The top two Republicans in Congress caught in an outright lie

A Republican staffer has named Frist and Hastert as the two lawmakers that added the vaccine makers liability protection to the defense bill- after the committee had met several times that day, and Dems even asked Alaska Senator Ted Stevens if the language was in the bill, and he told them no.

 

After the conference committee broke up, a meeting was called in Hastert’s office, [Rep staffer Keith] Kennedy said. Also at the meeting, according to a congressional staffer, were Frist, Stevens and House Majority Whip Roy Blunt, R-Mo.

 

About 10 or 10:30 p.m., Democratic staff members were handed the language and told it was now in the bill, Obey said.

 

He took to the House floor in a rage. He called Frist and Hastert “a couple of musclemen in Congress who think they have a right to tell everybody else that they have to do their bidding.”

 

Frist and Stevens deny this charge saying the language was in the bill when the conferees voted on it- but if that’s so, why did Stevens tell Obey no? It appears there are several witnesses to the Leaders meeting… this is the top two Republicans in Congress caught in an outright lie, blatantly adding in crap that wouldn’t pass on it’s own.

 

Frist has received $271,523 in campaign donations from the pharmaceutical and health products industry since 1989, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, a watchdog group.

 

Remember how Frist slipped this exact same lawsuit protection into the Patriot Act. At that time it was a big scandal, he didn’t even change the font- but literally copied and pasted this tiny item at the end of 450 pages of legal mumbo-jumbo. Now they have the gall to do it again… because they know the Democrats won’t do anything about it. A few will make noise, but that’s about it…

 

Why are the pharmaceuticals so concerned about this lawsuit protection anyway?

 

When the hell will people wake up to this dog and pony show of Reps and Dems screwing us all over? http://benfrank.net/blog/