Insurance Industry fighting hard to stop govt plan

Associated Press Aug 7,2009

The AP reports the insurance industry "still has a fighting chance to fend off the part of health care overhaul it most despises - creation of a government-run plan to compete with private insurers. Industry lobbyists are using influential allies, a thick wallet and a strategy of avoiding blatant confrontation to block or weaken the proposal." Newsweek's Jonathan Alter said on MSNBC's Countdown that Democrats "can argue about the detail, but the idea of sustaining status quo is unacceptable, and Democrats all over the country have to just come out and say, we need a bill."

The Hill August 7,2009

Axelrod Gives Senate Democrats Recess Talking Points On Healthcare

(By Alexander Bolton and Jeffrey Young Posted: 08/06/09 05:52 PM [ET] )
The Hill reports Senate Democrats have been "armed with a new set of talking points from David Axelrod, the president's chief political strategist."He"told lawmakers to focus on reform of the health insurance industry when talking to constituents said Democrats who attended the meeting. Axelrod also instructed them to talk about Democratic healthcare reform plans compared to the status quo."