Subject: [big campaign] Going after McConnell on health care money
From: David Donnelly <[email-masked]>
To: "[email-masked]" <[email-masked]>
Date: Mon, 08 Jun 2009 10:19:05 -0400
List-Id: <bigcampaign.googlegroups.com>

All,

We¹re sending this out to KY and national press today given McConnell¹s
statements over the weekend that he¹s looking for a ³bipartisan² solution
that doesn¹t include a public health insurance option. (I bolded a quote
below that I hope you¹ll like.)

David

News release from Public Campaign Action Fund
 
For immediate release            For more information
Monday, June 8, 2009            David Donnelly, 617-899-1084
 
WATCHDOG GROUP BLASTS MCCONNELL FOR PUTTING INSURANCE DONORS BEFORE HEALTH
CARE REFORM 
 
Washington, D.C.  In a statement issued today, the nonpartisan watchdog
group Public Campaign Action Fund denounced Senate Minority Leader Mitch
McConnell¹s (R-Ky.) recent statements opposing health care reform as
³hazardous to America¹s health, and a gift to profitable insurance industry
donors at the expense of working families and small business owners in
Kentucky.²
 
The New York Times cited Sen. McConnell¹s opposition to health care
legislation that includes a public insurance option in Sunday¹s coverage.
 
³Sen. McConnell hides behind the concept of Œbipartisanship¹ in his
opposition to reform, but what he¹s really doing is carrying water for his
health and insurance industry donors,² said David Donnelly, National
Campaigns Director of Public Campaign Action Fund. ³We need to change the
way Washington works so that our government meets the needs of everyday
Americans, not the interests of the insurance and health care lobbyists and
their clients.²
 
According to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, Sen. McConnell
has received $2,758,468 in campaign contributions over his career from the
health sector, and another $932,207 from the insurance industry. He ranks
5th and 9th of all sitting Senators in campaign contributions from the
health sector and insurance industry, respectively. Below is a chart of some
of the health and insurance industry totals, with McConnell¹s rank among
sitting Senators:

  Industry   Lifetime Total   Rank in Senate
  HMOs   $281,452   5th
  Health Professionals   $1,441,341   5th
  Insurance   $932,207   9th
  Pharmaceuticals/Products   $477,649   11th
  Hospitals/Nursing Homes   $503,475   5th
 
³Sen. McConnell¹s position against real health care reform is hazardous to
America¹s health, and a gift to profitable insurance industry donors at the
expense of working families and small business owners in Kentucky,²
commented Donnelly. ³Ironically, the one group McConnell doesn¹t take much
money from is chiropractors, with less than $5,000 over his career. Perhaps
that demonstrates that when it comes to standing up to donors, he has no
backbone.²
 
Public Campaign Action Fund is a national nonprofit dedicated to
comprehensive public financing of elections, and to holding anti-reform
politicians accountable for the favors they give to their wealthy donors.

###

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