Mar. 27, Feature - Democratic Party and healthcare reform activists have frequently debated which presidential candidate's health care plan is better - Hillary Clinton's or Barack Obama's. Meanwhile, the pharmaceutical industry ahs been wooing Democrats in Congress. Judith Siers Poissan and Diane Farsetta of PR Watch dot org report.

For years, while Republicans controlled the U.S. Congress, the pharmaceutical industry lavished them with campaign contributions and lobbyist visits. The approach paid off, most notably with the industry-friendly Medicare prescription drug bill, which became law in 2003. The industry's rightward tilt, along with growing public awareness of healthcare issues, made it politically easy for Democrats to challenge drug companies.

That changed when the 2006 elections gave Democrats control of both houses of Congress. In 2007, the pharmaceutical industry's campaign donations were split evenly between Democrats and Republicans. Drug companies hired lobbyists who formerly worked for such prominent Democrats as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senator Ted Kennedy, who chairs the Senate committee dealing with healthcare issues. Healthcare measures formerly championed by Democrats, such as a bill allowing re-importation of drugs from Canada, stalled in Congress.

The main industry lobby group, Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, has also wooed former foes such as AARP and labor unions, by spending millions on a campaign backing the expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program. The growing influence of the drug industry on both sides of the aisle means healthcare reform may not happen, regardless of who becomes the next President.

That was Judith Siers Poissan Poissan and Diane Farsetta of PRWatch.org.