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Big pharma buys 111th congress. Purchase price: 1.4 million per day.
They say follow the money.
And opensecrets.org has made all the wheeling and dealing that goes on more transparent than ever. They have a whole section dedicated to the money the health care industry has sunk into the pockets of Senators and reps to buy the verdict on health care reform. It also tracks the movements of ex-congressional aides that have moved directly into lobbying spots and then back to congressional positions--the revolving door.
It makes you realize that much of what is going on is not a debate. It's an auction.
Votes go to the highest bidders.
And opensecrets.org has made all the wheeling and dealing that goes on more transparent than ever. They have a whole section dedicated to the money the health care industry has sunk into the pockets of Senators and reps to buy the verdict on health care reform. It also tracks the movements of ex-congressional aides that have moved directly into lobbying spots and then back to congressional positions--the revolving door.
It makes you realize that much of what is going on is not a debate. It's an auction.
Votes go to the highest bidders.
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The best government money can buy...
June 29, 2009 11:41 AM | Reply | Permalink
Like I guessed! Constituents don't "move" Feinstein - campaign donations do (they seem to move her colleagues, too).
June 29, 2009 12:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
Thanks for this! Saved and copied link - will send out to many who 'need to know' this information.
Rec'd.
June 29, 2009 12:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
You know, Dick Durbin said that congress is owned by the banking industry and not one word was heard from the press. You'd think that a U.S. Senator pronouncing that congress is bought would have stirred some interest.
June 29, 2009 1:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's astonishing to hear how candid some members of congress have become about the control industry has over government.
On one hand, I admire the refreshing honesty.
On the other hand, I don't think it should be used as an excuse for inaction.
A question has to be asked of each member of congress. Who were you elected to represent, private corporations or the public?
June 29, 2009 2:09 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's interesting to see how members of congress conduct themselves during this so-called debate about health care.
Diane Feinstein, for example, has said she's not moved at all by the "criticism from the left".
I think that her word choice here is myopic and political, (if you'll allow the redundancy:)
It's one thing to be cast aside by Republicans as "the left". But to be categorized, or typecast that way by Democrats is pretty troubling.
Granted, moveon.org is running ads criticizing Feinstein's wavering ambiguous position on health care reform and the public option.
But over 70% of Americans want health care reform. That is not "the left".
Here's a link to the article about Feinstein:
http://theplumline.whorunsgov.com/president-obama/dianne-feinstein-criticism-from-left-on-health-care-doesnt-move-me-one-whit/
June 29, 2009 1:58 PM | Reply | Permalink
Yeah, I wrote about Feinstein's myopia today, too. Here's the WaPo link I posted:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/27/AR2009062702232.html?hpid=topnews
Share! The more who hear it, the more folks will (hopefully) yell at her!
June 29, 2009 7:38 PM | Reply | Permalink
70% want healthcare reform. Not socialized healthcare.
June 29, 2009 9:07 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, 70% want health CARE.
No one wants to pay shiftless grifters to profit off of others misery.
In fact, if the pollsters asked, "Should people be allowed to profit off of other peoples sickness and misfortune?" Likely 90% or better would say: "No."
It's sick.
Not so long ago, it was unacceptable. Last Century all medical was not-for-profit. Peoples wellbeing is not a commodity to be bought and sold. It's absurd. I think we've all, (well, most) have learned just why that was.
June 29, 2009 9:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
No, 85% *have* health insurance. 15% are uninsured, and only 3% of the total legit United States population don't have health insurance and can't afford it.
3%. I think that's lower than most socialized medicine countries.
Oh, don't forget we have the best healthcare available in the world.
July 3, 2009 11:31 AM | Reply | Permalink
John Galt, is that you? You really exist?
They will gladly take what the rest of the civilized world has...
June 29, 2009 10:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
I went right to your link, and forgot to comment and rec.....
I promptly stole your link and gave it to Aunt Sam on one of my blogs with kudos to you of course.
What a great link. Wow.
THIS SUCKS
Not you, I mean THIS SUCKS.
Great Post Gary.
