Industry Cash Flowed To Drafters of Health Care Reform-Baucus Is a Leading Recipient

[babylonsister]

:argh:


Industry Cash Flowed To Drafters of Reform
Key Senator Baucus Is a Leading Recipient

By Dan Eggen
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, July 21, 2009


As liberal protesters marched outside, Sen. Max Baucus sat down inside a San Francisco mansion for a dinner of chicken cordon bleu and a discussion of landmark health-care legislation under consideration by his Senate Finance Committee.

At the table on May 26 were about 20 donors willing to fork over $10,000 or more to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, including executives of major insurance companies, hospitals and other health-care firms.

"Most people there had an agenda; they wanted the ear of a senator, and they got it," said Aaron Roland, a San Francisco health-care activist who paid half price to attend the gathering. "Money gets you in the door. The only thing the other side can do is march around and protest outside."

As his committee has taken center stage in the battle over health-care reform, Chairman Baucus (D-Mont.) has emerged as a leading recipient of Senate campaign contributions from the hospitals, insurers and other medical interest groups hoping to shape the legislation to their advantage. Health-related companies and their employees gave Baucus's political committees nearly $1.5 million in 2007 and 2008, when he began holding hearings and making preparations for this year's reform debate.

Top health executives and lobbyists have continued to flock to the senator's often extravagant fundraising events in recent months. During a Senate break in late June, for example, Baucus held his 10th annual fly-fishing and golfing weekend in Big Sky, Mont., for a minimum donation of $2,500. Later this month comes "Camp Baucus," a "trip for the whole family" that adds horseback riding and hiking to the list of activities.

more...

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/20/AR2009072003363.html?hpid=topnews

[Winterblues]

1. "There is hardly any difference between the Parties"

Boy Howdy did Nader catch holy hell for that statement...:shrug:

[datasuspect]

2. and they let the banks rewrite the bankruptcy code

our system of government is corrupt to its core. it's a pay-to-play system and they KNOW WITH CERTAINTY that the public is too docile and stupid to rise up against it.

they laugh all the way to the bank. at US. on OUR dime.

the plight of the average american will not be improved using the system in place.

[Overseas]

3. Wish the top 10 recipients of privatized medical industry funding had to recuse themselves

from voting on healthcare reform.


Seems like a strong conflict of interest to me.