Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Pro-Obamacare Republicans Are Lobbyists

If you're wondering why prominent Republicans like Bob Dole and Tommy Thompson are coming out in favor of Obamacare, you're not alone.

Former Republican Health and Human Services Secretaries Louis Sullivan and Tommy Thompson, along with former Senate Majority Leaders Bill Frist (a doctor) and Bob Dole, received plaudits in the president's weekly radio address for exhibiting "the spirit of national purpose" and for understanding "that health insurance reform isn't a Democratic issue or a Republican issue, but an American issue that demands a solution."

Thompson is a health care consultant at the lobbying firm Akin Gump, whose clients include insurer Aetna, many drug makers, device makers and hospitals. You can find his page here.

In 2008, Sullivan made $220,000 as a director for four health care companies, including the biotech firm Biosante Pharmaceuticals, where he was chairman of the board, according to Forbes. His total 2008 compensation from these companies (with options and other non-cash compensation) was more than $1 million. He has recently served as a director at Bristol-Myers Squibb and Cigna. I can't find a page for him at Briston-Myers Squibb or at Cigna.

Frist is a partner in a private investment firm that bets on health care companies -- and on regulation. The firm's Web site reads: "With deep expertise in the healthcare reimbursement and regulatory environments, the Cressey & Company team has invested in almost every for-profit niche of healthcare." You can see the page where he is listed here.

And Dole is a health care lobbyist for the downtown firm Alston & Bird, which represents drug makers and insurers. You can see his page here.

This explains these four Republicans but no one can explain Olympia Snowe. Who knows what the hell she is thinking.

You can find the original article here.

No comments:

Post a Comment