they can get away with this!

They should be haunted by this FOREVER!

[Bolo Boffin]

4. Make sure people realize this is about Hadassah's own ties to insurance lobbying

Hadassah has been working to make sure pharmacutical companies get extended protection for their breast cancer medicines. In other words, the race for the cure will have a hefty entrance fee.

[grantcart]

5. sounds like a good basis for an OP -

[Bolo Boffin]

10. It's probably been linked before, but the info is at Firedoglake n/t

[havocmom]

15. Want to know what sort of bounu$ she is getting THIS year

Time to get this shit out of power.

[Joanne98]

6. I love Jane Hamsher! She's my new hero!

[Joanne98]

8. SIGN THE PETITION!

http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/hadassah?source=web&subsource=side

← Tell Susan G. Komen for the cure to remove Hadassah Lieberman.

Donations to find a cure for cancer should not be used to pay the salary of former insurance and drug lobbyist Hadassah Lieberman, wife of Senator Joe Lieberman (I-CT), who is pledging to kill health care reform while millions go untreated.

We're calling on Susan G. Komen for the cure and celebrity donors like Ellen DeGeneres and Christie Brinkley to be mindful of where their money is going.

Sign our letter to Susan G. Komen for the cure:

"I call for Susan G. Komen for the cure to ask Hadassah Lieberman to step down as a compensated "Global Ambassador" for the organization in light of the inherent conflict of interest her continued presence brings."


http://action.firedoglake.com/page/s/hadassah?source=web&subsource=side

[Jefferson23]

24. Petition signed.

[laughingliberal]

31. Petition signed with comment:

It is beyond cynical to allow this woman who has lobbied for the very industries that have made access to treatment too expensive for thousands of women. What is this? Race to cure rich women?

[laughingliberal]

32. Here's hoping some group can target Lieberman AND his wife in ads exposing their self serving

ties to the insurance industry. I, especially, think her work to protect the patents of the pharmaceutical corporations should be out there with a huge spotlight shined on it.

[wordpix]

77. I can see the ads now when Lie-man runs for senate again

[Digit]

30. Duly signed and submitted

Also sent along my own message.

[BluDemocratGirl]

35. Signed, Sealed, and Delivered!

[mod mom]

46. gladly done. thanks for providing the contact info.

[Kind of Blue]

48. Signed. Thought I'd feel better doing so, just

made me angrier :mad:
Thanks for the link.

[mntleo2]

61. Petition signed

I love Jane Hampshire she has been right on about health care ~ and so has her friend NYCEve who is out there fighting and have been for this issue for several years.

Cat In Seattle

[wordpix]

76. I signed and sent a little note, "Don't count on me for a contribution as long as

Hadassah the Hypocrite is your spokesperson."

[louis-t]

80. Done.

[onestepforward]

93. Gladly signed.

[ozymandius]

12. Goodie. I just signed their petition.

I want no one related to this senator to benefit either materially or in prestige from his tantrums.

[onehandle]

13. That foundation already said they would not remove her. nt

[Tansy_Gold]

16. They can be persuaded to change their minds.

It's been done before.



Hell, Joe himself changes his mind rather frequently.



TG

[wordpix]

78. send a note with your click, "I won't be contributing if you keep Hadassah on."

That will maybe spur this org to action.

[Larkspur]

19. If we can get the other celebrities to withhold their support from Komen group

until Hadassah Lieberman is fired or resigns, then we will win the battle. There are other Cancer research charities the celebs can support in the meantime.

[tsuki]

22. If she had any class, she'd resign. nt

[bdamomma]

53. well her husband doesn't have any principles/class either

or he would have stepped down from his chairmanship. Damn.

[mcablue]

17. Jane Hamsher: Leader of the Left

She's doing a great job.

[Thornleylv]

18. F*ing A

Yea! That's what I'm talking bout Willis !!!

[tonysam]

20. The founder of the organization, Nancy Goodman Brinker,

is GOP through and through. I don't see how this is going to accomplish anything.

[JanusAscending]

21. Well, I just went ahead and signed the petition anyway!

There is POWER in numbers, as well as public sentiment!!

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[bertman]

23. Signed. Rec.

[dusmcj]

25. we heard Joey is whining about people not being nice to wifey. Awwww. /nt

[greyghost]

26. LOL! Get used to it Joe, it's just the beginning!

[wordpix]

79. just wait until the next election, Joe, you ain't seen nothin yet

[AzNick]

27. OMG I hate him more than any Republicans (except Kyl and Boner) nt

[diane in sf]

28. signed and donated

[GreenTea]

29. Expose the Lieberman bastard to everyone, pound it in over & over on every media source!

[maglatinavi]

36. hadassah

Signed the petition to day!!! Out joe and hadassah !!! No need for traitors, liars and whores!
Bunch of freaking freaks !!!
:freak: :freak: :freak: :freak: :freak:

[SeattleGirl]

37. Good

Sorry, Hadassah, but if all you care about is you and yours, I must say that I don't give a flying fuck about you.

