Steve Champlin: Health Industry's Shadow Man

Posted by: Janice Leber Posted date: October 25, 2009 In: Politics | comment : 8

almostnophoto Apparently, Steven M. Champlin is a guy who shuns the spotlight and shies away from cameras. Which is why it comes as a surprise that he burst into the headlines last week with a controversial speech at a national forum of America’s Health Insurance Plans (AHIP), a health industry trade group.

Champlin addressed a State Issues Conference at the AHIP forum. He was quoted in the Huffington Post:

“There is absolutely no … reason Republicans should ever vote for this thing. They have gone from a party that got killed 11 months ago to a party that is rising today. And they are rising up on the turmoil of health care. So when they vote for a health care reform bill, whatever it is, they are giving comfort to the enemy who is down.”

Fascinating. That’s not what AHIP says they support in the video that’s front and center on their web page, but … whatever. When I saw that quote I was outraged, and when I get outraged I make a web video. So I started looking for a picture of Steven Champlin.

It is not easy to find one.

I did discover that Champlin started his political career as Legislative Director for Sen. David Bonior (D-Michigan), then worked for the offices of the Majority Whip and the House Democratic Caucus, before going to work for the Duberstein Group in 1994.

And ah, the Duberstein Group. They spread the wealth to lots of members of Congress and speak on behalf of a bevy of major corporations.

Kenneth Duberstein himself was Ronald Reagan’s Chief of Staff between Howard Baker and John Sununu, and as a lobbyist for his namesake Group, he has his fingers in many, many economic pies. Lots and lots of money comes in to the Duberstein Group and goes out to legislators. The guy is connected.

And he works with Steve Champlin, helping out industry groups like America’s Health Insurance Plans.

Steve Champlin: the photo It took well over a half hour, but I finally was able to locate one grainy old photo of Steve Champlin. One. Taking into account that Champlin had worked in politics once upon a time, I finally found a historic picture of him on C-Span’s web site. C-Span keeps good archives. I’ll bet Champlin now regrets their tedious record-keeping as he goes out to cheerlead Republican members of Congress to kill health insurance reform.

Champlin contacted the Huffington Post after the original article came out, explaining that he was not trying to tell Republicans what they should do, but speculating about what they probably would do as political strategy. He did admit he was quoted correctly.

He did not elaborate on why he called the House reform bill “a strategy to kill seniors” – but we can speculate about that, considering who signs his paychecks.

Upon locating that one antique photo, I managed to complete the web video about America’s Health Insurance Plans and Steve Champlin’s remarks. To watch our video, click here.

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About The Author

Janice Leber

Number of Entries : 20

HenryW

http://www.muckety.com/Duberstein-Group-Inc/5000605.muckety

This site is cool and shows how various lobbying firms are interconnected. Ken Duberstein has been a trustee at the Brookings Institution, a director of Boeing and Conoco-Phillips and also director of the Council on Foreign Relations.

Very interesting story. Rachel Maddow went after Koch family foundations a little bit on her show and might pick this item up.
http://www.choppedliverproductions.com Janice Leber (Chopped Liver)

Thanks for the comment. Muckety.com is a great resource and I did use it in researching this story; should have put in this link.

As for Mr. Champlin: I find it curious that he keeps such a low profile. There are millions of completely obscure people who are much easier to find on the google machine, and this guy wields a lot of influence. But please! No cameras!
chis leery

It should also be noted that Mr. Champlin is married to Mary Beth Cahill, former Campaign Manager for John Kerry. Moreover, his brother-in-law. Davide Castignetti(former staffer to Max Baucus–and a Kerry convention aide) runs a highly succesful lobbying frirm with former Bush staffer Ken Mehlman’s brother. They represent, among others–you guessed it–health care firms. Castagnetti lobbied Baucus to water down the Senate bill. All sides of the aisle covered when it comes to lobbying. These are not good government types, but rather business folks who seem ready to do anything for a profit. Shame on us for allowing this cozy “inside the Beltway” lobbying.
chris leery

I am sorry, I left out a couple of other pieces of information relative to Mr. Champlin. He has another brother-in-law who is a well paid hospital exec. in Boston. In addition, his sister-in-law Ann Castignetti(wife of the David Castegnetti–mentioned in the post above) was a Clinton White House staffer, and a staffer for John Kerryy–hired by her sister(Cahill) for the ’04 campaign along with Castignetti. Also, Champlin’s wife Mary Beth Cahill, mentioned in the previous post above, in addition to managing John Kerry’s presidential campaign, was –yes this is true–Chief of Staff to the late Senator Ted Kennedy(is this rich with irony or what???!!!) She also was a big player in the Clinton WH. She has also been active with the liberal pro-choice group Emily’s List that supports women candidates who are pro-choice(again ironically, the pro-choice component of the House bill was watered down–well eliminated).

Now that lobbying firms have given up any pretense of supporting one party’s agenda over another’s–they have simply become home to former Congressional staffers and White House staffers who want to make a buck. What better way for Democrats and Republican lobbyists to make money than to join forces across party lines and cover both sides of the aisle. It may be good business, but— It is disheartening to say the least!
For crying out loud, Champlin worked for liberal populist David Bonoir. Is there no shame??? These former idealistic young staffers have morphed into corpulent, over-fed , over-paid Inside the beltway shills. Great.
susan frank

AMEN!!!! I would love to be around the dinner table when Champlin and his wife discuss health care. I didn’t know about all the family connections————very interesting. It’s on big trough in our nation’s capital I guess. Your point about these people coming in as young idealists is right on. Then they turn into greedy people who play the politicans like a well oiled machine. If these fatted hogs would spend as much time volunteering their efforts in our schools or hopsitals–or if they would take jobs as teachers in our worst schools–we would all be better off(or not). Not as many fancy Washington, DC parties I guess. Ted Kennedy was a champion of health care–and this Mary Beth Cahill is married to this Champlin fellow who–in his infinite wisdon–thinks we don’t need reform–this turns my stomach. I hope Ted’s kids and nephews/nieces get the message and remove Cahill from the vaunted “Kennedy family” of former aides. Champlin and his former-Hill staffer relative David Castagnetti have traded on their past affiliations long enough.
Now is the time for organizations like Common Cause to step to the plate and expose these nouveau riche phony liberals(limousine liberals). We need health reform and we will get it despite the avraice of Champlin, Castagnetti, Cahill etc!!!!!!
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