Baucus Aides Warn K Street

:crazy:

Baucus Aides Warn K Street
By David M. Drucker, Anna Palmer and Kate Ackley
Roll Call Staff
June 11, 2009, 12 a.m.


Top aides to Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus (D-Mont.) called a last-minute, pre-emptive strike on Wednesday with a group of prominent Democratic lobbyists, warning them to advise their clients not to attend a meeting with Senate Republicans set for Thursday.

Russell Sullivan, the top staffer on Finance, and Jon Selib, Baucus’ chief of staff, met with a bloc of more than 20 contract lobbyists, including several former Baucus aides.

“They said, ‘Republicans are having this meeting and you need to let all of your clients know if they have someone there, that will be viewed as a hostile act,’” said a Democratic lobbyist who attended the meeting.

“Going to the Republican meeting will say, ‘I’m interested in working with Republicans to stop health care reform,’” the lobbyist added.

Republican leaders have been meeting with health care stakeholders for months, with those sessions occurring “more frequently than once a month,” according to a senior Senate GOP aide.

The stated purpose of Thursday's meeting, organized by Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), is to discuss proposals for how to pay for health care reform.

But the underlying motivation for the get-together is to encourage health care lobbyists and stakeholders concerned about the Democrats’ health care reform plans to speak out publicly.

“They need to speak up,” one Senate Republican leadership aide said. “They need to help us help them.”

more...

http://www.rollcall.com/issues/54_144/news/35773-1.html

He's determined to grab that dubious "honor" all for his useless corporate fellating self.

he gets from the health insurance companies.

Yeah? What "proposals" did you "discuss" for paying for Bush's illegal war? What "proposals" did you "discuss" for paying for Bush's tax cuts for the wealthy? These have cost us trillions, but now you want to "discuss proposals" for paying for health care of all Americans?