Recalcitrant Blue Dogs Raked In Health Industry Cash

The seven Blue Dog Democrats holding up health care reform legislation in the House Energy and Commerce Committee have received tens of thousands more dollars from health and insurance interests than other Democrats on the same committee, a new report finds.

An analysis of campaign finance data by the Public Campaign Action Fund finds a fairly strong correlation between private industry donations and opposition to health care reform. Lawmakers in both the House and Senate who voted against proposed legislation this congressional cycle, the report found, received roughly 65 percent more money from health and insurance interests than those who supported the bills.

When it came to the Blue Dogs in particular, that data showed that the seven members who sit on the Energy and Commerce Committee — Reps. Mike Ross (Ala.), Baron Hill (Ind.), Charlie Melancon (La.), Jim Matheson (Utah), John Barrow (Ga.), Bart Gordon (Tenn.) and Zach Space (Ohio) — have received, on average, $711,828 from the health and insurance sectors. Other Democrats on the committee, by contrast, have received an average of $628,023.

$628K vs. $711K? HUGE difference! Of course, damn near all of our “leaders” are feeding at the industry trough.

I want leaders that lead. I don’t want leaders that follow the money.

If this doesn’t make you lose hope in the ability for a centralized top-down “revolution” in healthcare to actually benefit the citizens, I don’t know what will.

Can anyone tell me the benefits of buying a vote or an opinion with money from the oligopolies? What good does it do for the citizens being crushed by the cost of basic healthcare and the fear of personal bankruptcy?