We Are Who We Take Money From

by: susanthe

Wed May 05, 2010 at 19:50:44 PM EDT

In 2005, Abramoff's money, via Tom DeLay's ARMPAC , caused considerable stir. J. D. Hayworth, the Republican primarying McCain in Arizona kept his Abramoff money.  Pressure exerted by NH Democrats forced Jeb Bradley to return his $15,000 from ARMPAC.  Ron Paul came under fire in 2007 for refusing to return donations from Neo-Nazi Don Black, the creator of StormFront, a white nationalist website.  Former Speaker of the NH House, Gene Chandler, got in big trouble for taking donations and not reporting them.

Even as oil devastates the seafood industry and the coast of Louisiana, Senator Mary Landrieu is calling for accelerated offshore  oil drilling. Mary Landrieu is the top recipient in Congress of donations from BP.

A recent press release from the NHDP criticizes Kelly Ayotte for taking some $150K from Wall St. execs, including a billionaire hedge fund manager.

Given that we watch and we criticize - it was especially painful to learn that one of the sponsors of the recent NHDP 100 Club Dinner was Wal-Mart.  As we all know,  Wal-Mart has long been criticized for their shoddy business practices, including not paying overtime, not providing health insurance for employees,  and paying so poorly that many employees are eligible for food stamps and Medicaid. They are anti-union. They are anti-women. Wal-Mart pharmacies do not stock the morning after pill. Wal-Mart engages in censorship. Books, movies, and  CDs purchased at Wal-Mart may be censored for bad language.  Wal-Mart is an evil empire in many, many respects.

I'm dismayed that the NHDP accepted money from Wal-Mart. Not only are their  ethics non-existent, taking money from them will lead to speculation about what they got in return.

Aren't we handing them enough ammo already?

Don't Give Up The Fight-Open Thread

by: JonnyBBad

Tue Jan 19, 2010 at 22:32:39 PM EST

On one level we have to wait for the gaming of Congress, as it now congeals anew.
Meanwhile back in the real world...

'now you've seen the light...you gotta stand up for your rights"

We All Drive Cadillacs Now

by: Dean Barker

Tue Dec 29, 2009 at 21:54:14 PM EST

"There's very little room for this bill to change," said Landrieu. "The framework really has to stay basically in place.

...Landrieu said she would not support the final legislation if negotiators tinkered with the Senate proposal for taxing high-cost insurance plans.

"I can only support a bill if the Cadillac plans are taxed at the level they are in the Senate [bill,]" said Landrieu. "It's not because I'm thrilled about taxing those plans, which I'm not, but it is the No. 1 cost-containment measure in the bill. It's what is going to drive costs down over time."

Within three years of its implementation, according to the Congressional Budget Office, the tax would apply to nearly 20 percent of all workers with employer-provided health coverage in the country, affecting some 31 million people. Within six years, according to Congress's Joint Committee on Taxation, the tax would reach a fifth of all households earning between $50,000 and $75,000 annually. Those families can hardly be considered very wealthy.

Proponents say the tax will raise nearly $150 billion over 10 years, but there's a catch. It's not expected to raise this money directly. The dirty little secret behind this onerous tax is that no one expects very many people to pay it. The idea is that rather than fork over 40 percent in taxes on the amount by which policies exceed the threshold, employers (and individuals who purchase health insurance on their own) will have little choice but to ratchet down the quality of their health plans.

These lower-value plans would have higher out-of-pocket costs, thus increasing the very things that are so maddening to so many policyholders right now: higher and higher co-payments, soaring deductibles and so forth. Some of the benefits of higher-end policies can be expected in many cases to go by the boards: dental and vision care, for example, and expensive mental health coverage.

On the other hand, this bill benefits Senator Mary Landrieu's benefactors wonderfully.

In other news, I received a campaign email this evening from Carol Shea-Porter (of the aforementioned House of Representatives, whose bill instead pays for itself in part by a tax surcharge on the wealthiest among us). It reminded me that Representative Shea-Porter does not accept business PAC or DC lobbyist money for her campaigns.

One could argue that Mary Landrieu and Carol Shea-Porter have one thing in common: neither represent an electorate in which it is effortless, or indeed easy, for a Democrat to win an election.

But life is about choices, and our own first district Representative has chosen to keep private health industry money out of her campaigns.

Tonight I made the choice to reward that fundraising standard with what little I can afford to give.

Mary Landrieu, Senate Democrat & Shameless Liar

by: Dean Barker

Wed Dec 16, 2009 at 20:54:16 PM EST

What an unbelievable train wreck.  The Republicans are laughing at us.

And Senate Democrats like Mary Landrieu made it possible, all along the health care reform process.