Posted on 09/06/2009 8:06:46 AM PDT by eartotheground
Former Kansas Democrat Governor Kathleen Sebelius won Senate confirmation as Health and Human Services Secretary. But the real power lies with with newly-created health czar Nancy-Ann Min DeParle. Her official title: Director of the White House Office for Health Reform.
DeParle ran the behemoth Medicare and Medicaid programs under Bill Clinton. She parlayed her government experience into a lucrative private-sector stint. Over the past three years, she made nearly $6 million from her work in the health care industry. Despite President Obama’s loud denunciations of the revolving-door lobbyist culture in Washington, DeParle’s industry ties didn’t bother the White House.
She served as an investment advisor at JP Morgan Partners, LLC; sat on the board of directors at Boston Scientific Corporation; and held directorships at Accredo Health Group Inc., Triad Hospitals (now part of Community Health Systems), and DaVita Corporation. In all, she sat on at least ten boards while advising JP Morgan and working as managing director at a private equity firm, CCMP Capital.
From 2002 to 2008, while holding all those titles, DeParle also served as a member of the government-chartered Medicare Payment Advisory Committee (MedPAC), an influential panel that advises Congress on what Medicare should cover and at what price. Last month, former MedPAC member DeParle cozily announced that Obama was “open to making recommendations of [MedPAC] mandatory unless opposed by a joint resolution of Congress.”
Obama famously signed an early executive order requiring appointees to pledge not to participate “in any particular matter involving specific parties that is directly and substantially related to any former employer or former clients” for a period of two years from the date of his or her appointment. But it’s hard to imagine any health care reform-related issue that won’t involve one of DeParle’s former employers, clients, and corporate boards in the health care industry. She earned at least $376,000 from Cerner Corporation, for example, which specializes in health information technology. As health czar, DeParle has unmeasured clout in directing $19 billion of federal stimulus money earmarked for, yes, health information technology.
Last week, a Washington, D.C. citizen watchdog filed suit to force the White House to disclose which health care lobbyists and executives it had met with this year to discuss insurance takeover legislation. White House counsel Greg Craig refused to disclose which administration officials attended the meetings. But at least two of the industry visitors have ties to DeParle. William C. Weldon is chairman of Johnson & Johnson, which paid DeParle $7,500 for a recent speech. Wayne Smith is chief executive of Community Health Systems, which merged with Triad Hospitals – where DeParle served on the board of directors. DeParle’s options were converted to cash payments worth $1.05 million.
Despite Obama’s lip service to transparency, the public is in the dark about which assets DeParle has divested and how many times, if any, DeParle has recused herself from policy matters and meetings. Czardom has its privileges.
As egregious as this blood-sucker is, the next target needs to be one of the moonbats Sunstein or Holdren.
Abortion as an issue motivates and activates about 50%, but split evenly in different directions. So it's pretty much a wash. But even "moderates" who are pro-choice DO NOT LIKE their country bashed, and are usually pro-police. I think it would be a mistake to try to refocus what has been a very successful tea party/town hall debate over a) the economy and spending, b) individual doctor choice and "death panels" and c) the general hate-America views of this administration onto either abortion or homosexuality, regardless of where we stand on those issues personally.
Being married to a NY Slimes reporter doesn’t exactly enhance her credibility or image either.
CommieCzar Deparle:
http://brayincandy.com/id161.html
CommieCzar Browner:
http://brayincandy.com/id157.html
They both gotta go.
Pray for America
Agreed, as well as Zeke the Freak! And then soon after, it must be the diversity czar who wants to control the airwaves!
Sunstein is, without a doubt, the most dangerous person in Washington this side of Rahm Emmanuel.
Flush them all.
We can move this mountain... one boulder at a time, if need be!
Weirdly, and sadly, if obama had sent all his czars through the confirmation process his dippy congress would probably have confirmed them. Then they wouldn’t have been subjected to public scrutiny. unintended consequences.
Last week, a Washington, D.C. citizen watchdog filed suit to force the White House to disclose which health care lobbyists and executives it had met with this year to discuss insurance takeover legislation.
It sounds like the D.C. citizen watchdog is already taking care of this one. I think Glenn could mention it and keep
an eye out for what happens. But, some of the czar’s need
to be on the top of the list.
Spot on.
My thoughts as well!
Whoops, I saw czarina and didn’t realize she really was
one of the real czar’s. Sorry, I am one of those American’s
who just woke up and there is so much to learn....
Sorry, I am one of those American’s
who just woke up and there is so much to learn....
############
A lot of people are waking up to this...no apologies necessary!
BTW, welcome to the FR!
Yes, that’s the spirit. And remove these communists, one job at a time.
“DeParle ran the behemoth Medicare and Medicaid programs under Bill Clinton”
The programs which have been ineptly run. Which are in the red. Which she ran. Helluva thing to have on your resume.
It would also be worth looking into the environment czar who was Leahy’s chief of staff during the Clarence Thomas attempted crucifixion.
The bigger question as more people focus on the spending in Washington is - “Who authorized all these czars and who is paying for them? In other words where is the money? Show me the money? How did they get the money for 32 czars, the office space and the staff? Why do we need the czar for foreign affairs when we have the Klintons who know plenty about affairs? Finally, if Pres. Obama is so smart why does he need 32 more managers than Presidnet GW Bush or even Klinton?
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