Another reason to hate Congress

I don't follow much of the Health Care Reform debacle, mostly because it is difficult to get past propaganda on either side of the issue to actually understand it.

What I do understand is that Obama has given Congress a directive to pass legislation that conforms to certain parameters he's established (what all of them are, I have no idea). Then these parameters are put through the Congressional Clusterfuck Generator to produce legislation that appears to address these parameters, but actually offers a windfall to those companies/industries that were supposed to be "reformed."

Take, for example, the pharmaceutical industry. In this article by the Wall Street Journal (always on the front lines ready to criticize the Democrats), the authors point out how no real "change" is likely to be forthcoming for some of Obama's parameters (namely, cheaper drugs available to Americans). In fact, what's being proposed is the following:

--- No cheaper drugs from Canada
--- No power for the government to negotiate Medicare drug prices
--- Name-brand drugs get 12 years on the market before generics are sold

From the article:

"This is the best year the drug industry has had in decades," said Nancy LeaMond of AARP, the seniors' lobby, which is seeking greater price-cutting on drugs.

***

If Mr. Obama retreats on some drug-industry issues, it might help him land a much bigger prize: a broad health-care bill. "The motivation for the White House and Finance Committee is to take PhRMA and its money out of any possible opposition, and that's really what's driving these agreements, along with the desire to get financing for the bill," said John Rother, another AARP lobbyist, referring to the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America. "Think about who has money enough to cause a problem."

UPDATE: The Associated Press is trying to cut through the bullshit, which helps.