[hyphenate]

39. Ummmm....I can see the pressuring of Susan B Komen to remove

Ms. Lieberman, but some of the other people mentioned in this thread aren't as black and white as the Liebermans. Some of those other people might belong to medical related companies, but not ALL of them are corrupt, or conservative, or traitors. There are MANY very progressive politicians who are on the boards of such companies, and I would venture to say that even our own Dr. Dean has probably been on the board of many, and we certainly can't call him a traitor.

Hell, Tom Daschle was a big hit with DUers (and even myself) when he was offered the HHS job, and Tom Harkin is a really progressive governor (though I don't live in his state, I know he has an excellent reputation).

The problem isn't whether someone is on a board of some company, it's whether their politics and their positions on those boards collide in some conflict of interest that there is a problem. I find it unfortunate that many are prepared to eat our own just because they're ON a board, and NOT because of their behavior on it.

Please, folks, consider doing more research before you name someone who might not be a bad guy after all.


PS: We're all human (last time I looked, anyway) and we make mistakes. We learn from those mistakes, or at least we should. A true progressive would be able to know when their duty to their country was in conflict with their other obligations, and they would try to make a decision that they could live with.

[PassingFair]

64. Tom Harkin is a SENATOR from Iowa....

but I do agree that he is a pretty good guy.
I'd like to see the link on his taking $300 million from
pharma, I don't believe it.

And secondly, possibly no one but yourself
thought Tom Daschle was a "big hit" around here.

We knew him for the ineffective capitulator he was.

[hyphenate]

96. My sincerest apologies to Senator Harkin

I believe I might have been thinking of Tom Vilsack, who is another Iowan, and who was governor. Since they don't look at all alike, the confusion was in memory alone.

[PassingFair]

104. Accepted, and I totally agree about Vilsack.

Scummy DLC toady.

[BlueMTexpat]

67. I am another Tom Harkin fan ... he has been a consistently good guy,

although as a Senator rather than a Governor. But I don't recall Tom Daschle ever being a "big hit" with DUers for the HHS nomination. What I recall is in fact the opposite.
Perhaps it's just one of my own senior moments.

[hyphenate]

97. Ah, yes, thank you!

As noted above, I believe I confused the two Iowan "Toms" each of them excellent in their own right.

[Lasher]

43. Hadassah recently worked for Hill & Knowlton

More about that here.

[olegramps]

45. Signed petition

[jmowreader]

47. The Republican distortion machine is running full blast on this one

I got a message the other day from some right-winger saying we were going after an "easier target" by attacking Hadassah Lieberman. Apparently Fox News has found out we're going after Lieberman's shill wife and isn't real pleased about it.

[freddie mertz]

49. Petition signed. nt.

[varelse]

52. I think this will backfire

This petition is more likely to make the petitioners look like "meanies" to the general public (allow allies to frame the targets as "victims"), than to focus public attention on the hypocrites.

[Demeter]

54. Good. That B---has sucked on the Industry Teat and the Public for Too Long

Charity began at home, and stayed there.

[BennyD]

55. The Susan G. Komen foundation has said they will NOT break ties with Lieberman.

I saw the story on CNN last night when they reported the Komen foundations response to the request to drop her.

[howmad1]

91. THEN SCREW THEM!

Lots of other well meaning charities that can probably use my money.

[johnfunk]

57. Hadassah LOBBYman, enemy of YOUR health

Disgraceful woman.

[JVS]

58. Good.

[Maineman]

60. Mrs. Leiberman is clearly in play politically speaking

Apparently several wives are in similar situations. That makes them fair game.
I am headed for firedoglake.

[pjt7]

62. Bring them down

Enemy of the People

[HughMoran]

63. It's a start. We need to destroy these people

They are NOT in any way, shape or form any better than Glenn Beck or any of the other hate mongers.

Destroy them. :mad:

[Enthusiast]

65. We have to fight back

any way we can. REC!

[orbitalman]

66. You Bet Your Bottom Booties...

Last night, I listened to Mike Malloy who was absolutely beside himself in anger over this issue. He called, among other things, Hadassah a total scumbag and bastard (to say it mildly) right over the air. I thot to myself, there is someone else who agrees with me. It was refreshing and at the same time, soothing. I could not have said it better myself. The Liebermans' are truly low-lifes. They both need to be run out on a rail and PUNISHED (besides ostracized).

PS I signed the petition yesterday, but thanks for the link!!!

[Selena Harris]

71. My only regret

is that Hamsher didn't do this much sooner.

In fact, I think it's a grand idea to do some research on all the wives of the politicos to determine lobbyist ties-and other potential conflicts of interest. In the interest of full disclosure.

