Throughout the health reform debate, the Chamber of Commerce, far from being an independent institution representing its members, instead acted as a front group for the health insurance companies, funneling at least $10 to $20 million through its doors directly from the insurance industry for misleading attack ads in a futile attempt to kill health reform.

Now that health reform has become law, the Chamber is continuing to play the role of insurance company lap dog.

As they say crime should fit the punishment. Likewise celebration should fit the achievement. If you want to call passage of the HCR bill a victory, it is a Pyrrhic one. That is why I find it embarrassing to pat our own backs so vigorously as expressed in the recent congratulatory letter from Justin Ruben.

In one day, you can read how the powerful economic interests have defeated the public interest.

The delusional factor was large in investing in speculative dot.com ventures with business plans most remarkable for their inventiveness. Going to stockholders with losses is always a painful experience. In Texas, in 2003, there suddenly appeared to insurance companies a new reason for losses. That was the year that the insurance industry discovered it had been victimized by mold. “Black mold” losses were thrown up in 2003 as a blight not only on homeowners in the state, but on their premiums.

As many of you know, I am a candidate for the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate in NY in 2010. If I were a member of the United States Senate today, I would vote NO on the bill before the Senate, understanding that such a vote would mean that the bill would not pass because of the undemocratic nature of the filibuster rule.

The nation’s largest insurer, WellPoint, wants the state of Maine to guarantee them a profit, and they’re suing the state to get the rate increases that would do so.

Bipartisanship in the health care reform debate.

Fighting for real health care reform.