It’s Time

It’s been more than two weeks. Both e-mail and telephone contacts have failed to elicit any response. So far, my offers to debate my congressman during the August recess have gone unanswered.

It’s  possible you have heard the term Blue Dog Democrat. This is used to identify a group of congressmen who in the past were frequently called DINOs, Democrats In Name Only.

My Congressman is Bart Gordon from the 6^th District of Tennessee. Bart is in his 12^th term. As such, he is one of the senior Blue Dogs, possibly the senior member of that group. Being that secure of an incumbent gives him sufficient leeway to ignore the interests and needs of his constituents and become a senior toady for those with lots of money.

The Blue Dogs claim to be fiscally responsible Democrats. Almost all who were in office at the time voted for Bush’s $1.3 trillion tax cuts, however. This tax cut was accompanied with no countervailing cuts in expenditures. That is not the only vote that calls their fiscal responsibility into question.

It’s possible they are speaking of their personal finances, not the country’s. The Blue Dogs average more in largesse from the lobbyists than other congressmen. Bart holds the distinction of raking in more payoffs from the healthcare industry than any of the others. It seems the amount is somewhat upwards of $1.4 million.

There are reasons he is so favored by that industry. He chairs the House Committee on Science and Technology. Part of its portfolio is healthcare. He is also the senior member of the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, as well as on its Subcommittee on Health.

Obama talks of his desire for bipartisanship. I know it is important to him but I wonder about his priorities. The tactics of the “birthers” and their ilk show be sufficient proof that they will never indulge in bipartisanship. The “responsible” members of the GOP refuse to take these loonies to task. Neither does that inspire confidence that they will join hands with Obama.

Bipartisanship is more of a lost cause than the Confederacy. Yet, Obama hangs on to it at the expense of healthcare reform, every other issue of concern to him and, indeed, his presidency and his legacy.

Obama is falling in the polls. So are the numbers on health reform. The opponents don’t have to offer anything. They just have to confuse the voters and practice their favorite sport: fear-mongering.

This weakens Obama. It also weakens the Democratic Party. Although my congressman is safe, most Blue Dogs are in marginal districts. Many were recruited by Rahm Emanuel. Their refusal to support a president of their own party weakens him politically. His loss is their loss. They are too impressed with the apparent power they wield in this debate to see the consequences. They are cutting their own throats.

One member of the Blue Dogs was unexpectedly honest. Dan Boren, from Oklahoma stated that he had to vote against a public option because of all of the insurance companies in his state. Yes he said state, not district. Is he thinking of how much money he will need for a statewide run?

He admitted that a government-run plan would save the consumers money. So, he is voting for more money for the insurance companies. He is voting for the money to be taken from the people. I didn’t think it possible for a congressman to be that honest. The same factors come into play for all of the other Blue Dogs, except the honesty.

The only solution is to ignore the other side of the aisle. They opposed Social Security. They opposed Medicare. They have opposed the very things that give people dignity; that provide a modicum of health, education and protection from the vicissitudes of life and Wall Street.

Obama needs to crack down on the Blue Dogs. Teach them the facts of political life, once he remembers them. He needs to offer his campaign help and threaten to support alternative candidates if necessary.

Obama has the Oval Office, the bully pulpit and majorities in the House and Senate. If he cracks the whip, he can get the plan he wants, even single-payer.

For the remainder, I thought I treat you to a few facts that illuminate the problem. First, the costs versus price of a few selected drugs:

Celebrex:100 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $130.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.60
Percent markup: 21,712%

Claritin:10 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $215.17
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.71
Percent markup: 30,306%

Keflex:250 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $157.39
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.88
Percent markup: 8,372%

Lipitor:20 mg
Consumer Price (100 tablets): $272.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $5.80
Percent markup: 4,696%

Norvasc:10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $188.29
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.14
Percent markup: 134,493%

Prevacid:30 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $44.77
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.01
Percent markup: 34,136%

Prilosec: 20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $360.97
Cost of general active ingredients $0.52
Percent markup: 69,417%

Prozac:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $247.47
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.11
Percent markup: 224,973%

Vasotec:10 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $102.37
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.20
Percent markup: 51,185%

Xanax:1 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets) : $136.79
Cost of general active ingredients: $0.024
Percent markup: 569,958%

Zoloft:50 mg
Consumer price: $206.87
Cost of general active ingredients: $1.75
Percent markup: 11,821%

Paxil:20 mg
Consumer price (100 tablets): $220.27
Cost of general active ingredients: $7.60
Percent markup: 2,898%

Next I include a few salaries from the industry of leaches. These, of course, do not include stock options and various other benefits:

United Health, William McGuire $342 mil
Forest Labs, Solomon $295 mil
Caremark Rx, Edwin Crawford $93.6 mil
Abbott Lab, Miles White $25.8 mil
Aetna, John Rowe $57.8 mil
Amgen, Kevin Sharer, $59.5 mil
Bectin-Dickinson, Edwin Ludwig, $18 mil
Boston Scientific $45 mil
Cardinal Health, James Tobin, $33.5 mil
Cigna, Edward Hanway, $62.8 mil
Genzyme, Henri Termeer, $60.7 mil

Government employees are paid a little less. The highest paid federal employees are, surprise, the medical officers. They average $158,000 per anum, with the highest being a few making $385,000. Generous but not as generous as those private firms.

Can you see the possibility that our insurance premiums could be lower? Don’t forget the extra 30 cents on every dollar the private companies spend on administration. Oh, I almost forgot – profits. The new quarterly figures for the healthcare industry I have seen this week range from 29% to 71% increases in profits. Is the recession over, or is it just me?

Here is a place to sign a petition of support for the single-payer system.

http://www.healthcare-now.org/petition/

Tagged as: aetna, bart gordon, bipartisan, birther, blue dog, celebrex, cigna, claritin, dan boren, dino, health care, house, keflex, lipitor, lobbyist, medicare, norvasc, obama plan, paxil, prevacid, prilosec, prozac, rahm, reform, senate, social security, tax cut, vasotec, wall street, xanax, zoloft