Money

Hey, you know what the difference is between Senators who oppose new health care measures and those who support them? Well, on average, it's about $1.1 million per year in donations from the health sector according to OpenSecrets. Is your mind blown yet? Politicians getting money from an industry in return for opposing popular legislation. I know, it's unthinkable, but that's what OpenSecrets says is going on with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, which approved a health care bill yesterday. From the OS report:

* Those members who voted "no" today have received $1.1 million more on average from the health sector since 1989 than those who voted "yes" ($2.2 million versus $1.1 million). This includes contributions from the employees and political action committees of health companies to the lawmakers' candidate committees and leadership PACs.

* Those members who voted "no" have received $118, 227 more on average from insurance companies than those who voted "yes" -- $250,000 compared to $131,800. This includes health and accident insurers, HMOs and health services.

* Those members who voted "no" have received $266,182 more on average from pharmaceutical and health product companies than those who voted "yes" -- $520,100 compared to $253,950.

Shocking. John McCain has been hoarding the most cash, tripling the second place runner up in health sector donations. It has something to do with how mavericky he is. I mean normally someone who gets face cancer every other month would appreciate the need for quality health care and access to it. But McCain's maverick streak (and rich wife paying the bills) allows him to not care about all the medical concerns of the peasant class.

In any event, the bill that passed the Senate Committee 13-10 is remarkably similar to the House bill and includes a public plan. I don't know what's more shocking: money losing out in the Senate or a good idea beating bullshit compromise in the Senate. Surely there must have been some mass hostage taking or bombing threat to cause this sort of deviation from the Senate norm. We can only hope the hostages won't be released until the final vote takes place.

EDIT: Spoke too soon. There's the "centrists" standing up to fuck everyone. Whew! I thought I was going crazy there for a minute when I saw the Senate actually functioning.