Dear Friends,

The Center for Medicine in the Public Interest is pleased to announce the release of two new interviews with Congresswoman Michele Bachmann (R-MN) and Senator Richard Shelby (R-AL).

U.S. Representative Michele Bachmann was elected to Congress in 2006 and is the first Republican woman to be elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Minnesota. In our interview with Congresswoman Bachmann, we discuss her healthcare legislation and the Health Care Freedom of Choice Act. We also discuss Senator McCain's healthcare proposal.

View interview with Congresswoman Michele Bachman:
http://www.biggovhealth.org/testimonials/policymakers/michele-bachmann/

U.S. Senator Richard Shelby was elected to the United States Senate in 1986.

Senator Shelby is Chairman of the Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee and Chairman of the Commerce, Justice, and Science Appropriations Subcommittee. In addition, he is a member of the full Appropriations Committee and the Special Committee on Aging. In our interview with Senator Shelby, we discuss Senator McCain’s healthcare proposal and the future of American healthcare.

View interview with Senator Shelby:
http://www.biggovhealth.org/testimonials/policymakers/richard-shelby/

HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

CMPI NEWS
www.cmpi.org

DRUGWONKS BLOG
www.drugwonks.com

WSJ Goes Into The Gutter On Sarah Palin
By Robert Goldberg
September 8, 2008

Here's the WSJ's June Kronholz looking into the soul of Sarah Palin and concluding that her newborn Trig is, well, just a cynical political prop:

"Little Trig Palin prompted more than delegate coos when he joined his mother on stage at the Republican convention. He also raised new questions among parents whose children have disabilities.

Was Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin simply including her 5-month-old son, who has Down syndrome, in a big family moment, or was she exploiting him in a tight presidential campaign? Would he help break down social barriers facing children with Down syndrome, or would those children now be drawn into the right-to-life debate?"

http://www.drugwonks.com/blog_post/show/6322

Lies. Damn Lies. And Statistics (about cancer).
By Peter Pitts
September 8, 2008

A new article in NewsWeek is titled, “We Fought Cancer-And Cancer Won.”

According to the article, “In 2008, cancer will take the lives of about 230,000 more Americans—69 percent more-than it did in 1971.”

That’s true.

The article continues, “Of course, since the population is older and 50 percent larger, that raw number is misleading. A fairer way to examine progress is to look at age-adjusted rates. Those statistics are hardly more encouraging. In 1975, the first year for which the National Cancer Institute has solid age-adjusted data, 199 of every 100,000 Americans died of cancer. That rate, mercifully, topped out at 215 in 1991. In 2005 the mortality rate fell to 184 per 100,000, seemingly a real improvement over 1975."

Also accurate.

http://www.drugwonks.com/blog_post/show/6321

INTERNATIONAL ARTICLE OF NOTE

Cancer Patient Wins High Court Battle Over Drug
The Independent
September 2008

Read Article

ARTICLE OF NOTE

Excessive State Mandates Increase Costs
National Center for Policy Analysis
September 9, 2008

Read Article

To learn more about state mandates and the proposal to purchase health insurance across state lines, view CMPI’s interview with Congressman John Shadegg (R-AZ):

http://www.biggovhealth.org/testimonials/policymakers/john-shadegg/