payoffs – Moe Lane

OK, here’s the background: back in 2011 it came out that in 2008 Congresswoman Shelley Berkley (D, NV-01) intervened to prevent the shutdown of a Nevadan kidney transplant program that was killing patients. It’s important at this point to distinguish between proper and improper responses: for example, it is proper to be concerned about what was reported as being “the only transplant center in Nevada” at the time, which is why a number of Nevadan Members of Congress (including Rep. Dean Heller – this will be important later) joined Rep. Berkley in intervening with the program. Is this clear? Good. Because the problem here – the possibly improper problem – is that the method of intervention involved just happened to involve hiring more medical personnel from a company that just happens to be owned by Berkely’s physician husband (kidney specialist) who also just happens to be a co-owner of one of Berkley’s major corporate campaign contributors.

Funny how it always seems to work out that way, huh? Continue reading Shelley Berkley (D, NV-01) under ethics investigation for medical crony capitalism.

Along the way, they ran over a polar bear cub with their SUV, then tied it to the bumper with an American flag and dragged it along for a couple of miles.

…while smoking cigarettes.

Giannoulias:

The Giannoulias Democratic Illinois Senate campaign confirmed Monday–after prodding from the National Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee–that Alexi Giannoulias was in Canada on Sunday attending a fund-raiser at a trial lawyer convention in Vancouver that would benefit his Senate campaign.

Fisher:

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Lee Fisher was in Canada yesterday to attend a reception with a group of American trial lawyers that is supporting his campaign, the Fisher campaign said today.

The Giannoulias campaign didn’t want to admit to the fundraising junket at all, while the Fisher campaign tried the novel technique of trying to frame it in terms of a fact-finding tour about lost Ohio jobs (apparently, Rob Portman has amazing powers over space and time; either that, or he mentally dominated Lee Fisher into losing jobs for Ohio). I don’t see why evasions and lying – excuse me; ‘jokes’ – are necessary, here. Trial lawyers are some of the most loyal Democratic donors in existence: they’ve paid out millions (if not billions) in campaign contributions, and get hundreds of billions in protection and opportunities* in exchange. Shouldn’t the Democrats be proud of their patrons?

Moe Lane
Continue reading Giannoulias, Fisher go abroad to raise money from trial lawyers.