SO WHO'S STILL AGAINST LETTING OLDER PEOPLE GET CHEAPER PRICES ON THEIR MEDICINES?

McConnell does more than just filibuster ending the occupation of Iraq. The closeted Kentucky senator is also busy making sure that needy older Americans pay top dollar for their medicines. Although the Senate has more than enough votes to guarantee that the government will negotiate with drug companies on behalf of consumers to get the best prices, GOP dead-enders like McConnell are using obstructionist techniques to keep the legislation from moving forward. In order to pass it there is a need for 60 votes. Five Republicans who were thought to be wavering and voting in favor of their constituents instead of Big Pharma-- for a change-- have now indicated that Big Pharma's steady flow of fat bribes will win the day. The 5 Republicans are Trent Lott (MS), Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Lindsey Graham (SC-- GOP closet queens stick together), Bob Corker (TN) and Ben Nelson (NE-- technically a Democrat but... let's be real).

With no regard for any semblance of truth Hutchinson said today she is a definite "No" vote on the bill. "I think it would be a mistake to open up negotiations," she said. "It would limit the number of options" for seniors. You decide-- liar or insane? Under current law, written by Big Pharma lobbyists with Bill Frist, McConnell and Santorum-- only one of whom is still in elective office-- the government is prohibited from intervening in private-sector price negotiations between drug makers and providers.

I wrote the above two paragraphs this morning and held it, knowing there would be further developments today. There were; Bush, in repayment for the gigantic sums of money Big Pharma has given to the GOP (over $60 million in legal bribes since Bush took over the White House), said he would veto the bill. And, on the brighter side, Ben Nelson has agreed to abandon his Republican allies and vote with the Democrats-- not on the bill itself, but just to end McConnell's filibuster (cloture).

Bush's Mormon Mafia Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt, on behalf of the Regime's Insurance Industry and Big Pharma patrons, ominously warned Republican senators that government authority to negotiate drug prices could lead to government price controls under the next (Democratic) administration and that he would not use negotiating authority even if it passed. Bush, Leavitt and the GOP propaganda machine-- financed by Big Pharma-- are desperately trying to convince senior citizens that the bill will harm them. The Regime issued a nonsensical statement claiming that the legislation would "impede competition and reduce convenience for beneficiaries."


Reid is pessimistic about rounding up a few Republicans to shut down the filibuster. "Based on the power of the insurance industry and its closeness to the Republicans, I don't have a lot of confidence." Minnesota's rubber stamp Bush-league senator, Norm Coleman, among the 2 or 3 most vulnerable Republicans up for re-election next year, is afraid enough of voters in his state to turn on Bush and vow to support the bill and vote against McConnell's filibuster. But with Tim Johnson still in the hospital and with Big Pharma and the insurance lobby having gotten to Kay Bailey Hutchison and persuaded her to change her vote on this from last year when she supported it, the chances that Bush will need to veto in to screw senior citizens is slight. McConnell and his gang of corrupt right-wing pols will do it for him.


UPDATE: McCONNELL SERVES HIS CORPORATE MASTERS WELL-- DRUG PRICES WILL REMAIN SKY HIGH FOR THE ELDERLY

The Democrats failed today to win the 60 votes necessary to shut down McConnell's filibuster and start debating whether or not to allow the government to negotiate Medicare Part D drug pricing. Six Republicans joined all Democrats on the 55-42 vote in favor of cloture. The Republicans who voted for it last year but buckled under to Big Business pressure this year were Lindsey Graham (SC), Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX), Lisa Murkowski (AK), Richard Shelby (AL) and Ted Stevens (AL). McCain, of course, didn't vote, being too busy peddling his ass to the highest bidders in his desperate and pointless quest for the presidency. Funny, about that-- Hillary and Obama both voted.