Remember the deal that was reported to have been struck between the White House and big pharma over the summer in which big pharma promised to cut out 80 billion dollars worth of gouging in return for the administration's agreement to abandon its campaign promise to voters to revisit Medicare Part-D and use the fact that the US government is the single largest purchaser of prescription drugs in the world to negotiate for better drug prices? This promise:

Remember how a few days after the news of this awful deal was leaked and there was such an uproar over it, the White House said hold on, there's not really a deal?

Remember how it's been reported that in private meetings, the President was pushing the Baucus bill?

Now, remembering all of that, isn't it interesting that the Baucus bill just happens to mirror "the deal that wasn't struck" almost to the letter?

Like I said, just coincidence. Right? Right!

I guess Bill Moyers really was correct when he said " the Democratic Party has become like the Republican Party, deeply influenced by corporate money ... the money for Obama’s re-election will come from the health care industry, from the drug industry, from Wall Street. And so he’s a corporate Democrat who is determined that there won’t be something in this legislation that will turn off these interests. . . ."

 Change that we can hope to believe in. Kind of like the tooth fairy. Or something. 

Did we say "Yes, we can!" Hell, that's all wrong. What we really meant was "No, we can't!" In fact, that's the slogan for 2012. Also, to go along with a new patriotic McDonald's value menu, we'll be unveiling a new hope and change theme: "Hope for change...back from your dollar!"  Bumper stickers coming soon... - David Axelrod