If you have ever wondered why the cost of prescription drugs in the United States are the highest in the world or why it's illegal to import cheaper drugs from Canada or Mexico, you need look no further than the pharmaceutical lobby and its influence in Washington, D.C.

According to a new report by the Center for Public Integrity, congressmen are outnumbered two to one by lobbyists for an industry that spends roughly a $100 million a year in campaign contributions and lobbying expenses to protect its profits.

I didn't see 60 minutes yesterday but this article about the segment talks about Big Pharm influence in passing legislation that gouged the public.. and passed in the middle of the night.

It prohibited Medicare and the federal government from using its vast purchasing power to negotiate lower prices directly from the drug companies.

"The key goal was to make sure there'd be no interference in the drug companies' abilities to charge high prices and to continue to increase those prices," says Pollack.

Pollack says there's no question that this was prompted by the pharmaceutical lobby.

"They were the ones who wanted to make sure Medicare could charge high prices and to continue to increase those prices," he said.

I remember that whole ugly episode well.

• Tom DeLay, who had to step down and is now under indictment for money-laundering, held the vote open past its projected 15 minutes, till 6 o'clock in the morning. No television crews were recording, they did it, like all crooks try to do, under cover of night, when few would see.

• Republicans tried to bribe and threaten
  
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