June 29, 2009 2:04 PM | Reply | Permalink
DD, the whole idea is to share these links. IMO, this one deserved its own post.
It's empowering to have all this specific information about the relationships between industry and congress.
Generalities are less effective than details about who is pocketing what in DC.
For example, specific disclosures about campaign contributions to Sen. Baucus from the health industry have become very public and he has had to answer for that. Unfortunately, all he did was a little tapdance about how he shouldn't have dismissed the concept of single payer outright.
But we need to keep publicizing these inconvenient facts on an individual basis so that individual members of congress come face to face with the consequences.
June 29, 2009 2:28 PM | Reply | Permalink
Robin Williams is supposed to have said that Congress should be more like NASCAR and wear their sponsor's names on their clothes.
June 29, 2009 3:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
S/B sponsors'
June 29, 2009 3:51 PM | Reply | Permalink
wow, that's a great concept. We need someone to do a rendering of what that would look like.
Senator Max Baucus, brought to you by Schering-Plough Corp, Merck, Pfizer, Blue Cross, Aetna, New York Life Insurance, Amgen, US Tobacco, Philip Morris (now Altria), JP Morgan, and AIG.
June 29, 2009 4:33 PM | Reply | Permalink
You're an artist, aren't you tpm? Hint, Hint.
June 29, 2009 5:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
:) seriously, does it look like I can draw?
June 29, 2009 5:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
It's your avatar maybe.
June 29, 2009 5:22 PM | Reply | Permalink
Can you photoshop?
=D
congresscritters heads on this maybe?
June 29, 2009 9:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know a small not-for-profit work center that does silk-screen printing. Hmmmm?
June 29, 2009 10:47 PM | Reply | Permalink
The can put in one of those giant electronic scoreboards in each house so that when a member votes, their logo appears on the screen.
June 29, 2009 6:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Couldn't be said any better.
June 29, 2009 4:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
The health care money tree is about to bear fruit.
It was in bloom during the presidential campaign. Here are the numbers for 2008 election campaign contributions from the industry.
Obama, Barack (D) $19,578,158
McCain, John (R) $7,418,423
Clinton, Hillary (D-NY) $6,630,985
McConnell, Mitch (R-KY) $1,354,535
Baucus, Max (D-MT) $1,161,175
Cornyn, John (R-TX) $961,719
Coleman, Norm (R-MN) $898,328
Paul, Ron (R-TX) $874,444
Pallone, Frank Jr (D-NJ) $845,445
Rangel, Charles B (D-NY) $827,549
Specter, Arlen (R-PA) $718,398
Chambliss, Saxby (R-GA) $713,709
Smith, Gordon H (R-OR) $713,013
Roberts, Pat (R-KS) $676,949
Harkin, Tom (D-IA) $673,048
Collins, Susan M (R-ME) $659,019
Dingell, John D (D-MI) $573,736
Udall, Mark (D-CO) $560,115
Landrieu, Mary L (D-LA) $556,918
Price, Tom (R-GA) $529,851
I wrote a letter the other day and called my president, senators and rep criminals. If we don't get the public option I'll know they could care less. That we voted for a bunch of criminals makes me puke.
June 29, 2009 5:19 PM | Reply | Permalink
If Americans had the brains and balls of Iranians we'd be in the streets over this corrupt and rotten process and we would demand single payer healthcare or turn every single one of them out of office. But, we're Americans, we'll just sit on our asses and take it.
June 29, 2009 8:40 PM | Reply | Permalink
What we need are a few pictures of some healthcare Nedas. We need some pictures of Americans who have died because they didn't have healthcare or received it too late.
June 29, 2009 9:49 PM | Reply | Permalink
There's a lot, astronomical, amount of money in sickness. That means health is equally as valuable. Smart corporations promote fitness & even supply exercise equipment & space. Also break rooms where you can just kind of chill out & recharge. The investment pays off many times over. Sadly the ones I've seen aren't American companies.
Being healthy & staying healthy is true healthcare. We should provide for & invest at both ends, health & sickness.
June 30, 2009 12:51 AM | Reply | Permalink