Heath Care Reform And Special Interests

You probably have seen those ads against heath care reform, the ad with Dr. Monica Wehby who says “I do not represent special interest”. Well I looked up organization that sponsored the ad, and guest what? It is a special interest organization called Employment Policies Institute (EPI)!

While researching "rethinkreform" they said this about themselves,

RethinkReform.com is a project of the Employment Policies Institute (EPI), a non-profit, non-partisan research organization dedicated to studying public policy issues surrounding employment economics. EPI sponsors non-partisan research by independent economists at major universities around the country.

So that lead me to research EPI and according to Source Watch,

The Employment Policies Institute (EPI) is one of several front groups created by Berman & Co., a Washington, DC public affairs firm owned by Rick Berman, who lobbies for the restaurant, hotel, alcoholic beverage and tobacco industries. While most commonly referred to as EPI, it is registered as a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization under the name of Employment Policies Institute Foundation. In its annual Internal Revenue Service return, EPI states that it "shares office space with Berman & Company on a cost pass through basis".

And who is Rick Berman? The Huffington Post’s Art Levine writes,

Rachel Maddow last night took on corporate PR maestro Rick Berman. Berman has established a bevy of anti-reform "non-profit" websites that enable him to attack everything from ACORN to unions to Mothers Against Drunk Driving while defending trans-fats, lowering the minimum wage and high fructose corn syrup as good for you and the economy. But most critically, Maddow notes, "We're not allowed to know who picks up the bill" for his hit jobs.

On MSNBC Rachel Maddow links Mr. Berman to the Tea Party…


These ads against health care reform are nothing but a slick ad campaign by right wing conservatives to derail any chance of a meaningful health care law. Despite what she says Dr. Wehby does represents special interests!