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Drug Company's Latest Tricks to Control Congress
The pharmaceutical companies clearly manipulate Congress with their overwhelming lobbying, but it’s always interesting to see the details of just how these schemers operate.

Case in point, drug company giant Eli Lilly has made a temporary shift in their contributions to favor the new Democrat congressional majority. The company has already given nearly $60,000 in all to both parties in the first four months of 2007.

To really cover their bases, Eli Lilly has also planted key lobbyists with influence, such as one of their in-house lobbyists who used to be the top GOP aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

In all, the pharmaceutical and health-products industry has spent more on lobbying -- over $1 billion -- in the last decade than any other industry.

Their influence is just massive. Eli Lilly alone spent $3.7 million on lobbying last year, and employed 40 lobbyists to represent its interests. This year, they’ve already hired on three new outside lobbying firms.

But as pervasive as the drug companies may be in Washington, the word is getting out about their deceptive practices, and we are really starting to make a difference to transform our fatally flawed health care system.

USAToday.com May 28, 2007


Dr. Mercola's Comment:

The pharmaceutical companies clearly manipulate Congress with their largest lobbying force, but it's always interesting to see the details of just how these schemers operate. 

If you didn't see the video in the last issue of the newsletter you simply have to watch it.  I have never seen a better example of how the drug cartel is raping the US public. This video from Sixty Minutes is a MUST see for every American, and other international readers will also enjoy seeing how far our political system has gone down the corruption line.

Eli Lilly alone spent $3.7 million on lobbying last year, and employed 40 lobbyists to represent its interests. This year, they've already hired three new outside lobbying firms. To really cover their bases, Eli Lilly has also tried to ensure that their key lobbyists have massive influence, such as one of their in-house lobbyists who used to be the top GOP aide on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

If just a portion of the funds drug companies use to change the laws in their favor were allocated to optimizing food and stress concerns, we would have more than enough funds left over to help the more than 40 million Americans walking around without any health coverage. But the drug companies are not out for your best interest, they are out for their own bottom line profit to their shareholders. That is their mandate.

The influence of the drug companies is just massive. In addition to their pull with Congress, the drug companies also have a huge influence on the majority of published studies and nearly all of medical education. This influence causes physicians to use their expensive symptomatic Band-Aids as solutions for people's problems instead of addressing the underlying cause.

But as pervasive as the drug companies' influence may be in Washington, the word is getting out about their deceptive practices, and we are really starting to make a difference to transform this fatally flawed health care system.

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Article's Comment     ( 39 Comments )
 
 
 +25 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY linlouwho   
  
[ Joined on 05/07 ]
[ Posted on June 02, 2007 ]
Post Reply
I am new to this site and it heartens me to read the thinking of so many intelligent, informed Americans.  It is becoming increasingly difficult to view TV with all of the drug commercials.  If you weren't ill before you started watching, you will begin to imagine some disorder before the night is out.  We mute out the sound, but the images are still there.  Is there no regulation to be done to staunch the flow of this insidious message "you are ill and you need to tell you doctor to give you a pill"?  And Ron Paul is an amazing politician.  Linda Hoy
 

 +9 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY cheftodd   
  
[ Joined on 04/07 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on June 02, 2007 ]
 
Maybe not,  but we are one BIG  FAMILY!   looking for good food good health, and the right to decide what course we want our health to go in.

 +6 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Witch Doctor   
  
[ Joined on 09/06 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on June 06, 2007 ]
 
Reesacat - thanks  for being gobsmacked, poleaxed, etc..., in my place, because that saves me from all that trauma.

 +6 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY KathieJamisonCote   
  
[ Joined on 04/07 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on June 02, 2007 ]
 
Welcome linlouwho and one thing that makes this site sooo cool is there are folks from many different places around the world - seeking  better ways to eat, better ways to live and sharing thought provoking ideas.  

 +4 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY minnie-me   
  
[ Joined on 02/07 ]
Author of the Article [ Posted on June 03, 2007 ]
 
HI linlouwho! You are right on the nose...I can't watch TV anymore. I am sick to death of pharmaceutical adds. I don't even have cable, but the regular stations do their share to bow to big pHARMa, as much as the next guy! I tried reading magazines, but they are full of 2 and 3 page adds for Paxil, Ritalin, Viagra, Mevacor, Boneva, Gardasil....I could go on. I spend a fair amount of time on line, but even so, the pop up ads are the same...and then there's the radio..arrrggghhh!!!!!  
 
Well, all the advertising in the world won't influence me. I haven't taken a Rx drug in over 5 years. Anything that needs fixing can be done through my Alternative Health Care Dr.  Sadly, there is no regulation, yet they manage to limit alternative products to infomercials...shame!

And you are right, Ron Paul is an amazing  Politician.

 +1 Points           
 
Author of the Article
BY Reesacat