Is Republican Joe Barton Coming Around While Democratic Insurance Industry Shill Max Baucus Is Still Sabotaging Health Care Reform?

A primary theme at DWT since we started has been to point out the unrelenting flood of conflicts of interest between members of Congress and corporate special interests. The disparity between the 70-80% of Americans wanting real health care reform and a huge herd of Lords and Ladies in the Upper Chamber dragging their asses has become a theme wherever the Medical-Industrial Complex isn't calling the shots. So forget about seeing much about it on TV, but Krugman was all over it yesterday, first in his column in the Times and then on his blog, where he links to Digby. And yesterday the nonpartisan Sunlight Foundation examined the relationship between Max Baucus, chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, who is committed to wrecking effective health care reform, and the Health Care Lobbyist Complex. Click on the image above to enlarge it.

It's unlikely that Republican Joe Barton (R-TX) would ever vote in favor of substantive health care reform but in yesterday's hearings on Insurance Industry policies, even Barton-- following up on Bart Stupak's questions from last week regarding recission of policies-- was revolted by the blatantly anti-human policies of the insurance companies. Please watch this:



My heart isn't going out for the crooks who run the nation's insurance companies as they come to grips with the fact that, if given the opportunity, over 100 million Americans would immediately cease ever doing business with them again. A Republican Party propaganda sheet ran their tale of woe today about how a public option will have "devastating consequences" for them. If none of them are arrested and tried, they should count themselves lucky. Please don't forget to chip in to the Blue America Campaign for Health Care Choice. Digby and John Amato are working with Brave New Films today, shooting the commercials.


UPDATE: On The Air With Nicole Sandler Last Night

Here's a segment you can listen to. We mostly talked about health care reform.