Subject: Re: F.D.A. Nominee Califf’s Ties to Drug Makers Worry Some - The New York Times
From: "Ann O'Leary" <[email-masked]>
To: Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>, John Podesta <[email-masked]>
Cc: Brian Fallon <[email-masked]>, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]>, Joel Benenson <[email-masked]>, Jennifer Palmieri <[email-masked]>, Robby Mook <[email-masked]>
Date: Sat, 26 Sep 2015 10:13:47 -0700

+Podesta
Califf the Obama nominee does have real ties to the drug industry - Chris
Jennings is calling a few people for me to learn more so we don't tip our
hand directly. We are clean on Clinton Admin FDA Commissioner - it was
David Kessler, an academic who had run a teaching hospital - and best known
for taking on big tobacco.  We could certainly signal that we want someone
willing to stand up to Pharma (in the same way Kessler stood up to Tobacco).

BUT - I want to do a little more digging and due diligence before we hit
this guy.  Having been through a nomination fight with my husband (in which
he lost), this is personal and messy and horrible on the person nominated
and their families - so I don't take attacking this guy lightly.

Do you want to do it on Meet the Press?

Also, as long as I have all of your attention - on Cadillac Tax - the
general consensus is that we should frame our position as Cadillac Tax
should be repealed but that we should tax people who make more than $250K
b/c they don't need to have tax-payer funded subsidies.  I have not nailed
this down with HRC.  Should I try to do that today if we are going to
announce this on Meet the Press?

On Sat, Sep 26, 2015 at 10:00 AM, Jake Sullivan <
[email-masked]> wrote:

> Better go look at WJC administration FDA nominees.
>
> On Sat, Sep 26, 2015 at 12:59 PM, Jake Sullivan <
> [email-masked]> wrote:
>
>> This is ultimately a political call, not a policy call.  I don't really
>> like the idea of bashing this White House's nominees, knowing their vetting
>> process and standards.
>>
>> But if you guys want to do it, I cannot identify a policy reason not to
>> -- you all know the facts.
>>
>> Ann, any other intel?
>>
>> On Sat, Sep 26, 2015 at 12:53 PM, Brian Fallon <
>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>
>>> Any update on this? As we consider fights that fit into the larger
>>> themes we are trying to promote, this seems like a good fight to have.
>>> Plus, the VP would be in a box of having to support this nominee.
>>>
>>> On Tue, Sep 22, 2015 at 12:06 AM, Ann O'Leary <
>>> [email-masked]> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Interesting.  I'll do some asking around to see what folks in the
>>>> public health world think.
>>>>
>>>> On Mon, Sep 21, 2015 at 8:25 PM, Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't know anything about the guy.
>>>>>
>>>>> If we weren't hitting the Administration with Keystone this week, I
>>>>> might be tempted, but I think that probably makes it a bad idea.
>>>>>
>>>>> Lets keep an eye on it and see about those Pharma ties.
>>>>>
>>>>> *Mandy Grunwald*
>>>>> *Grunwald Communications*
>>>>> *202 973-9400 <202%20973-9400>*
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> -----Original Message-----
>>>>> From: Jake Sullivan <[email-masked]>
>>>>> To: Mandy Grunwald <[email-masked]>
>>>>> Cc: Ann O'Leary <[email-masked]>; Joel Benenson <
>>>>> [email-masked]>; bfallon <[email-masked]>; Jennifer
>>>>> Palmieri <[email-masked]>
>>>>> Sent: Mon, Sep 21, 2015 11:22 pm
>>>>> Subject: Re: F.D.A. Nominee Califf’s Ties to Drug Makers Worry Some -
>>>>> The New York Times
>>>>>
>>>>> What do you think?
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> > On Sep 21, 2015, at 10:33 PM, Mandy Grunwald
>>>>> <[email-masked]> wrote:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > Do we want to weigh in on this?
>>>>> >
>>>>> >http://www.nytimes.com/2015/09/20/health/fda-nominee-califfs-ties-to-drug-industry-raise-questions.html
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> >
>>>>> Mandy Grunwald
>>>>> > Grunwald Communications
>>>>> > 202 973-9400
>>>>> >
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Ann O'Leary
>>>> Senior Policy Advisor
>>>> Hillary for America
>>>> Cell: 510-717-5518
>>>>
>>>
>>>
>>
>

-- 
Ann O'Leary
Senior Policy Advisor
Hillary for America
Cell: 510-717-5518