$uddenly the Lobbyi$t$
Want Healthcare Reform
Despite senatorial struts and blue-dog truculence, it looks like healthcare “reform” will pass. Why? Because (Death to Harry and Louise!) suddenly drug and insurance industry lobbyists are all for it.
Once it was anathema. Now they’e willing to bet every senator they own that “reform” can shower them with corporate welfare beyond their wildest dreams.
Already the HMOs are doing a land office business subcontracting on Medicare, and Big Pharma has congressional approval to charge Medicare two and three times what their drugs cost in any other country. Make healthcare mandatory for individuals and companies, and their ill-gotten gains will multiply.
AP reports that at long last the drug industry, the AMA, hospital groups, and the insurance lobby are all in favor of healthcare reform.
Right.
Brace yourself for the Health Industry Shameless Enrichment Act of 2009.
If those folks are all lined up at the government trough, you don’t even have to read the bill. Veto it.
Obama won’t do that, of course. He has to work with what he has. According to OpenSecrets.org, these industry groups gave $167 million in campaign contributions to congressional candidates in 2008 alone. They also ploughed $484 million into lobbying efforts. They used your money, of course, and right now they’re pouring even larger bribes down the same rat holes to make sure they still control the Senate.
My turn as God is overdue, but it could come as early as next week.
Here’s what I’m going to have Obama do:
In an address to the nation, challenge all congressmen and senators to return the contributions they’ve received from healthcare interests over the past three years – and to refuse future contributions until true healthcare reform has been enacted.
He can also ask (personally and through his grassroots infrastructure) that all citizens demand the same and keep on demanding it until their legislators either agree or have been replaced.
Lobbyist largesse (via billboards featuring a large ass) can be an issue in every campaign.
Once the Augean Stables have been cleaned out (we’re still dreaming, you understand), the legislators can try representing the interests of their constituents instead of their contributors, and maybe something meaningful can get done.
That’s called democracy. Possibly we should give it a try before sending any more of our young people off to die in wars promising to spread the wonders of democracy.
Without some such thunderbolt from Olympus, Washington is about to whelp a monstrous giveaway for the very people who have bloated our healthcare expenses to twice that of any comparable country — and have set us on the road to destroying Medicare, Medicaid, American business, the economy, and the lives of millions.
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…perchance to dream. You realize, of course, that you are demanding nothing less than the a return to the principles upon which this republic was founded. Not an unreasonable request, to be sure, until you realize that you are asking this of politicians.
Comment by Steve Alber — July 28, 2009 @ 8:10 am
True, true, but consider the Civil Service. USPS carriers, for example, whose own slogan offers “Swift Couriers,” and it was Swift, remember, who said, “First, let’s kill all the lawyers,” which would eliminate most of the politicians, and then we’re in business. Besides, that other guy — the one we all try to write like? — said “We are such stuff as dreams are made on,” so at least we have the backing of some smart people.
Comment by Al — July 28, 2009 @ 12:45 pm
Since you’re running the show…
When they actually vote on the legislation, please have them state the amount of contributions they’ve received from Pharma and Healthcare in the past 3 years before uttering their Yea or Nay.
Comment by Barb — July 28, 2009 @ 10:43 pm
A fine idea. I’ll also arrange to pose each one of them in a black-and-white prison photo displaying the total of contributions instead of a serial number. Along with Bernie Madoff, since their thefts are comparable (though larger) in magnitude. Finally, I’ll transfer them to the Andromeda galaxy, or possibly somewhat farther from your wallet.
Comment by Al — July 29, 2009 @ 5:15 pm
Not to be TOO much of a nitpicker but you might want to check Henry VI, Act IV, Scene II. May I modestly propose that you may actually have been thinking of a catchy solution to the population explosion and its inevitable result in even more venal politicians.
Comment by Joan — July 29, 2009 @ 5:52 pm
I know — I was just testing you. Mark also pointed out that it wasn’t Swift who suggested killing all the lawyers. The thing is, to incite comments on your blog, you have to make mistakes. I didn’t know who it was and, as I told Mark, I didn’t care — Swift was the word I wanted to play with. I’m following the rule for accuracy that the immortal Dock Howard enunciated with regard to correct spelling when Mark chided him about it. Said Dock: “Spelling, on the Internet, is like punching a mime — there is no wrong way to do it.”
But at least I have the consolation of having a brilliant ex-wife and son.
Comment by Al — July 29, 2009 @ 8:09 pm
Wait! Isn’t there a brain teaser that goes like that? You know, someone is in an accident and is rushed into an operating room, and the surgeon dramatically declares, “I can’t operate! This person is my brilliant ex-wife and son!”
Comment by Barb — July 30, 2009 @ 12:04 am
… and so to bed.
Comment by Steve Alber — July 30, 2009 @ 8:50 am
But yes … the brainteaser. The little indian isn’t the big indian’s son, so who’s going to operate on his big mother?
And Steve, I was sure it wuld be you who would catch me out on quoting Shakespeare’s line as Swift’s. For god’s sake, man — wake up! You know Henry VI by heart!
Comment by Al — July 30, 2009 @ 10:17 am