Democratic Primaries
Related: About this forumWendell Potter:It brings me no joy that my hunch that @petebuttigieg advised Blue Cross Blue Shield
Link to tweet
Medicare for All.
Warren 2020!!!!!!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)He has no idea what Buttigieg did for BCBS, but he'll act as though he does anyway. Impressive.
This kind of nonsense doesn't accomplish anything. Perhaps we should wait until someone who has a clue provides real information before passing judgment.
Nah.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)He even admits it in the thread, if you actually bothered to read it. It's 100% speculation.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)You can deny it all you like, but Potters words are clear.
7 posts of descriptions within the thread.
It brings me no joy that my hunch that @petebuttigieg advised Blue Cross Blue Shield in the run-up to layoffs and rate hikes, was revealed to be right.
Campaign spin aside, as a former insurance exec I know what that work really entails, and it is devastating. (1/7)
Link to tweet
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)You clearly haven't read the thread or you'd understand that. He makes several references to how *his* company, which was Cigna, operated, and his assumptions are based on those experiences.
If you're going to post, perhaps you should familiarize yourself with the material first and not just the first portion.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Potter is abundantly clear, "HIS" company experience is not an exception. Good luck.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
oldsoftie
(12,410 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
oldsoftie
(12,410 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
obnoxiousdrunk
(2,906 posts)up in the polls ? That would explain it.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)In my career, I've worked with and advised many large corporations. Usually it was in connection with their corporate responsibility, diversity efforts, community outreach, etc. I'm very proud of that work and gratified that I helped them do better in these areas.
In other words, I have no problem with Pete working with these major companies because the corporate world needs more people like him.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)Or do you assume anyone who does any work at all with the company - including its outside consultants - are responsible for all corporate decisions?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)process and the role Buttigieg played.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)He worked for Cigna. He's trying to extrapolate his experience as an executive/self-described hack at Cigna to Buttigieg's time at BCBS.
He has zero first-hand knowledge of Buttigieg's time at BCBS.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Anyone with any knowledge of McKinsey, Bain, BCG knows that this is a BIG part of the work they do:
Recommending who to fire.
At this point if youre denying that Pete advised BCBG how to fire people... then frankly I dont think you understand much at all about how corporations work. (Keep in mind that only big corps hire McK small companies cant afford them.)
Ex-insurance exec guy is right on.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Hassin Bin Sober
(26,272 posts)He replaced the right sized sanitation workers with robot arms and said it was great for workplace injuries.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
StarfishSaver
(18,486 posts)It sounds to me like some people who don't like Pete are trying to muddy the waters.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
TwilightZone
(25,342 posts)Some also didn't bother actually reading the thread. He's extrapolating his experience at Cigna, as an executive, to Pete's experience at BCBS in a different role. People are assuming he has first-hand knowledge of Pete's time at BCBS, but he doesn't.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)This is what McKinsey does, in almost EVERY INDUSTRY, not just in insurance. Big corps hire them to recommend cuts so the execs have plausible deniability.
Its almost a certainty Pete worked on a team deciding who to fire. If not with this client, with another one.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Backseat Driver
(4,336 posts)the switch to "for-profit" started long before Pete came to do some analysis in Michigan, IF this is where he landed. It's a pretty messy story in some states, I can tell you from personal experience that still bring tears, but the stories are buried deep behind subscription newspaper archives. Fierce cost-cutting inside, and paid TV advertising thrown at the public. The early and mid 80s brought many changes to a lot of long-time employees with families.
https://advocacy.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/yourhealthdollar.org_blue-cross-history-compilation.pdf
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)I had higher hopes for him. Insurance companies are rotten. The motive is profit and they trade in speculating and facilitating death for profit.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Mr.Bill
(24,103 posts)Wendell Potter spent much of his career working for CIGNA, one of those rotten insurance companies, right?
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeyondGeography
(39,278 posts)His experience makes him most effective. Anyone who actually cares about HC reform should be grateful to him.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
Mr.Bill
(24,103 posts)They didn't turn bad the moment he retired. My sister-in-law is a retired CIGNA VP. She was there when he was.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Thats a message I live by.
