– Need more reasons why serious health care reform won’t becoming to the U.S., in spite of what President Obama’s implied?   Don’t get me wrong. I am a big Obama fan.  But, the cards are too deeply stacked against real health care reform here.  It’s just a political reality on the ground.
– See also here and here and here.
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Health insurers and drug makers have showered members of the 111th Congress with millions in campaign contributions over the last four years, with a special focus on leaders who will play major roles in shaping health-care legislation, according to a study to be released tomorrow.
Health insurers and their employees contributed $2.2 million to the top 10 recipients in the House and Senate since 2005, while drug makers and their employees gave more than $3.3 million to top lawmakers during that period, according to an analysis of federal elections data by Consumer Watchdog, a California-based advocacy group.
The biggest beneficiaries in the Senate included  John McCain (R-Ariz.), with $546,000;  Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), with $425,000; and  Max Baucus (D-Mont.), with $413,000, who as head of the Finance Committee will play a leading role in the debate over health-care reform.
In the House, the two groups gave $257,000 to  Minority Leader John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) and $249,000 to Minority Whip  Eric Cantor (R-Va.). On the Democratic side,  Rep. Earl Pomeroy (N.D.) received contributions from the insurance sector ($104,000), while  Rep. John D. Dingell (Mich.) took in $180,000 from drug companies.
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