If It Looks Like Cronyism and Walks Like Cronyism…

Yay Washington.  Liz Fowler, who pretty much designed Obamacare, just left her federal position to take a job with Johnson & Johnson, which significantly benefited from the legislation.  From Glenn Greenwald at The Guardian (click here to read the whole article - via Salon):

This is precisely the behavior which, quite rationally, makes the citizenry so jaded about Washington. It’s what ensures that the interests of the same permanent power factions are served regardless of election outcomes. It’s what makes a complete mockery out of claims of democracy. And it’s what demonstrates that corporatism and oligarchy are the dominant forms of government in the US.

This is one of the more depressing realities in Washington.  People who should be our greatest servants making deals that impact millions of people in order to further their own careers.  Cronyism is rampant on both sides of the aisle, and we shouldn’t put up with it.  I understand that a government worker who worked with the healthcare industry would likely work in healthcare if they ever left public employment for private employment.  That just makes sense.  But Fowler’s move here looks terrible – it should embarrass the administration who chose her to author the legislation.