Want to earn quick $4K? See GOP firm

[Guest guest]

http://www.thehill.com/news/092204/lobbying.aspx

 

 

Want to earn quick $4K? See GOP firm

By Bob Cusack

 

A Republican lobbying firm is offering healthcare consultants almost

$4,000 each to find senior citizens who are willing to speak out in

favor of the Medicare drug discount card and write letters to Congress

thanking members for saving them money on pharmaceuticals.

 

The coordinated lobbying effort to convince the public that senior

citizens receive significant savings comes at a time when Republicans

and Democrats have intensified their debate on the merits of the drug

card and the new Medicare drug law.

 

The DCI Group, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying shop that advertises

to potential clients that it can treat " corporate issues like

campaigns, " is offering healthcare consultants $3,750 plus expenses

over six weeks to generate positive news stories about the drug card

and offer support to Congress for voting for the Medicare drug law.

 

Democrats yesterday expressed outrage with the lobbying effort,

claiming that it borders on the unethical. They charged that the

lobbying campaign reveals that the drug-card program is so beleaguered

that it needs a massive public-relations campaign to resurrect its

reputation.

 

Republicans maintain that Democrats have been playing politics with

the discount-card program, noting that more than 4 million Medicare

senior citizens have signed up for the initiative.

 

A recent e-mail sent from the DCI Group's Starlee Rhoades to

healthcare consultants says that the campaign will run from Sept. 15

to Oct. 31 and that the client is RetireSafe, which has sponsored the

hiring of healthcare consultants.

 

RetireSafe describes itself on its website as a " grassroots action

network promoting dynamic, pro-growth solutions to America's

retirement security challenges. "

 

The RetireSafe " Medicare Extension Campaign " appears well-organized

and detailed, culminating each week in teleconference with all of the

healthcare consultants " around the country. "

 

Some Democrats doubted whether RetireSafe has the resources to launch

such an expensive effort and suggested that the pharmaceutical

industry was behind it.

 

The DCI Group represents the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers

of America (PhRMA), but the contract is not large compared to the drug

group's overall lobbying budget. PhRMA paid the firm $60,000 in

lobbying fees in the first half of 2004. A PhRMA spokesperson could

not be reached for comment.

 

Tony Feather, who helped found the DCI Group, reportedly has close

ties to President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove.

 

The DCI Group e-mail to healthcare consultants, obtained by The Hill,

stipulates a number of " minimum deliverables " that come with the job

of touting the drug card.

 

The e-mail says that RetireSafe wants seniors, families of seniors and

healthcare community leaders " to send letters to their congressman and

senators thanking them for supporting the Medicare benefit, or asking

for that support in the future.

We have help available to write letters if the signer is not

comfortable drafting the letter entirely on their own. "

 

Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics,

noted that this " artificial grassroots campaign " ends a couple of days

before the election. He described the initiative as " particularly

underhanded. "

 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, " It is pathetic,

but not surprising, that front groups allied with the Bush

administration are using the worst marketing tactics of HMOs and drug

companies to `sell' seniors their terrible Medicare bill. Paying

health professionals to endorse federal legislation is wrong. "

 

For their $3,750, healthcare officials must be available as an expert

source of information for the media and at community events, and stop

by and personally thank their congressman and senator's offices. They

also must bring one senior or healthcare community leader to stand up

at a town-hall meeting and thank the lawmaker.

 

The DCI Group also asks the healthcare consultants to speak out on

their own in support of the Medicare drug card.

 

In an interview with The Hill, Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said that

the coordination of this campaign " is really amazing " and suggested

that the administration and the pharmaceutical industry were behind

it: " It's increasingly difficult to determine where the Bush

administration ends and the drug industry begins. "

 

He said that if healthcare consultants speak in favor of the drug card

at town-hall meetings, they should say that they are being paid. Brown

added, " I doubt they will. "

 

Every Wednesday from now until Oct. 31, the healthcare consultants are

required to send a report to the DCI Group that answers many

questions, including " How many events did you attend? Did you speak in

favor of the card and benefit? " and " How many healthcare leaders did

you ask to stop by the office of their congressman and senators? How

many did it? "

 

The e-mail states, " You will be responsible for acting as a local

spokesperson at community events and in the media. A healthcare

professional's opinion goes a long way in making a story seem more

credible to the general public. "

 

Reached yesterday, Rhoades initially denied that she was involved in

this campaign.

 

But when told that her e-mail had been distributed widely, Rhoades

said, " I can't talk about it. "

 

In a faxed comment, RetireSafe acknowledged it has launched a

nationwide education effort on the new Medicare drug law.

 

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)

said, " I don't know if there is better testimony that the Republican

drug card is a flop than the fact that a Republican political group is

offering bounties to anyone who finds that rare senior who might say

publicly that they like it. "

 

 

 

© 2004 The Hill

733 Fifteenth Street, NW Suite 1140

Washington, DC 20005

202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax

[Guest guest]

This grass roots girl is querrying the Democratic party in California about a

replacement for the states' senior senator...Diane Feinstein, who signed on to

the damn bill and wouldn't explain herself when asked about it.

