[EL] An Aetna Experiment
Mark Schmitt
schmitt.mark at gmail.com
Fri Jun 15 09:22:56 PDT 2012
We already know Aetna's position on health reform, from it's actual
/speech/ on the issue, which is different from the contributions it
makes to influence elections. Aetna's position on health reform, going
back a decade, has been that it supports an individual mandate, but
opposes other insurance regulations.
(http://content.healthaffairs.org/content/27/3/667.full)
Aetna's contributions to Republican candidates through these electoral
committees will likely fund a message that, if it talks about health
reform at all, will take the opposite position, attacking the mandate
while promising to retain some of the more popular insurance
regulations, such as guaranteed issue. Why? Because that's simply a more
effective message for electing Republicans.
That contradiction is interesting to know about. And if the Supreme
Court overturns the whole health law, and the Romney administration
somehow neglects to fulfill its promise to restore or keep the insurance
regulations, the influence of mega-donors like Aetna might just have
something to do with it.
It's also strong evidence that these contributions have nothing to do
with expression of a corporation's views, but simply getting Republicans
elected.
On 6/15/2012 8:49 AM, Steve Hoersting wrote:
> So, Aetna has disclosed the fact that it supports those who support
> medical markets. This is interesting, and surprising. Finally, the
> voters will learn that the Chamber /really/ supports free enterprise.
>
> But let's see what, if anything, happens to Aetna in the next few
> months. We will see whether the voters simply take their cues from
> this disclosure and better understand the Chamber's message. Or see
> whether the disclosure paves the way for boycotts or brickbats.
>
> If the Target
> <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/02/target-gay-marriage-ban-minnesota_n_1564739.html>
> matter is any indicator, Color of Change or, perhaps, Kathleen
> Sebelius in this case (/see/ Michael Cannon and Diane Cohen's latest
> study
> <http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/302876/ipab-obamacare-s-super-legislature-michael-f-cannon?pg=2>
> to understand what I mean) will have Aetna selling "Single Payer"
> t-shirts by October.
>
> Steve Hoersting
>
> On Fri, Jun 15, 2012 at 12:02 AM, Rick Hasen <rhasen at law.uci.edu
> <mailto:rhasen at law.uci.edu>> wrote:
>
>
> Back Monday <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35746>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 9:01 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35746> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> See you then.
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35746&title=Back%20Monday&description=>
> Posted in Uncategorized <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=1> |
> Comments Off
>
>
> "Aetna Confirms It Gave $7.8 Million To Chamber, American
> Action Network" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35744>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 9:00 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35744> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Tip of a very large iceberg, I suspect.
>
> Must-read
> <http://news.bna.com/mpdm/MPDMWB/split_display.adp?fedfid=27071457&vname=mpebulallissues&jd=a0d3d5m7n5&split=0>
> Bloomberg BNA: "The insurance company Aetna confirmed June 14 that
> it donated about $7.8 million to two major Republican-leaning
> organizations---the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and American Action
> Network---which have sponsored tens of millions of dollars worth
> of political ads but have never disclosed their funding sources.
> The revelation---which came due to an accidental filing by
> Aetna---was significant because few, if any, political donations
> from large, public corporations have been revealed
> previously....'We support organizations and candidates who share
> our views on how to fix the problems facing our health care
> system, as well as our country,' [Aetna President] Bertolini said.
> 'We fully comply with all federal and state disclosure
> requirements.'...The Chamber spent over $30 million on television
> ads in the 2010 congressional elections---nearly all of it backing
> Republican candidates or attacking Democrats."
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35744&title=%E2%80%9CAetna%20Confirms%20It%20Gave%20%247.8%20Million%20To%20Chamber%2C%20American%20Action%20Network%E2%80%9D&description=>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
> tax law and election law <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=22> |
> Comments Off
>
>
> "Let Them Give Millions" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35741>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 8:54 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35741> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Andrew Rosenthal
> <http://takingnote.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/14/let-them-give-millions/?ref=politics>
> on Newt Gingrich's campaign finance complaints.
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35741&title=%E2%80%9CLet%20Them%20Give%20Millions%E2%80%9D&description=>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> |
> Comments Off
>
>
> "FEC Deadlocks On Attempted Evasion of Disclosure Laws"
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35738>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 5:28 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35738> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> This item
> <http://www.campaignlegalcenter.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=1766:june-14-2012-fec-deadlocks-on-attempted-evasion-of-disclosure-laws&catid=63:legal-center-press-releases&Itemid=61>
> appears at the CLC Blog.
