Had any commentator predicted in 1994 that the health care industry would one day be an important financial contributor to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign, that person would have been laughed out of the commentariat.
After the fall of Hillarycare, everyone assumed that Mrs. Clinton and “the health care industrial complex” would be sworn enemies until one or the other prevailed in the final battle between good and evil. Well, the times they are achanging.
This chart comes from The Center for Responsive Politics, which shows Hillary on the receiving end of more money from the health care industry than any other Presidential candidate. Here’s a more detailed breakdown of where her $3.6 million came from:
Health Professionals: $2,331,527
Hospitals/Nursing Homes: $520,631
Pharmaceutical/Health Products: $349,270
Health Services/HMO: $326,456
Misc Health: $142,743
I’m not sure what the impetus is for this phenomenon. It does seem pretty counterintuitive. Maybe it’s just a case of Stockholm Syndrome.
Comments 3
This is not in anyway a Stockholm Syndrome mainfestation. It is just good business, Clinton style.
There are many, many billions of dollars to be made by unscrupulous insurance companies with government monopoly contracts. There’s big money also to corrupt politicians (Think Bill Clinton’s recent influence peddling for mega-millions in Kazahkstan).
This is very, very bad news for physicians and patients, by any measure.
Posted 07 Feb 2008 at 12:41 am ¶I would also add that the source of contributions as reported does not represent the true source of these funds. Much if not most funds to Hillary come from “bundled” contributions as exemplified by the Hsu scandal.
There are limits to what an insurance company can provide directly, and it is peanuts. However, every “health professional” (whatever that means) working for the company gives individual contrubutions, presented to Hillary as a huge bundled contribution. It is all perfectly legal, as well it should be.
Hsu’s problems was that he used alleged illegal activities and was a swindler.
And I would also add that there is nothing Hillary does that Obama, Edwards, or McCain doesn’t also engage in. John Edwards is a master at this with trial lawyer industry contributions.
It is just that with Hillary, vast moneys flow into the Clinton Library and other Clinton operations in seeming influence peddling, as exemplified by the recent Kazahkstan business deals brokered by Bill.
Posted 07 Feb 2008 at 1:01 am ¶There is nothing strange about this. She has been the biggest foe of the US system, but is also known to be a corrupt politician adept at the quid pro quo. With this kind of cash, she will adjust ther tactics and put proposals on the table that are not as draconian as the ones she initially supported. In all honesty, that may have been her plan from the beginning. Scare the industry into buying her off. A protection racket if you will. Just look what she did with the unions and WalMart if you have any doubts.
Posted 07 Feb 2008 at 10:28 am ¶Post a Comment