Obama Throws Drug Companies and Senator Baucus Under the Bus

With the president held in contempt by his own party, this was inevitable as he attempts to maintain allies in Congress:

WASHINGTON — Caught between a pivotal industry ally and the protests of Congressional Democrats, the Obama administration on Friday backed away from what drug industry lobbyists had said this week was a firm White House promise to exclude from a proposed health care overhaul the possibility of allowing the government to negotiate lower drug prices under Medicare.

A president who can't enforce his deals cannot be trusted. Additionally what does this do to Max Baucus who has fought hard to put these deals together?

WASHINGTON (CNN)-June 21st -- In a sign of progress in overhauling health care, the nation's pharmaceutical industry has agreed to a deal that will reduce drug costs for elderly Americans.

The agreement negotiated by Sen. Max Baucus, D-Montana, discounts medications for Medicare beneficiaries who currently face high out-of-pocket expenses when their benefits reach a gap in coverage, according to statements Saturday by Baucus and the Pharmaceutical Researchers and Manufacturers of America.

President Obama praised the agreement as a "turning point" in efforts to forge a national health care reform plan that both cuts costs and expands coverage to the 46 million uninsured Americans.

"Key sectors of the health care industry acknowledge what American families and businesses already know -- that the status quo is no longer sustainable," Obama said in a statement Saturday. "The agreement reached today to lower prescription drug costs for seniors will be an important part of the legislation I expect to sign into law in October."