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35738&title=%E2%80%9CFEC%20Deadlocks%20On%20Attempted%20Evasion%20of%20Disclosure%20Laws%E2%80%9D&description=>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10>,
> federal election commission <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=24> |
> Comments Off
>
>
> "Florida governor mistaken for dead in 2006 vote"
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35736>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 5:27 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35736> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Reuters
> <http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/06/14/us-usa-voting-florida-idUSBRE85D15R20120614>:
> "Florida's governor, who is leading a disputed purge of voter
> registration rolls, had to cast a provisional ballot in 2006
> because officials mistakenly thought he was dead, election
> officials said on Thursday."
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35736&title=%E2%80%9CFlorida%20governor%20mistaken%20for%20dead%20in%202006%20vote%E2%80%9D&description=>
> Posted in election administration
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The Voting Wars
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
>
>
> "WyLiberty Attorneys File Lawsuit to Stop FEC Chill on Free
> Speech" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35733>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 2:03 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35733> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> Press release
> <http://wyliberty.org/feature/wyliberty-attorneys-file-lawsuit-to-stop-fec-chill-on-free-speech/>:
> "Wyoming Liberty Group attorneys filed a lawsuit
> <http://wyliberty.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Free-Speech-v-FEC-Verified-Complaint.pdf>
> in the Wyoming federal district court today against the Federal
> Election Commission (FEC) on behalf of Free Speech, a Wyoming
> grassroots organization...The suit, Free Speech v. Federal
> Election Commission, argues that vague and overbroad FEC
> regulations, which require grassroots groups to register as
> 'political committees' (PACs), effectively shut down much speech
> in the heartland."
>
> It is not clear how much this complaint overlaps with the recent
> 4th Circuit decision <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35602> in the
> /Real Truth About Obama/ case.
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35733&title=%E2%80%9CWyLiberty%20Attorneys%20File%20Lawsuit%20to%20Stop%20FEC%20Chill%20on%20Free%20Speech%E2%80%9D&description=>
> Posted in campaign finance <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=10> |
> Comments Off
>
>
> "Law & Order: Election Administration Unit; News Roundup: 2012
> has been a litigious year" <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35730>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 12:17 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35730> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> That's the lead story in this week's Electionline Weekly.
> <http://www.electionline.org/index.php/electionline-weekly>
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35730&title=%E2%80%9CLaw%20%26%20Order%3A%20Election%20Administration%20Unit%20News%20Roundup%3A%202012%20has%20been%20a%20litigious%20year%E2%80%9D&description=>
> Posted in election administration
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=18>, The Voting Wars
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=60> | Comments Off
>
>
> Justice Kennedy Issues Temporary Stay in Arizona Voter
> Registration Case <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35727>
>
> Posted on June 14, 2012 12:11 pm
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?p=35727> by Rick Hasen
> <http://electionlawblog.org/?author=3>
>
> SCOTUSBlog
> <http://www.scotusblog.com/2012/06/new-arizona-election-plea/>:
> "FINAL UPDATE Thursday 2:20 p.m. Justice Kennedy has issued a
> temporary order
> <http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Kennedy-order-11A1189.pdf>
> delaying the Ninth Circuit Court's ruling, at least until further
> briefs are filed in the case. The Circuit Court mandate was due
> to be issued tomorrow, but now will be delayed until at least next
> Wednesday afternoon. The challengers to the Arizona citizenship
> proof requirement are to file a brief by Monday afternoon, with a
> state reply due by noon Wednesday. Earlier today, this post was
> updated to provide a link to the application, here
> <http://sblog.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/11A1189-AZ-applic.pdf>."
>
> Share
> <http://www.addtoany.com/share_save#url=http%3A%2F%2Felectionlawblog.org%2F%3Fp%3D35727&title=Justice%20Kennedy%20Issues%20Temporary%20Stay%20in%20Arizona%20Voter%20Registration%20Case&description=>
> Posted in NVRA (motor voter) <http://electionlawblog.org/?cat=33>
> | Comments Off
>
> --
> Rick Hasen
> Chancellor's Professor of Law and Political Science
> UC Irvine School of Law
> 401 E. Peltason Dr., Suite 1000
> Irvine, CA 92697-8000
> 949.824.3072 <tel:949.824.3072> - office
> 949.824.0495 <tel:949.824.0495> - fax
> rhasen at law.uci.edu <mailto:rhasen at law.uci.edu>
> http://law.uci.edu/faculty/page1_r_hasen.html
> http://electionlawblog.org
> Pre-order The Voting Wars:http://amzn.to/y22ZTv
> www.thevotingwars.com <http://www.thevotingwars.com>
>
>
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>
>
> --
> Stephen M. Hoersting
>
>
>
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