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    Politicians for sale

    Revealed: millions spent by lobbyists fighting Obama health reforms | World news | guardian.co.uk


    Revealed: millions spent by lobby firms fighting Obama health reforms

    Six lobbyists for every member of Congress as healthcare industry heaps cash on politicians to water down legislation


    Chris McGreal in Washington

    America's healthcare industry has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to block the introduction of public medical insurance and stall other reforms promised by Barack Obama. The campaign against the president has been waged in part through substantial donations to key politicians.

    Supporters of radical reform of healthcare say legislation emerging from the US Senate reflects the financial power of vested interests ‑ principally insurance companies, pharmaceutical firms and hospitals ‑ that have worked to stop far-reaching changes threatening their profits.

    The industry and interest groups have spent $380m (£238m) in recent months influencing healthcare legislation through lobbying, advertising and in direct political contributions to members of Congress. The largest contribution, totalling close to $1.5m, has gone to the chairman of the senate committee drafting the new law.

    A former member of Bill Clinton's cabinet says fears that the industry could throw its money behind the populist rightwing backlash against public insurance have scared the Obama White House into pulling back from the most significant reforms in return for healthcare companies not trying to scupper the entire legislation.

    Drug and insurance companies say they are merely seeking to educate politicians and the public. But with industry lobbyists swarming over Capitol Hill ‑ there are six registered healthcare lobbyists for every member of Congress ‑ a partner in the most powerful lobbying firm in Washington acknowledged that healthcare firms' money "has had a lot of influence" and that it is "morally suspect".

    Reform groups say vast spending, and the threat of a lot more being poured into advertisements against the administration, has helped drug companies ensure there will be no cap on the prices they charge for medicines ‑ one of the ways the White House had hoped to keep down surging healthcare costs.

    Insurance companies have done even better as the new legislation will prove a business bonanza. It is not only likely to kill off the threat of public health insurance, which threatened to siphon off customers by offering lower premiums and better coverage, but will force millions more people to take out private medical policies or face prosecution.

    "It's a total victory for the health insurance industry," said Dr Steffie Woolhander, a GP, professor of medicine at Harvard University and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Programme (PNHP).

    "What the bill has done is use the coercive power of the state to force people to hand their money over to a private entity which is the private insurance industry. That is not what people were promised."

    PNHP blames a political process it says is corrupted by millions of dollars poured into the election campaigns of members of Congress and influencing the discourse about health reform by funding advertising campaigns, supposedly independent studies and patients rights organisations that press the industry's interests.

    A primary target of criticism is Senator Max Baucus, the single largest recipient of health industry political donations and chairman of the finance committee that drafted the legislation criticised by Woolhander.

    The committee this week twice voted against including public insurance in the legislation, with Baucus opposing it both times.

    Baucus took $1.5m from the health sector for his political fund in the past year. Other members of the committee have received hundreds of thousands of dollars. They include Senator Pat Roberts, who last week tried to stall the bill by arguing that lobbyists needed three days to read it.

    Baucus holds dinners for health industry executives at which they pay thousands of dollars each to be at the table, and an annual fly-fishing and golfing weekend in his home state of Montana that lobbyists pay handsomely to attend. They have included John Jonas, who represents healthcare firms for Patton Boggs, widely regarded as the top lobbying firm in Washington. Jonas, who formerly worked on the congressional staff, acknowledges that political contributions are intended to buy influence and says it works.

    "It would be very naive to say they're not influenced. The contributors certainly hope they're influencing and the recipients probably ultimately are influenced," he said. "I think it's a morally suspect practice, and then you have to look at its application to see if it's morally bankrupt ... I think what's bad about the system is it's got more and more lax over time.

    "When I started in this practice you did not talk issues at a fundraiser. It was impolite. And then with this need for money, the system has got coarser over time so that they go around the room asking what issues you're interested in, much more of a linkage of dollars to a discussion of the issues now."

    The health industry permeates the process in other ways. At Baucus's side, drafting much of the wording of the reform, was Liz Fowler, a senate committee counsel whose last position was vice-president of the country's largest health insurer, Wellpoint, which stands to be a principal beneficiary of the new law.

    Health companies and their lobby firms also recruit heavily among congressional staffers as a means of maintaining influence.

    Baucus declines to discuss political donations but told Montana's Missoulian newspaper earlier this year that "no one gets special treatment".

    Robert Reich, the labour secretary in the Clinton administration, says the Obama White House, mindful of how the health industry killed off Clinton's attempts at reform, has grown so fearful of industry money that it has quietly reached agreement to pull back from price caps and public health insurance.

    "The White House made a Faustian bargain with big pharma and big insurance, essentially scuttling both of these profit-squeezing mechanisms in return for these industries' agreement not to oppose healthcare legislation with platoons of lobbyists and millions of dollars of TV ads."

    The pharmaceutical companies are apparently pleased enough that they are now putting $120m into advertising supporting the emerging legislation.

