The Heather, Big Pharma, Coleman Stove Connection

For some reason this picture of Heather Wilson seems appropo to this post

In the "Thanks for Nothing" Politiics Division, news finally hits that Heather Wilson's "Vote for Heather Because of Medicare D" spots were not only paid for by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (which we already knew because it's written at the end of the ad), but also funded in part by Big Pharma.

I know. You're shocked and might need a Xanax or Xerxes or whatever this week's hip anti-anxiety drug is called. Or maybe you have a political jadedness quotient of more than .001 and already figured the Pharma connection to those ads within .001 seconds of seeing them.

No, I'm not shocked by the connection. However, a few things do shock me about them:

1. Why would Heather Wilson want to take any credit, or be in anyway affiliated with a program as unpopular as Medicare D?
2. Doesn't that kind of remind you of George H.W. Bush's politically tin ear when it came to the economy in 1992? Now if only the Democrats could invent a slogan or two about that...
   
3. Speaking of political tin ears, evidently the national U.S. Chamber of Commerce has about as much political sense as Teri (Stalin in a tight dress) Cole and her dictatorially mismanaged Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce.
   
4. Oh, sorry, number 3 wasn't a question. Neither was number 4.
5. A human behavior question: if Big Pharma is so unpopular and widely despised for their oil company-esque profits why do people keeping taking the drugs they sell? It's like we're addicted to them or something...
6. Big Oil question...see question number 5.
   
7. Speaking of addiction, is it possible that the U.S. Chamber can run some Heather spots paid for in part by the American Crystal Meth Producers Association? Not only could the ad feature Heather's Big Pharma connection as it ties into pseudoephedrine, but they could also highlight Heather's support of Big Oil and how it helps provide Coleman fuel in the meth-making process. In an election this close, it could come down to the Meth Head vote.

I realize that the level of Medicare D loathing is being debated right now, and that some enrollees seem to be liking the program (emphasis on "some"). By the way, if you ever want to creep yourself out go to a site like "Pharma Marketing Blog", and read a few entries. For special creepy fun, change all the mentions of Xanax, Paxil, Vioxx and such to Heroin, Cocaine, Meth, and Crack. The copy reads exactly the same.

To me, the tin ear here is that far from the majority of senior citizens have enrolled, and many seniors haven't because of fears/hatred about the program. Then's there is the non-senior population, which has an even more negative view of the program to the extent that Patsy Madrid can get an "Amen" and "Go Tell It Sister" just for bringing it up in a public setting. In fact, if Patsy doesn't bring it up early and often at every single Wilson/Madrid debate in the next two months I will personally throw my Coleman fuel stove through the television.