Why the health care industry is behind Coakley in Massachusetts

Speculation everywhere concerning why health care insurance and pharmaceutical companies are tossing money at Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley in support of her bid for Senate. When you’re a big company, you’ve got to play both sides.

Since power in Washington D.C. is well beyond the “corruption” level, large companies representing industries that are or will soon be heavily regulated by Congress and federal bureaucrats must play both sides of the fence to ensure they have a seat a the table.

Do you think some executive from Aetna approaches the Coakley campaign and asks them how they can support her run for Congress and pass federal health care legislation?

Hell no.

Coakley’s people – more likely DNC operatives – approach the Aetna executive, hinting if they want a favorable outcome and the ability to help massage health care legislation, they best suggest employees and other executives contribute to Coakley’s campaign, and keep their external corporate communications on the subject “in check.”

If Aetna launched an advertising campaign against the current health care “reform” legislation, they would be publicly attacked by the state-run media and politicians across the country. After the brutal smack-down, corporate communications teams would have no power to save the company and executives at the company would not be able to provide any input to future legislation or regulations. They would simply be locked out.

OK, maybe it’s not as clear-cut as my example above, but I can not impress on readers enough as to how brilliant the Founding Fathers were when it comes to their concern about excessive power and control at the federal level. The federal government’s intrusion into one-sixth of the nation’s economy (health care) is a perfect example of why the Founders were insistent on clearly defining the limited powers of the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

What we are experiencing is another symptom of the disease.

There is an opinion piece over at the Wall Street Journal that kicked me into writing mode early this morning.

Money follows power in Washington, obviously, though this example seems especially inexplicable given that Ms. Coakley’s GOP opponent, state senator Scott Brown, may be the last chance to defuse the health-care doomsday machine.

Looking for more Brown versus Coakley news? Sure thing…

  • A Weekly Standard reporter got pushed around by someone on Coakley’s staff in Washington D.C. last night. (Coakley went to the nations capital to get help and cash.) Ed Morrissey at Hot Air also has it.
  • Scott Brown has experienced quite the surge in polling during the last week. Here and here.
  • Malkin writing recently about the race here and here.

Steve McGough

Steve's a part-time conservative blogger. Steve grew up in Connecticut and has lived in Washington, D.C. and the Bahamas. He resides in Connecticut, where he’s comfortable six months of the year.

3 Comments

  1. donh on January 13, 2010 at 7:30 am

    The plan is set up so  when the bill comes out for THE final vote. Martha Coaxley will be Queen for a day. As heir to  Ted Kennedy,  she will have the final say, and the final 60th vote that gets the BIG payoff. Billions in bonuses will go to top insurance and drug executives for selling out their company interests, selling out their country, and selling out any moral faith in  God . The grim reaping of the elderly, the weak, and the unborn  will be on their hands . The insurance and drug companies have made their covenant with the devil and with HELL they are in agreement.



  2. Dimsdale on January 16, 2010 at 10:09 am

    But Martha represents the "little guy!"  I know, she told me so!  Bwaaaahaahaaa!



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