Upton Sinclair stated it very succinctly "It is difficult to get a man to understand something when his salary depends on his not understanding it." Other than substituting "donations" for "salary" this is a clear explanation of why politicians toe the corporate line instead of working in the interests of the people.

In the 1970's when the public was all riled up about health care costs, presidential candidate, Jimmy Carter talked about the government cracking down. After he was elected, the medical industry suddenly changed its tune; "You don't have to make us cut costs," they promised. "We'll do it voluntarily." Of course as soon as the pressure was off they returned to their profit hungry ways and prices soared.

Then in the early 1990's people were once again up in arms and Hilary Clinton's health care reform was the result. This time the medical industry didn't try to make nice. Instead they spent millions of the dollars they'd made off the illness and suffering of the American people to blanket the airwaves with expensive deceitful ads that sent Clinton's health care package into a death spiral. Once it was dead, as gracious winners, they said they would voluntarily cut prices. We can see from today's prices how well that worked out.

So here we are again, in the first decade of the 2000's with people angry and demanding change. The health care industry is making the same "voluntary" offers at the discussion table, while at the same time, in just the first quarter of 2009, they spent more than $134 million on lobbying. Some are already shelling out more big bucks for a publicity blitz and ads attacking any health care reform that threatens to reduce their profits.

Surely it is obvious to anyone capable of thought that the health care industry is not going to police itself. They are not interested in people having decent health care. They are only interested in the profit to be made from health care and they will do and say whatever it takes to protect those profits. To take seriously their ideas about health care reform is to suspend all rational thought.

Senators Baucus, Conrad, Feinstein, Nelson, Landrieu, Bayh all come from states where people really need robust health care reform but they are not supporting the public option - the only option that means real reform. Senator Chuck Grassley says if there is to be a bipartisan bill, the public option is out; this despite 56% of his constituents favoring a public option.

Using bipartisanship as the excuse for weakening reform is not only disingenuous, it is insulting to think people believe it. Bipartisanship takes both sides cooperating. Do you see any Republicans cooperating... on health care reform or anything else?   

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