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Washington Post parties like it's 1994

February 24, 2010 10:34 am ET by Jamison Foser

Today's Washington Post flashes back to the mid-1990s with opinion pieces by Haley Barbour and Newt Gingrich:

Gingrich's piece attacks Democratic health care proposals -- no surprise there -- while identifying Gingrich as "the founder of the Center for Health Transformation."  But the Post left out an important fact: the Center for Health Transformation is funded by insurance companies, as Media Matters has detailed:

Gingrich's Center for Health Transformation receives annual membership fees from insurance groups. According to the center's website, members pay tiered annual membership fees, providing varying degrees of "[a]ccess to Newt Gingrich on your company's strategy," among other benefits. Insurance groups UnitedHealth Group -- the parent of UnitedHealthcare -- and WellPoint Inc. are listed as "Charter" members; BlueCross BlueShield Association is listed as a "Platinum" member; and the industry's trade association, America's Health Insurance Plans, is listed as a "Premier" member.

UPDATE: in his column today, Washington Post media critic Howard Kurtz quotes Glenn Greenwald taking the New York Times to task for running an op-ed by Lara M. Dadkhah without disclosing that she works for Booz Allen, a defense contractor that could benefit from Dadkhah's policy proposals.  What are the chances that tomorrow Kurtz will note the Washington Post's decision to run a piece by Newt Gingrich attacking Democratic health care reform proposals without noting that he runs an organization funded by insurance companies?  One percent?  Two?  Remember, Kurtz insists he is as "aggressive" toward The Washington Post as he is towards news organizations -- like, say, the New York Times -- that don't pay his salary.

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    • Author by nerzog (February 24, 2010 10:59 am ET)
      3  
      I don't think it's a secret that Health Insurance Companies have a lot to lose in this fight. That's why they are bribing as many lawmakers as they can to stop it. They did the same thing back in the 90s. The Republican Corporatists also have a lot to lose. They know that Democrats can secure a serious electoral advantage if they deliver a decent Healthcare reform bill.
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    • Author by cugagcmu805031 (February 24, 2010 11:22 am ET)
      3  
      Naturally Barbour would shill for Toyota. Toyota has a plant in his state. I guess the people who have died as a result of Toyota's neglience is the cost of doing business in Barbour's POV.
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    • Author by vwcat (February 24, 2010 11:41 am ET)
      3  
      I about fell out of my seat when I read that Fred Hiatt was named one of the top liberals in the media. If he's a liberal, then no wonder a moderate like Obama is seen as a far leftist.
      Washington post has been trying out rightwing and neocon the Examiner and Times and they are succeeding.....succeeding is driving away their readers and reputation as a serious newspaper.
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  • County Fair is a media blog featuring links to progressive media criticism from around the Web as well as original commentary, breaking news and rapid response updates to major media events from Media Matters senior fellows and other staff.