All you need to know about why the deck is stacked against us in the battle for health care reform. From Bill Moyers via Crooks and Liars:
"Take a close look at that woman sitting behind Montana Senator Max Baucus. He's the Democrat who's the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Liz Fowler is her name. And now get this. She used to work for WellPoint, the largest health insurer in the country. She was Vice President of Public Policy. And now she's working for the very committee with the most power to give her old company and the entire industry exactly what they want: higher profits, and no competition from alternative non-profit coverage that could lower costs and premiums.
I'm not making this up. Here's another little eye-opener. The woman who was Baucus' top health advisor before he hired Liz Fowler? Her name is Michelle Easton. Why did she leave the Committee? To go to work -- where else? -- at a firm representing the same company Liz Fowler worked for WellPoint. As a lobbyist.
It's the old Washington shell game. Lobbyist out, lobbyist in. And it's why they always win."
*sigh*
"Take a close look at that woman sitting behind Montana Senator Max Baucus. He's the Democrat who's the Chairman of the Finance Committee. Liz Fowler is her name. And now get this. She used to work for WellPoint, the largest health insurer in the country. She was Vice President of Public Policy. And now she's working for the very committee with the most power to give her old company and the entire industry exactly what they want: higher profits, and no competition from alternative non-profit coverage that could lower costs and premiums.
I'm not making this up. Here's another little eye-opener. The woman who was Baucus' top health advisor before he hired Liz Fowler? Her name is Michelle Easton. Why did she leave the Committee? To go to work -- where else? -- at a firm representing the same company Liz Fowler worked for WellPoint. As a lobbyist.
It's the old Washington shell game. Lobbyist out, lobbyist in. And it's why they always win."
*sigh*
des thanks for the keen observations. i'm hoping if staffers have the appearance of switching sides perhaps for now they truly have. my reasoning is if they are truly corporate corpses for souless entities they go where money, power and ambition drives them, much like lieberman schilling for mccain, then tucking tail back to pelosi & reid when obama won. like we took this traitor back, i'm hoping baucus takes it where he can get it, including former wellpoint people. think about it, insurance is in a win-win, reform passes, they increase business and make more money. reform loses, gets watered down or postponed, business as usual with coverage denial & climbing premiums. either way shareholders get fat. after hillary care was defeated, hugh downs & barbara walters had a 20/20 segment devoted to a women who felt guilty about her role in humana. the show started out at the grave of a young mother, denied treatment for a liver ailment under pre-existing. the ex-claims mgr showed receipts of "bonus" travel to europe and cash incentives she & the claims dept raked in with automatic denials. reminds me of the former cigna exec who books on every show he can. from the humana "remorse" story i have to wonder if the cigna will spark any momentum.
Government by the lobbyists, of the corporations and for the bottom line profit.
Why is this not illegal? It may be "legal" but it stinks to high heaven!!
It seems that those who still think America is a democracy are sadly mistaken.
Why can't people just do the right thing? Why do they continually have to screw with hard working, tax paying, law abiding citizens?
Oh sH**.
No wonder the American people continuously get screwed.
By the best Congress money can buy.