Senator Byron Dorgan of North Dakota has introduced an amendment to the senate “Health Care” bill (apparently the names “Healthy Forests” “Gulf of Tonkin Resolution”, and “Clear Skies Initiative” were already taken). Dorgan’s bill would allow for the “reimportataion” of drugs from Canada.
Away from industry jargon, that word, “reimportation,” means that Americans would be allowed to buy drugs from a country where prices are regulated, and monopolies are not allowed to flourish. It means lower prices for Americans – a savings over ten years of $19 billion for us as “taxpayers”, and another $80 billion for us as “consumers.”
That’s considered poltical grandstanding, and is highly frowned upon in Washington. That $99 billion in savings would come from the pockets of “PhRMA,” the drug lobbying group also known on the streets of Newark as the “Drug Cartel.”
Said Sen Jay Rockefeller, D-AR, “Bad form, Byron – not done! Not done! Order! Return to order! Order in the senate!”
The White House, of course, opposes Dorgan’s amendment. President Obama supported drug reimportation as a candidate, but that was before he realized how really powerful these PhRMA dudes are (or, perhaps, was, just, well, you know, lying). He still supports reimportation in principle, but has alterted his stance a bit to suggest that even though it is a really good idea, it should never be implemented. That is considered, in DC parlance, a reasonable compromise.
Dorgan is making a mess of things, it appears. The White House and PhRMA had crafted a deal where PhRMA would offer up $80 billion in concessions over ten years, by first adding $80 billion to their pricing structure, which they can do as a cartel, and then giving it back. Maybe.
Dorgan is being unreasonable, and worse, he’s not backing down. Oh, he will eventually. They always do. Stuff goes on behind the scenes, and these guys always think better of behaving like this – there must be some sort of woodshed behind the capitol buidling where spankings are administered, and not the fun kind like Max Baucus does with his aides.
Dorgan has threatened to put a hold on all other amendments until his is voted on. He is really, really in for it.
There’s a rule in Washington known as the “order of feeding”, and Dorgan is violating it. It works like this: The carcass of the American public lies finally still after a long chase, eyes glazed, steam still rising from the nostrils. Wolves did the kill, but grizzlies eat first, filling their bellies until content, often resting on the carcass while processing carrion and making room for a later re-gorging. Then wolves feed, followed by coyotes and eagles, ravens last. Dorgan, an egotistical man who is not even thinking in terms of feeding rights, seems to believe that the beast should not even be killed, that there should not even be a feeding ritual. PhRMA begs to differ, and having higher standing in the senate than Dorgan, will prevail.
But in the meantine, it’s just embarrassing! Here’s what one senate aide said about the whole affair (this is true):
Of course, with Dorgan, it’s all about Dorgan.”
He will be chastised. Even as I write, PHrMa is looking for a suitable replacement for him in the coming elections. A mediocre man or woman of low character will soon have a high public profile in North Dakota, appearing in photos on newspaper front pages, having op-eds written by ghosts, and being sought out for wise commentary on the issues of the day by news stations. He/she will soon be thought of as senatorial timbre, and will draw quiet, behind-the-scenes attention from the real voting public in American politics, lobbyists, corporations, and wealthy families.
Dorgan is toast.
Piece of Mindful 