I welcome Max Boot too.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
That's how he gained the expertise to call them out. He does not honor that history and he does not hide or gloss over it.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
crimycarny
(1,351 posts)That it gave him important insights into how corporations work.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
loyalsister
(13,390 posts)Sadly he has a history of pushing aside important historical lessons (ie urban renewal plans) when he has a personal success to gain. I trust him as much as the constituents who were on the losing end of the South Bend accomplishments he still loves to brag about.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
dalton99a
(81,065 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeyondGeography
(39,278 posts)His problem is Warren has for many years built a track record of standing up for people and getting things done for them in Washington on a very large scale. Pivotal time for him. If he defends himself and avoids lashing out at others hell be much better off in the long run.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
msongs
(67,193 posts)oh wait, that was someone else lol
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
crimycarny
(1,351 posts)Seriously? I mean SERIOUSLY??? Digging up the fact that in 2007, when Pete Buttigieg graduated from Oxford he went to work for McKinsey as one of his first jobs?
Maybe read this article for some perspective.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2019/12/pete-buttigieg-mckinsey/603421/
Warren herself hired McKinsey:
"In 1999, when Warren was chairing a committee at Harvard Law looking to improve student experience, she hired McKinsey for a contract worth upwards of $1 million, creating backlash among students at the time."
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Aaron Pereira
(383 posts)Pete should understand more than anyone the problem with for profit health insurers.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
comradebillyboy
(10,119 posts)before I got Medicare and now BC-BS is my supplemental policy. My overall coverage is just excellent.
I just can't bring myself to hate corporations. I certainly don't think working for a corporation disqualifies a person from elective office.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)His disclosure of Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan as a past client followed speculation on Twitter from Wendell Potter, a former health insurance executive who now advocates for Medicare for All, that the company was the nonprofit health insurance provider Buttigieg had vaguely alluded to in his initial statement. Potter also noted that BCBS of Michigan had instituted layoffs in 2009, two years after Buttigieg worked on the project.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/henrygomez/pete-buttigieg-mckinsey-clients
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
comradebillyboy
(10,119 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)You shouldnt be so sanguine.
Pete was young, McKinsey pushes a lot of people through.
But what he did there wasnt great.
And he should be admitting it. He should be speaking openly about the problems at insurance companies and about the work he did for them.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
lostnfound
(16,138 posts)He went into public service. He went into the military. He could have spent a career just making money, and didnt.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Thanks for posting, BeckyDem. This is right on.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
TidalWave46
(2,061 posts)Pretty sure this guy supports candidates, he doesnt endorse candidates.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
sharedvalues
(6,916 posts)Its Informed speculation... that is very likely correct as can be verified with anyone who knows anything about McKinsey
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided
TidalWave46
(2,061 posts)You just knocked it out of the park. My jaw went to the floor. Superb.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
Generic Brad
(14,270 posts)Where is my fainting chair? I do believe I have a case of the vapors!
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
lostnfound
(16,138 posts)Sounds good to me.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
R B Garr
(16,920 posts)And doesnt Medicare for All tout eliminating jobs to streamline costs, in other words, hurting workers. I bet those Data entry workers arent evil just because corporations.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
dalton99a
(81,065 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ecstatic
(32,566 posts)rate hikes are their thing. That can't be pinned on Buttigieg. I don't like the guilt by association thing. We're smarter than that.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)Potter also noted that BCBS of Michigan had instituted layoffs in 2009, two years after Buttigieg worked on the project.
https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/henrygomez/pete-buttigieg-mckinsey-clients
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
ecstatic
(32,566 posts)to lay of workers.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
lostnfound
(16,138 posts)Most of us knew little or nothing about corporate world when we took our first jobs.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
BeckyDem
(8,361 posts)His policy position on health care makes more sense to me since learning about his time there.
primary today, I would vote for: Joe Biden
The Mouth
(3,123 posts)He's wrong.
primary today, I would vote for: Undecided