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As of mid-August 2009, there were six (6) lobbyists per single (1) member of House and Senate (Bloomberg News). That's 6:1, folks. Just for healthcare reform. For financial industry reform, there are 2,400 lobbyists in play. The Chamber of Commerce spent $26.2 million--in the first 2 quarters (6 months) of 2009. Clearly, private industries and their foot soldiers on K Street/Capitol Hill influence/dictate American policymaking. No matter who's 'voted in,' it's the influence machine that rules Washington. Worse, there's a good chance that the Supreme Court will grant corporations (as 'fictive persons') to spend unlimited dollars in funding electoral campaigns. Is there hope that this country will be a democracy one day? Or is it doomed to become increasingly, irrevocably plutocratic?

As of mid-August 2009, there were six (6) lobbyists per single (1) member of House and Senate (Bloomberg News). That's 6:1, folks. Just for healthcare reform. For financial industry reform, there are 2,400 lobbyists in play. The Chamber of Commerce spent $26.2 million--in the first 2 quarters (6 months) of 2009.

There is no simple way to preserve the entrepreneurial spirit that has created MRI scans, stents, bioengineered drugs, and artificial knees - and completely eliminate financial conflicts of interest...Even with rigorous guidelines, pharmaceutical companie

Among the top ten most challenging issues facing American doctors, 7 in 10 directly involve economics

Downloadable slideshows from this November 2007 conference. For report PDFs: (1) http://is.gd/3AoNu (2) http://is.gd/3AoXG