Is there a website that already does this?If not, oughtta be.

Start with Eric Cantor's wife and her ties to big banking-and the bailout money her bank got-and they denied even knowing about it!

The Repukes sure didn't mind going after another man's wife(in more than one sense)-remember Joe Wilson's wife?

[hughee99]

72. That website would certainly be interesting...

I know Tom Daschle's wife was lobbying for the airlines while he was Senate majority leader, and that they got a big time industry wide bailout.

Then of course there's Dianne Feinstein sitting on Defense appropriations while her husband is making millions in defense contracts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

[Selena Harris]

85. So why can't

Democratic Underground start a "Watch" on this subject?

[hughee99]

87. The general format of DU doesn't really seem well suited for this,

though one could do it in their journal, I suppose.

[Mrburra]

69. I don't get it

How is a person that has gone against the party ideas time and time again, I know we didn't forget what happened last year when the same man back stab the party and went on the campaign trail for McCain. This man should be stripped of his chairmanship and the Democratic party should be put someone else for that chair in the Senate. This man labels himself a independent but is in the democratic caucus but is always siding with republicans. He is a confuse old man that needs his priority looked at really close.

[Blue Owl]

73. In their mind...

The Liebermans are more important than their fellow countrymen and women.

Other people can cease to exist so long as the Liebermans have their affluence at the expense of other's sicknesses, diseases, and death.

They deserve to be tarred and feathered while the names of all who died for lack of healthcare are read aloud.

[LaPera]

81. So what, the Democrats won't do shit to Lieberman, he'll keep his chairmanship & this will

all blow over, as his conflict of interest will be ignored by all the Dems even though it has completely affected the health care reform bill to watered down fluff....

And now Obama wants to get behind this weak, watered down pile of shit bill and claim victory...He'll call this shit bill "reform".

And make this disgusting bill, in which he encouraged Democrats to go along with the republicans & Snowe & Lieberman & the DLC Blue-dogs as the center of his State of the Union address next month.

[cliffordu]

82. Ah, the bride of Dracula,

maybe she'll have to get a real job instead of sucking the blood out of a cancer foundation.

[BrklynLiberal]

83. Not surprising they would choose Hadassah LIEbeman.

http://www.alternet.org/story/14014/

The Marketing of Breast Cancer

Judy Brady has little use for the limelight. Yet, as someone with a lot on her mind, she has much to say about what she terms "the marketing of breast cancer." One of the worst examples, she says, is the Dallas-based Susan G. Komen Foundation and its annual fundraiser, the 5K Race for the Cure.

Now held year-round in 110 U.S. cities and abroad, the festivities offend Brady and the group Toxic Links Coalition. The races, they say, merely focus women on finding a medical cure for breast cancer, and away from environmental conditions causing it, the problems of the uninsured, and political influence of corporations over the average patient.

To drive this point home, Brady and the coalition have, since 1994, helped organize a vocal and visible presence most years at Komen's San Francisco race.

<Snip>

So most people would be shocked to find that the Komen Foundation helped block a meaningful Patients Bill of Rights for the women it has purported to serve since the group began in 1982.

Despite proclaiming herself before a 2001 Congressional panel as a "patient advocate for the past 20 years," demanding access to the best possible medical care for all breast cancer patients, Federal Election Commission records show the Komen Foundation and its allies lobbied against the consumer-friendly version of the Patients Bill of Rights in 1999, 2000 and 2001. Brinker then trumpeted old friend George W. Bush in August 2001 for backing a "strong" Patients' Bill of Rights, while most patient advocates felt betrayed.

Brinker's support of Bush should come as no surprise, since Bush nominated Nancy Brinker for a U.S. Ambassador post just less than one business quarter earlier, at the end of May 2001. The President also no doubt helped toast Brinker's Congressional approval for the Hungary position on Aug. 3, 2001, less than 24 hours after the House version of the Patients' Bill of Rights, dubbed "the HMO bill of rights" by critics, passed on Aug. 2, 2001.

<snip>

[SOS]

95. Great article

This Komen thing is just a Republican, corporate front.
Mrs. Lieberman will not be fired, since she fits in perfectly with the Bush pioneers who run Komen.

The upside is that once people realize what a sham this organization is, their contributions will plummet.

[ooglymoogly]

84. Parasites and very expensive parasites at that. kr nt

[The Backlash Cometh]

88. It's so true. These predators love to cover themselves with these

charitable appearances to cover up their true evil intent.

[riverbendviewgal]

94. I signed the petition

kicked and recommended

[rpannier]

101. Under Attack??? It soundsmore like both of them are being called out for the

conflict of interest

[Imagevision]

103. The Ins. Companies & the Pharmaceuticals are the ones pulling the strings, NO?!!