What is Motivating Sen. Max Baucus?

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus (D-MT) is starting to drive some people insane with his role in the health care reform legislative process.

In recent days, Baucus seems to be slowing down the Finance Committee's process of getting a health care bill on the table and Baucus has been insistent that a bill be crafted with a goal of getting bipartisan support. All of this as President Obama's August 7th deadline looms in the distance.

There is a detail that needs to be included in the discussion about the role of Sen. Baucus and his enthusiasm to help craft a bill that will include substantive reform. This detail is money, more specifically, the top ten campaign contributors to Baucus' campaign committee and leadership PAC from 2005-present (h/t tremayne)(emphasis mine):

1. Schering-Plough Corp - $86,200 Pharmaceuticals
2. Amgen Inc - $65,250 Biotechnology
3. Blue Cross/Blue Shield - $62,350 Health Insurance
4. UST Inc - $61,950 Chewing tobacco/alcohol
5. New York Life Insurance - $59,150 Life & Health Insurance
6. JPMorgan Chase & Co - $58,100 Banking/Insurance
7. American International Group - $51,750 Insurance/Fin. Services
8. Aetna Inc - $51,250 Health Insurance
9. Goldman Sachs - $47,900 Financial Services
10. DaVita Inc - $47,850 Health Care

numbers courtesy of OpenSecrets.org

Call me pessimistic, but these are not numbers or contributors that give me good feelings about meaningful health care reform from the Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee.