drug companies

Back to Chris Murphy, my district's chameleon in Congress. Once upon a time he was the most vocal opponent of America's drug companies as being the exploiters of our nation's vulnerable sick people.

But now there's a lovefest between the drug companies and Chris, and based on what I hear on my car radio, Mrs. Murphy ought to be concerned they are going to be getting a room together.  The ad blitz the pharmaceutical lobby is running makes Murphy out as their best friend forever.

Amazing what tucking enough pork in the trillion dollar health care bill can do to make the special interests like you, Chris.

Here's the 2006 version Murphy, who campaigned against Congresswoman Nancy Johnson, whom he considered a lackey for Big Pharma. First, his buddies @ Moveon.org  portrayed Johnson as a crook for accepting donations from the health care industry.

The new spots draw a connection between the lawmakers’ support for the controversial Medicare prescription-drug benefit and campaign contributions from drug companies. “Another Republican caught red-handed” is the tag line; the lawmaker’s hand is illustrated as turning red.

Johnson is an author of the Medicare bill. Her opponent, state Sen. Chris Murphy (D), has made criticism of the drug benefit one of his campaign’s most prominent themes.

A pro-Murphy blog even claimed Johnson was "the drug companies best friend" 

And Murphy's own campaign ran a saturation TV ad buy of a befuddled senior claiming Johnson's allies were all trying to scam him, while a list of political contributors scrolled by. See it for yourself before Murphy has it pulled down. 

Now the 2009 version Chris Murphy has bought the support of the drug companies with promises of massive taxpayer funding. (Bailout, anyone?). Meantime, his allies on the Energy and Commerce Committee are trying to take away our ability to choose our own insurance plan.

Let's see. Nancy Johnson got a bill passed that helped seniors and gave them more choices. Bad.  Chris Murphy wants a bill that takes away choice, rewards special interests, and gouges taxpayers. Good? 

Worse still, the same Chris Murphy that argued the Medicare D "donut hole" was bad for seniors in 2006 now apparently endorses hundreds of billions in Medicare Cuts.

(BTW, Chris. isn;t the Medicare prescription drug plan pretty much the same now as when you found it?....hmmmmm) 

Chris. I'm willing to do you a favor.  You can borrow my dictionary.