Healthcare Reform-Follow the Money

In addition to the Gang of Six, other key senators opposed to the Public Option are also raking in big dollars from the health care industry:
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, has received the most money ($141,000) from health insurance PACs. Baucus has leaned in favor of a "co-op" plan as an alternative to government-provided insurance. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) who has said he fears the public option may lead to a "government takeover" of health care, ranks second, having received $111,000 from insurance PACs since 2004.

The three senators who derived the highest shares of their campaign contributions from these PACs are all Republicans who oppose the "public option." Five Democrats are also among the top 10 recipients, and they all either support a public plan or have not officially come down on the subject either way. The last two senators on the list, both Republicans, disapprove of the public option.

Sen. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.) leads the way, drawing 12 percent of his receipts since 1989 from health industry PACs, which are generally operated by insurance, pharmaceutical and medical equipment companies, as well as by hospitals and physicians' groups.

The Democrats on the top 10 list of Silver's study are all long-time fundraisers, bringing in anywhere between $12.9 million and $25 million since 1989. Sen. Kent Conrad (D-N.D.), who has declined to fully support or reject the public option, leads this Blue Quintet with 8.5 percent of his cash coming from health care PACs. Conrad if the Democrat most dependent on health care lobbying money. This might give one some pause when evaluating Conrad's co-op plan or his skepticism about the Senate's ability to pass a public option.

Senator Greg (R-NH) received $6.5 million since 1989 which is 10.7% of total contributions. Surprise-he doesn’t support the public option.

Sen. Orin Hatch (R-Utah) received $19 million or 6.7% of total contributions since 1989. Surprise-he doesn’t support the public option.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) received $19 million or 6.7% of total contributions since 1989. Surprise-he doesn’t support the public option.

It should be noted that Senators Greg and Hatch are members of the Senate Committee on Health, Education and Labor.

Health care PACs alone have already donated $4.9 million to federal candidates this year after contributing $49.3 million and $39.8 million in the 2008 and 2006 cycles, respectively. While medical professionals and the PACs and employees of insurance companies traditionally lean Republican, health care PACs have flipped dramatically in recent years. More than two-thirds of their donations so far this year have gone to Democratic candidates, while only a combined 34 percent of contributions went to the Democrats in the 2004 and 2006 cycles. In 2008, Democrats collected 55 percent of all the money that came from these PACs.