Russ Feingold: “the lobbying on this bill has been intensive. There's been a great deal of coverage in recent weeks about the wealthy…”

“the lobbying on this bill has been intensive. There's been a great deal of coverage in recent weeks about the wealthy interests that have collided over whether the nation should have a Patients' Bill of Rights, and what that bill should look like. I think even the media has had a tough time figuring out which side of this debate has the power of the ``special interests'' on their side. Some have said the money is on the side of the McCain-Kennedy- Edwards bill, since interests supporting the bill include the American Association of Trial Lawyers, the American Medical Association, and labor unions like AFSCME. Others say that the special interests are weighing in against the Patients Bill of Rights, because of the powerful business and insurance coalitions fighting to defeat this legislation. So who is right. Where is the money in this debate? The answer is simple, there are donors on both sides. Wealthy interests aren't aligned exclusively on one side or the other. So for the information of my colleagues and the public, I thought I would take a moment to call the bankroll by examining the donations the interests on both sides have given in the last election cycle.”