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Wednesday, April 29, 2020

Rep. James E. Clyburn of South Carolina co-orchestrated the Biden big boost move on Super Tuesday, where Biden bypassed Sanders toward the "Democratic" Party's 2020 presidential nomination. To understand Clyburn, understand his campaign money trail. And then, an anti pharma price gouging bill sponsored by progressives has languished in the House where Clyburn holds a leadership role.

It is not rocket science. It is old-fashioned follow the money. Clyburn money to be followed, lately, and over his entire House career. Do you doubt where his legislative priorities fall on the question of disarming the insurance-medical-pharma-complex of its ill-gotten gouging-powers? You want an example? Sure you do, and recent is better.

First, things were better before the Clinton-Gingrich policy collaborations. Preliminary to fleshing-out that last assertion, for readers unaware of it, David Sirota has a new online "soap box" worth the time to check it out, since Sirota writes well and ferrets out stuff which, once he strings links and commentary together, makes sense and hangs together.

Titled, "Too Much Information," the home link is:

https://sirota.substack.com/

The work behind this post at Crabgrass was Sirota doing the heavy lifting, but with the Clyburn observation tied to Clyburn's NOT being a cosponsor of a consumer protection legislative effort sponsored by Bernie in the Senate and Ro Kohana in the House. The links show Clyburn's absence from the progressives in the House, and in the Senate Klobuchar was a late cosponsor.

The bill text is presented via the Kohana link.

All this is a prelude to again stating that Joe Biden will be an enemy of pharma, insurance, and care provider reforms, if elected, i.e., in that dimension equivalent to Trump more than an upgrade.

Now, the Clinton-Gingrich days, again Sirota,

That NIH rule, however, was rescinded by Bill Clinton’s administration -- a big win for “the biotechnology and pharmaceutical industries, which campaigned against the pricing clause,” according to a contemporaneous report from the New York Times (and just yesterday, Donna Shalala — the Clinton official who ran HHS when the pricing rule was rescinded — was appointed by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to the government panel charged with overseeing coronavirus stimulus funds).

And just a day ago, I believe, the Clintons endorsed Biden. Full circle; citizens suffer, super big business and lobbying forces prosper disproportionately.

Clyburn and Biden had best look to Abrams rather than Harris or other Pelosi-like women of color for the second spot on the ticket. It will either save or doom Biden, how he chooses, and then follows up the choice with a bit more.

Kohana and Jayapal more than AOC and Warren seem best to lead progressives as Bernie ages away from another try, but the four, on the same page and mutually respectful would be stronger together.

In fairness to AOC, so far she's not officially lined up behind the Biden bandwagon. Bernie has. Even before Biden has announced a VP choice. Perhaps Bernie and Biden discussed names.

Perhaps not.