Is Hanabusa's Senate Campaign backed by PhRMA? (Honolulu: 2013, house)

[Fredesch]

The Washington Post is reporting that Colleen Hanabusa's staff discussed With lobbyists for the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (PhRMA), PhRMA supporting her senatorial campaign and that some of effort described in emails could run afoul of campaign finance laws.

I haven't seen this in Hawaiian papers yet, so you may want to watch for it. The Washington Post article appears on page A5 of the July, 28 edition. The subtitle is " Offer to back legislator could be in violation of campaign finance law". PhARMA is an odd backer for a democrat in a state that cares about the environment.

[kaimuki]

There are lots of reasons I don't vote for ANY candidates in the Republican and Democratic parties. The biggest one being they are bought by wall st. and other corporations. Hanabusa is just like all of the others in DC, she's a greedy chit bag. Politicians and corporate heads are nothing more than bedfellows. The notion we have a say in anything is BS. Voting doesn't solve the problem.

The article: Congressional aide described campaign offer by drug lobby - The Washington Post

[hawaiian by heart]

Originally Posted by kaimuki

There are lots of reasons I don't vote for ANY candidates in the Republican and Democratic parties. The biggest one being they are bought by wall st. and other corporations. Hanabusa is just like all of the others in DC, she's a greedy chit bag. Politicians and corporate heads are nothing more than bedfellows. The notion we have a say in anything is BS. Voting doesn't solve the problem.

The article: Congressional aide described campaign offer by drug lobby - The Washington Post

Ya unfortunately i have to agree that both parties are just different sides of the same coin. Both currupt in there own agendas

[CyberCity]

At the end of the WP article is a likely reason that PhRMA is trying to feed $$ into this campaign:

PhRMA, one of the top lobbying groups in Washington, has not reported running independent expenditures on behalf of federal candidates in recent elections. However, it donated at least $8.3 million to politically active groups in 2011 and 2012, according to the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics.

Hanabusa shares PhRMA’s opposition to proposals that would require drug companies to provide rebates for medications that low-income beneficiaries obtain through Medicare.

Schatz, the incumbent senator whom Hanabusa is challenging, takes the opposite view. In April, Schatz co-sponsored legislation by Sen. John D. Rockefeller IV (D-W.Va.) to require such rebates.

“Senator Schatz stands by his position because it’s the right thing to do for Hawaii, and how that may influence outside groups is simply not a consideration for the senator,” Schroers said.

The two Democrats faced off in a previous House primary in 2006, when they both lost to Mazie Hirono, who now represents Hawaii in the Senate. The late Sen. Daniel Inouye named Hanabusa as his preferred successor before he died in December, but Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie (D) selected Schatz, his lieutenant governor, to fill the remainder of Inouye’s term.

Reported in Honolulu Civil Beat on May 23, 2013:

Aside from offering another contrast, it remains to be seen if the policy difference could inject money into Hanabusa's campaign. Pharmaceutical and health product companies made $15 million in campaign contributions in the last election, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.

Big corporations spend big $$ to influence government actions, nothing new in that. "However, it [PhRMA] donated at least $8.3 million to politically active groups in 2011 and 2012", and "Pharmaceutical and health product companies made $15 million in campaign contributions in the last election".

I wonder what the GMO money flow is like?