Medicare Ads Paid by Drug Industry

[cal04]

The pharmaceutical industry quietly footed the bill for at least part of a recent multimillion-dollar ad campaign praising lawmakers who support the new Medicare prescription drug benefit, according to political officials.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce claims credit for the ads, although a spokesman refused repeatedly to say whether it had received any funds from the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America.

Several campaign strategists not involved in the ad campaign said no legal issues were raised by the pharmaceutical industry's involvement. In political terms, though, the disclosure is likely to embolden Democratic critics of the Medicare drug program, who charge it amounts to a Republican-engineered windfall for drug companies.

The commercials, airing in 10 states or congressional districts, generally say the local congressman or senator supports the drug program, and that hundreds of thousands of Medicare beneficiaries have saved money since its inception earlier this year.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060825/ap_on_go_ot/medicare_ads_1

[catmandu57]

1. Yep they got one running here

Here being Missouri. I'm still not fully up to speed on the "drug benefit" it's my understanding that there is a sizable hole that people will have to be responsible for their own drugs and that many people are now approaching that hole.
I hope this is another thing that blows up in their faces.

[xchrom]

2. some journalist suddenly discovering they live in corporate america?

while this news is an incredible gage of the depth of corporate control -- through the governmant and into our lives -- the other news is -- this isn't NEW!

to me this is front page -- banner headline stuff -- your country isn't yours -- kind of thing -- but you know -- whatever.

[lyonn]

3. Yahoo News is quite good

Just think of the numbers that read it, must be millions?

[roseBudd]

4. And that is why DUers should always click through and rate it a 5...

to get the articles up to Most Popular.

this one only has 28 votes

[Robbien]

5. Why are the drug companies running ads?

They got their non-negotiable price Medicare drug bill. Is this some sort of payback for the congressmen who pushed the bill through?

Seniors who are being hurt by the bill will not be thinking too kindly of the congressmen in the ads.