The AP's got a storyon the wire about Senators with ties to the health exploitation and denial industry.
The greatest offender according to them is 2009's designated Whipping Post Chris Dodd, whose wife made $32,000 plus $100,000 in stock options. That's real money and does dwarf the other Senate members named in the article (Rockefeller, Harkin, Hatch, Kyl).
What's odd is who they left off.
Indiana Senator ConservaCrat Evan Bayh, who regularly votes against his party's interest, says he isn't influenced by his wife's "work" on corporate boards that paid her more than $837,000 in 2007.
Susan Bayh, a lawyer, is a director at Indianapolis-based WellPoint Inc. The nation's largest health insurer and parent to Blue Cross/Blue Shield.
WellPoint, which paid Susan Bayh almost $335,000 last year, is the biggest U.S. health-insurance company by membership as Obama's campaign promises to push for universal health-care coverage.
Susan's paid mostly in stock options.
The Bayh Family has profited greatly from these options(Particularly, from Anthem/Wellpoint) which have paid very well since her husband's promotion, oops, election to the Senate in 1998, which is coincidentally when Susan was brought onto Anthem's Board.
Smell Test
While it isn't inherently unethical for Senate spouses to join corporate boards, concerns may arise if companies and lawmakers are in positions to benefit from the connections, said Bill Buzenberg, executive director of the Center for Public Integrity. ``It doesn't pass the ethical smell test,'' Buzenberg said.
Especially, when they both got "promotions" in the same year.
Nope. Nothing to see here.
Evan Bayh has gone ``above and beyond what is required under Senate ethics rules'' to prevent possible conflicts, forbidding his staff to communicate with lobbyists for companies where his wife is a director, Bayh's spokesman Eric Kleiman said.
See, Evan Bayh's spokesman says so. So there. By the way, above and beyond would look like her stepping down from the boards she sits on.
``There is a wall, preventing any and all lobbying contact,'' and Susan Bayh isn't a lobbyist, Kleiman said. ``Spouses of public servants deserve the opportunity to pursue success in their chosen fields of endeavor.''
This isn't about lobbyists or contacts. This is about the Bayh's Family Bank Account.
And chosen endeavor? Her endeavor chose her. Since, 1998 when her husband was put on the US Senate. All she does is sit on Boards. For millions of dollars. But, hey, if you say so, Eric.