 

califpacific <califpacific

wrote:http://www.thehill.com/news/092204/lobbying.aspx

 

 

Want to earn quick $4K? See GOP firm

By Bob Cusack

 

A Republican lobbying firm is offering healthcare consultants almost

$4,000 each to find senior citizens who are willing to speak out in

favor of the Medicare drug discount card and write letters to Congress

thanking members for saving them money on pharmaceuticals.

 

The coordinated lobbying effort to convince the public that senior

citizens receive significant savings comes at a time when Republicans

and Democrats have intensified their debate on the merits of the drug

card and the new Medicare drug law.

 

The DCI Group, a Washington, D.C.-based lobbying shop that advertises

to potential clients that it can treat " corporate issues like

campaigns, " is offering healthcare consultants $3,750 plus expenses

over six weeks to generate positive news stories about the drug card

and offer support to Congress for voting for the Medicare drug law.

 

Democrats yesterday expressed outrage with the lobbying effort,

claiming that it borders on the unethical. They charged that the

lobbying campaign reveals that the drug-card program is so beleaguered

that it needs a massive public-relations campaign to resurrect its

reputation.

 

Republicans maintain that Democrats have been playing politics with

the discount-card program, noting that more than 4 million Medicare

senior citizens have signed up for the initiative.

 

A recent e-mail sent from the DCI Group's Starlee Rhoades to

healthcare consultants says that the campaign will run from Sept. 15

to Oct. 31 and that the client is RetireSafe, which has sponsored the

hiring of healthcare consultants.

 

RetireSafe describes itself on its website as a " grassroots action

network promoting dynamic, pro-growth solutions to America's

retirement security challenges. "

 

The RetireSafe " Medicare Extension Campaign " appears well-organized

and detailed, culminating each week in teleconference with all of the

healthcare consultants " around the country. "

 

Some Democrats doubted whether RetireSafe has the resources to launch

such an expensive effort and suggested that the pharmaceutical

industry was behind it.

 

The DCI Group represents the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers

of America (PhRMA), but the contract is not large compared to the drug

group's overall lobbying budget. PhRMA paid the firm $60,000 in

lobbying fees in the first half of 2004. A PhRMA spokesperson could

not be reached for comment.

 

Tony Feather, who helped found the DCI Group, reportedly has close

ties to President Bush's top political adviser, Karl Rove.

 

The DCI Group e-mail to healthcare consultants, obtained by The Hill,

stipulates a number of " minimum deliverables " that come with the job

of touting the drug card.

 

The e-mail says that RetireSafe wants seniors, families of seniors and

healthcare community leaders " to send letters to their congressman and

senators thanking them for supporting the Medicare benefit, or asking

for that support in the future.

We have help available to write letters if the signer is not

comfortable drafting the letter entirely on their own. "

 

Larry Noble, executive director of the Center for Responsive Politics,

noted that this " artificial grassroots campaign " ends a couple of days

before the election. He described the initiative as " particularly

underhanded. "

 

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said, " It is pathetic,

but not surprising, that front groups allied with the Bush

administration are using the worst marketing tactics of HMOs and drug

companies to `sell' seniors their terrible Medicare bill. Paying

health professionals to endorse federal legislation is wrong. "

 

For their $3,750, healthcare officials must be available as an expert

source of information for the media and at community events, and stop

by and personally thank their congressman and senator's offices. They

also must bring one senior or healthcare community leader to stand up

at a town-hall meeting and thank the lawmaker.

 

The DCI Group also asks the healthcare consultants to speak out on

their own in support of the Medicare drug card.

 

In an interview with The Hill, Rep. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said that

the coordination of this campaign " is really amazing " and suggested

that the administration and the pharmaceutical industry were behind

it: " It's increasingly difficult to determine where the Bush

administration ends and the drug industry begins. "

 

He said that if healthcare consultants speak in favor of the drug card

at town-hall meetings, they should say that they are being paid. Brown

added, " I doubt they will. "

 

Every Wednesday from now until Oct. 31, the healthcare consultants are

required to send a report to the DCI Group that answers many

questions, including " How many events did you attend? Did you speak in

favor of the card and benefit? " and " How many healthcare leaders did

you ask to stop by the office of their congressman and senators? How

many did it? "

 

The e-mail states, " You will be responsible for acting as a local

spokesperson at community events and in the media. A healthcare

professional's opinion goes a long way in making a story seem more

credible to the general public. "

 

Reached yesterday, Rhoades initially denied that she was involved in

this campaign.

 

But when told that her e-mail had been distributed widely, Rhoades

said, " I can't talk about it. "

 

In a faxed comment, RetireSafe acknowledged it has launched a

nationwide education effort on the new Medicare drug law.

 

House Ways and Means Committee ranking member Charles Rangel (D-N.Y.)

said, " I don't know if there is better testimony that the Republican

drug card is a flop than the fact that a Republican political group is

offering bounties to anyone who finds that rare senior who might say

publicly that they like it. "

 

 

 

© 2004 The Hill

733 Fifteenth Street, NW Suite 1140

Washington, DC 20005

202-628-8500 tel | 202-628-8503 fax

 

 

 

 

 

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