5 years ago
By Rich Kellman Senior Correspondent
Dr. Rudy Mueller of Jamestown has long been a crusader for affordable health insurance and prescription coverage. So the letter made some sense at first.
"My secretary comes running in and says, 'Dr. Rudy, you've won this award,'" he tells us, "and I go, what award?"
It was an award from the National Republican Congressional Committee. "Even signed his first name, 'Congratulations, Tom.' I'm Physician of the Year."
"Tom" was Congressman Thomas Reynolds of Western New York, one of the most powerful members of Congress and Chairman of the NRCC.
There was one catch if he wanted to receive his award in person. He had to pay $1250 for a two-day conference in Washington on tax policy, and make his personal check payable to the NRCC.
Rich Kellman asks NRCC spokesman Carl Forti, "How many outstanding physicians were there?"
"There were hundreds of Physicians of the Year from around the country," he replies.
Around 600, in fact, who attended the conference and paid at least $1250 each, according to Forti.
Forti says recipients are chosen by their service to the Republican Party and candidates, and personal donations. "Do you take into account their service in medicine?" Kellman asks.
"We do not." Forti replies.
But the NRCC does take into account past contributions, and Rudy Mueller gave $500 once before to be on the NRCC's Physicians Advisory Board.
He says the board focussed on tax issues and tort reform, but did nothing on what he considers more urgent questions, including how to provide health insurance to millions of uninsured Americans,and reducing the cost of healthcare while improving quality.
And then a March 18th letter from Reynolds arrived saying, "Without your special (additional)contribution of $500, our candidate support programs will be doomed."
Reynolds' Washington office told us he would not comment on anything involving the NRCC of which he is chairman.
"People don't like to talk about money," says Canisius College political science professor Dr. Michael Haselswerdt. He tells us both parties do what he calls stunts, such as the Physician of the Year Award. "A very effective way of raising money," he says.
He adds that those who give in order to get what they believe is access to government leaders are kidding themselves. "The individual donor is being sold a bill of goods here, and that's what this guy got."
"I think it was disgusting, outrageous, wrong," says Mueller.
But it's happening, and it's legal.
"And that's life," adds Haselswerdt.
He also notes that many donors feel they've gotten their money's worth just attending events with political stars, where they feel they are being listened to.
