What the hell is wrong with Max Baucus?

[ColbertWatcher]

A little background
Just this past May, after more than five years at trial, a federal jury http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/09/nation/na-asbestos-trial9">acquitted WR Grace and three of its former officers of charges that they knowingly exposed residents to and conspired to hide residents from the asbestos poisoning associated with their mining operation.

It was bad enough that no one would he held legally accountable for the disaster, but this meant that neither the company nor its officers were liable for the more than 1,200 asbestos-related health problems directly attributable to the operation.

Which brings us to ...
June, 2009. The seventeenth to be exact. That's when this occurred:


Both Montana Senators (Baucus at left in back and Jon Tester at the podium) join EPA director Lisa Jackson (in back, second from right) and HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius for a little ceremony.

June 17, 2009 was when the federal government (embodied by the bureaucracy the EPA) formally declared a public health emergency for the two Montana communities polluted by WR Grace's asbestos operations.

This declaration will http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/0d16234d252c98f9852575d8005e63ac!OpenDocument">provide area residents with health care (as well as money to clean up the mess) which the criminal trial failed to do (a civil trial is http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/09/nation/na-asbestos-trial9">still pending).

So, again I must ask, "What the hell is wrong with Max Baucus?"
He seemed to appreciate the value of a public health care option back in June after the EPA declaration,

“This is a great day for Libby. This is a town that was poisoned by W.R. Grace, then had to wait year after year as the last administration failed to determine that public health emergency exists. But today is a new day,” said Sen. Baucus. “Today is the day that Administrator Jackson did the right thing and made this vital determination. Today is the day that Secretary Sebelius declared that people in Libby will get the health care they need. Today is the day that after years of work we were able to succeed in getting this done. Yet, we won’t stop here. We will continue to push until Libby has a clean bill of health.”

--http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d0cf6618525a9efb85257359003fb69d/0d16234d252c98f9852575d8005e63ac!OpenDocument">EPA

Senator Baucus, don't you think 47 million Americans without healthcare is an emergency too? Or, do you want us all to wait to be poisoned before we can get any help?

Senator Baucus, doesn't every American deserve to get the healthcare they need? Please stop playing "bipartisan games" with the party that blocked Libby from getting help.

[swag]

1. 'out-of-state donors, millions from health care and other industries'

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106655060

Nearly half of the funds came from out-of-state donors, including millions from health care and other industries overseen by Finance and Baucus' other committees.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. I wonder how the people of Libby think of that? n/t

[leftstreet]

5. Why are unions giving this freak any money?

from your link

Just 13 percent of Baucus' re-election funds came from Montana donors.

......

The fundraising balance for Baucus tips even more sharply when his personal "leadership PAC" is factored in. The committee, called Glacier PAC, raises money to pay for Baucus to travel, raise his political profile and support other Democrats.

Over the past six years, Glacier PAC raised 76 percent of its funds from political committee ties to corporations, unions, trade associations and lobbyists.

Baucus courts these inside-the-Beltway donors by inviting them to Montana for weekend getaways — skis and snowmobiles in February, fly fishing and golf in June, and coming up on July 31, "Camp Baucus," which is billed as "a trip for the whole family." Tickets start at $2,500.

[ColbertWatcher]

8. How much do you want to bet none of his little outings will be anywhere near Libby? n/t

[leftstreet]

9. No kidding n/t

[orleans]

2. max baucus: big pharma pol. whore. simple explaination. n/t

[ColbertWatcher]

7. Someone needs to remind him ...

... that it was a big corporation that screwed over the people of his state.

[orleans]

12. but he doesn't care about that as long as he's getting his cut of the pie

i'm sick to death of these whores that will do anything for big fucking donations.

[waiting for hope]

3. Ah gee ...

This is what is wrong with Baucus:



"Greed is a fat demon with a small mouth and whatever you feed it is never enough."

[backscatter712]

10. Ain't that the truth?

[SoCalDem]

14. that, and the fact that he's a "little fish" , who sometimes gets to have his moment

If he goes along, he's one of the crowd, but by being Liebermanish, he gets to pretend he's an important guy, and then he forces his way in , at the cool kids' table..

[kenny blankenship]

6. Nothing more American than the personal profit motive.

[Trocadero]

11. $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

[old mark]

13. One of the best legislators money can buy.....nt

[tavalon]

15. Baucus is a bought and paid for subsidiary of the medical insurance industry

[ColbertWatcher]

16. So where was that "industry" when the people of Libby needed help?

Baucus' priorities are messed up.

[Wednesdays]

17. K&R

:kick:

[Hawkeye-X]

18. An visit from the U.S. Attorney from the District of Montana

with a sealed indictment alleging RICO and influence peddling on Baucus might change his mind quickly and yell "SINGLE PAYER RIGHT THE HELL NOW!!!!!! - CALL US RIGHT NOW!@!@*()#&@()&"

Hawkeye-X

[Bravo Zulu]

19. K&R