Bill Scher: Fighting The Pharma Goliath (from TomPaine.com)

[marmar]

Fighting The Pharma Goliath
Bill Scher
April 05, 2007


Bill Scher blogs for the Campaign For America's Future. He also founded the blog Liberal Oasis.

If you watch a lot of CNN or MSNBC, you’ve probably seen the pharmaceutical lobby’s ads warning about “changes” to Medicare prescription drug program, because the program is “working.” (Then again, you might have heard a few notes of the off-the-shelf Muzak-folk music not good enough to be used in ads for Nexium or Lipitor, and tuned the ads out.)

Nevertheless, these ads are part of a massive lobbying campaign to kill legislation empowering Medicare to negotiate for lower drug prices, repealing the current prohibition. Such a bill has already passed the House, and the Senate is expected to take up the issue later this month. This past Sunday, The Center for Public Integrity found that Big Pharma has flooded Washington with $155 million and an “army” of lobbyists more than 1,000 strong.

Part of the lobbying campaign is to give the impression that huge numbers of people are satisfied with the status quo, despite the fact that 85 percent of the country supports having Medicare negotiate. (The TV ad currently airing includes flat lies about the stance of one newspaper’s editorial board.)

The other part is a wonky misinformation campaign to claim private companies are already negotiating and lowering prices, and Medicare can’t do as good a job. The campaign has been aided by the White House and abetted by parts of the media, particularly The Washington Post. But the White House won’t back up its claims. When asked by a House committee for the supporting data, Bush’s Medicare officials refused to release it.
...(snip)...

Yet it is possible that a common sense position held by 85 percent of the public may become victim to a warped debate, because of that disingenuous rhetoric. We in the grassroots must do all we can to make sure the facts don’t get trampled by the lobbyist army. ........

The complete piece is at: http://www.tompaine.com/articles/2007/04/05/fighting_the_pharma_goliath.php

[AikidoSoul]

1. One of the hugest issues of our era -- why aren't DUers kick and recc'ing?

Wow.

This has got to get out there again soon on a new thread with a different subject line something like:

"Lying and Ripping us off is what the Chem/Pharm/Biotech Industry does best"

And then a quick lead-in before you lay out an excerpt from the article.

[marmar]

3. Agreed....

n/t

[Morgana LaFey]

2. My blood pressure soars every time I see one of those

commercials.

[trof]

4. Pharma commercial translation:

"Please don't derail our gravy train."
The most egregious piece of self-serving propaganda I've ever seen.