    Jonas described the bill emerging from the Senate as "in realm of what is politically possible".

    "Is the bill overly distorted by money? I don't think it actually is," he said. "It's a good bill in the sense that it's a net improvement in the system ... [but] it's a bad bill if you think it's supposed to be a comprehensive solution to the US healthcare problems."
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    Sesh,

    No suprise here. Look at the union contributions on the other side of the fence.

    What the's point?

    On a side note,

    Who is this Lord Monctkon guy from your side of the pond?
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    Monckton is one of those crazy eccentric English aristocrat fuckwits that tend to go down quite well in the US.

    Very few people over here will have heard of him. Occasionally I've seen him wheeled out to give the idiot point of view to add a bit of fun to a TV program. Last I heard him I think he was doing the climate change denial shit and got owned on the radio by a scientist.

    He's one of those bullshitter snake oil guys. He wanders around claiming to be a member of our parliament but he got kicked out years ago the minute they got rid of hereditary idiots. He has absolutely no scientific qualifications and used to claim that you couldn't get AIDS unless you were gay, not sure if he still says that.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Train View Post
    Sesh,

    No suprise here. Look at the union contributions on the other side of the fence.

    What the's point?

    On a side note,

    Who is this Lord Monctkon guy from your side of the pond?
    At least the unions have worker's interests at stake.

    I tend to see where unions can take it a bit far...but as a shop steward I have seen enough to know they are necessary.
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    Quote Originally Posted by WACF View Post
    At least the unions have worker's interests at stake.

    I tend to see where unions can take it a bit far...but as a shop steward I have seen enough to know they are necessary.
    I agree, but they are both necessary, that's my point. "Corporate interests" are the interests of investors and owners. That's why I find these articles to be not of much use. OF COURSE people will make contributions based on where there interests are positioned.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Seshmeister View Post
    Monckton is one of those crazy eccentric English aristocrat fuckwits that tend to go down quite well in the US.

    Very few people over here will have heard of him. Occasionally I've seen him wheeled out to give the idiot point of view to add a bit of fun to a TV program. Last I heard him I think he was doing the climate change denial shit and got owned on the radio by a scientist.

    He's one of those bullshitter snake oil guys. He wanders around claiming to be a member of our parliament but he got kicked out years ago the minute they got rid of hereditary idiots. He has absolutely no scientific qualifications and used to claim that you couldn't get AIDS unless you were gay, not sure if he still says that.
    Thanks,

    I had never heard of him until today, I read some things and I was under the impression he was in your government somehow.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Train View Post
    I agree, but they are both necessary, that's my point. "Corporate interests" are the interests of investors and owners....
    And fucking over the middle class by convincing them to vote against their own interests - which is about 90% of the GOP platform...
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    Try owning something...then it won't be your problem. At some point, you either begin to make those changes for yourself and build up your net worth or you don't. Then your being "fucked over".

    Voting against their own interests? Keeping American business healthly does more for the middle class than anything else (and yes, there are exceptions).

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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Train View Post
    Try owning something...then it won't be your problem. In America, got to be moving up.
    Owning something besides you? You and Wheezy movin' on up to a big house way up in the sky...

    But you can't..whaaa
    Dude, you whine a fuck lot more than I do in this forum. Your taxes are too high, your bio-stocks lost value. Fucking please, dude. You're one of the biggest, hypersensitive babies in here..

    At some point, you either begin to make those changes for yourself and build up your net worth or you don't. Then your being "fucked over".
    Oh, sorry Daddy Warbucks. But, the basic facts are the basic facts. The middle class, the true vibrancy of this country is shrinking, wages have been stagnant for 30 years, and corporate profits have never been higher. Mainly of course this is due to the privatization of everything. But as long as you have your chunk of change, fuck everybody else right.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nickdfresh View Post
    Owning something besides you? You and Wheezy movin' on up to a big house way up in the sky...

    TRY owning something I said.

    Dude, you whine a fuck lot more than I do in this forum. Your taxes are too high, your bio-stocks lost value. Fucking please, dude. You're one of the biggest, hypersensitive babies in here..

    Hey fuckface, how about you calm down and wait till I finish editing my posts. Who is hypersensitive, has to comment less than one minute after a post? Hold off crying until I'm done. And yea my taxes are to high (so are yours) and my biostocks didn't lost much at all. They just haven't gone up.

    Oh, sorry Daddy Warbucks. But, the basic facts are the basic facts. The middle class, the true vibrancy of this country is shrinking, wages have been stagnant for 30 years, and corporate profits have never been higher. Mainly of course this is due to the privatization of everything. But as long as you have your chunk of change, fuck everybody else right.
    You'd feel the same way to, if you started out in the middle class, seeing those "basic facts", saw it for what it was and made changes to own something. We all saw it coming and nothing changed (your dems did nothing about it either, so don't just blame republicans and independents). It was coming and the only thing to do was to begin making money for myself instead of relying on someone else's paycheck. You know, being intelligent instead of whining about it for 30 years. I'm in a good spot now because of hard and smart work, so yea, fuck everybody else in some senses for wanting to just take it in the name of "justice".

