While Hollywood Payroll Folks Grouse About 'Irksome' ObamaCare Laws, Stars Sign Up To Promote It

In response to Hollywood Braces for ObamaCare Regulations:

Here’s the funny part. While the Hollywood payroll folks are stewing about the “irksome” nature of the law which they contend was not written with their industry in mind, (haha), the White House is courting Hollywood celebs to “educate and promote” Obamacare to the little people.

The Hill reported earlier, this week

Trevor Neilson, a veteran of the Clinton White House, said he’s in talks with the Obama administration and that his clients are “looking at ways to be involved.” 

Neilson represents Eva Longoria, John Legend and many other stars as president of Global Philanthropy Group. His past clients have reportedly included Shakira and Madonna, and he has close ties to Bono and Bill Gates.

“I think the White House is very wise to identify partners to help market the Affordable Care Act,” Neilson said Tuesday. 

Kathleen Sebelius has been in talks with the NFL and the NBA to help push Obamacare, and Friday an NFL spokesman told a reporter they have no plans to help promote the law.

In an email to the Washington Examiner’s Philip Klein NFL Spokesman Brian McCarthy said that the league has responded to the concerns voiced by lawmakers about the potential that the NFL could begin pushing the new health insurance plans soon to be available under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

“We have responded to the letters we received from members of Congress to inform them we currently have no plans to engage in this area and have had no substantive contact with the administration about PPACA’s implementation,” McCarthy emailed.

There’s no word yet on what the NBA has decided to do, but Republican Senators wrote a letter, released Friday, warning the NFL and the NBA not to do it.

“It is difficult for us to remember another occasion when [a] major sports league took public sides in such a highly polarized public debate,” the lawmakers wrote. 

“Given the divisiveness and persistent unpopularity of this bill, it is difficult to understand why an organization like yours would risk damaging its inclusive and apolitical brand by lending its name to its promotion.” 

The letter comes just after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.), head of the conservative Republican Study Committee, told the NFL and NBA not to do Sebelius’s “dirty work.”