    I'm not completely coldhearted (a portrait you like to paint), but I'm not giving an inch on what I have busted my ass for.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nickdfresh View Post
    Dude, you whine a fuck lot more than I do in this forum.
    That's funny!!!


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    Quote Originally Posted by Big Train View Post
    Hey fuckface, how about you calm down and wait till I finish editing my posts. Who is hypersensitive, has to comment less than one minute after a post? Hold off crying until I'm done. And yea my taxes are to high (so are yours) and my biostocks didn't lost much at all. They just haven't gone up. '
    Hey douchenozzle, why don't you learn to properly use the quote function? And I wasn't keeping track of the timing of your posts. That's not my problem...

    You'd feel the same way to, if you started out in the middle class, seeing those "basic facts", saw it for what it was and made changes to own something. We all saw it coming and nothing changed (your dems did nothing about it either, so don't just blame republicans and independents). It was coming and the only thing to do was to begin making money for myself instead of relying on someone else's paycheck. You know, being intelligent instead of whining about it for 30 years. I'm in a good spot now because of hard and smart work, so yea, fuck everybody else in some senses for wanting to just take it in the name of "justice".
    LOL "Own what?" You saw what "coming" actually? If you're "making money for (your)self," I'm pretty sure you had it to begin with. And I forgot how much more intelligent you are than I am, because your posting never fails to make me forget that. Your political decisions are are pretty horrid after all. How did voting for Bush help you again? You saved a few hundred on taxes from a guy whose economic philosophy of almost total deregulation contributed to the collapse of Wall St....

    I'm not completely coldhearted (a portrait you like to paint), but I'm not giving an inch on what I have busted my ass for.
    Nor do you give much of a fuck for the actual system that supported you and allowed you to live a relatively comfortable existence...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nickdfresh View Post
    Hey douchenozzle, why don't you learn to properly use the quote function? And I wasn't keeping track of the timing of your posts. That's not my problem...

    It's not my problem that you respond to a post 90 secs after I put it there.


    If you're "making money for (your)self," I'm pretty sure you had it to begin with. And I forgot how much more intelligent you are than I am, because your posting never fails to make me forget that. Your political decisions are are pretty horrid after all. How did voting for Bush help you again? You saved a few hundred on taxes from a guy whose economic philosophy of almost total deregulation contributed to the collapse of Wall St....

    I'm pretty sure your wrong. I had jack shit to start with, but explaining that doesn't help your preconcieved notions, so I'll let it be. My politicial decisions are horrid to you, but the day I start being graded by you and it means something, I'll care about that.

    Nor do you give much of a fuck for the actual system that supported you and allowed you to live a relatively comfortable existence...
    I guess not, since I had it to begin with right? Why would I? All the positions I support, support the systems that actually DID give me help.

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    LMAO!

    Dickbreath just got OWNED!!!

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nickdfresh View Post
    Hey douchenozzle, why don't you learn to properly use the quote function? And I wasn't keeping track of the timing of your posts. That's not my problem...

    It's not my problem that you respond to a post 90 secs after I put it there.

    I just clicked on the post when I noticed it, dickhead. What? Is there some sort of
    grace period or something? Try thinking about what you're writing before hitting the send button...


    If you're "making money for (your)self," I'm pretty sure you had it to begin with. And I forgot how much more intelligent you are than I am, because your posting never fails to make me forget that. Your political decisions are are pretty horrid after all. How did voting for Bush help you again? You saved a few hundred on taxes from a guy whose economic philosophy of almost total deregulation contributed to the collapse of Wall St....

    I'm pretty sure your wrong. I had jack shit to start with, but explaining that doesn't help your preconcieved notions, so I'll let it be. My politicial decisions are horrid to you, but the day I start being graded by you and it means something, I'll care about that.

    Ooooh! Touche. Yeah, well Henry Ford, congratulations on your rags to riches success...


    Nor do you give much of a fuck for the actual system that supported you and allowed you to live a relatively comfortable existence...

    I guess not, since I had it to begin with right? Why would I? All the positions I support, support the systems that actually DID give me help.
    Like which one? A socialized subsidy from the gov't?

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    Quote Originally Posted by ELVIS View Post
    LMAO!

    Dickbreath just got OWNED!!!
    Or Elvis just gagged on BT-coch as his little cheerleader panties rode into his crack...

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    Quote Originally Posted by Nickdfresh View Post
    Like which one? A socialized subsidy from the gov't?
    The government systems, nope weren't many. Post Office maybe, snow plows in the winter. Stuff that actually worked to provide a benefit. My father refused to take any social assistance for us (all 7), so sorry.

    The private sector provide jobs for us and provided the opportunities I needed to go into business for myself.

    I'm enjoying all this high minded dialogue we are having now, btw. Actual debate I don't mind.

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