The Hightower Report

The Karzai-ization of Afghanistan

Isn't it great that America is standing so forcefully for fundamental principles of democracy around the world? We're standing side by side with some of the most notable, incredible, and astonishing democratic leaders on the globe today. Specifically, of course, I'm referring to Hamid Karzai.

Karzai? What a goofus! As the sitting president of Afghanistan, this guy is only notable for being an astonishingly arrogant incompetent with no leadership credibility whatsoever. Yet we have tens of thousands of American troops over there – fighting, bleeding, and dying – to shore up Karzai's ridiculous and corrupt regime.

How ridiculous and corrupt? Let's remember that he flat-out stole last year's presidential election. The thievery was so rampant and blatant that his top opponent quit the race in disgust, declaring that there was no way for people to get a fair vote. Still, our government sanctioned this fraud, declaring that we had extracted promises from Karzai that he would stop the corruption and allow an independent commission to oversee future elections.

We might as well have tried to make a snake tap dance. With parliamentary elections coming up in September, this slippery autocrat has unilaterally dismissed the independent commission, decreeing that he will handpick all new members. A Karzai spokesman noted that three of the deposed commission members were appointed by the United Nations and were "creating problems for us." Yeah, impartial election monitors can be a problem for petty tyrants. That's why they're there.

The spokesman claimed that Karzai's usurpation of the election office was merely part of "the process of Afghanization" of the government. What's happened to the democratization of the government? What's really happening is the Karzai-ization of the government – and not one more of our soldiers should have to die for that.

Tauzin's Big Pharma Overdose

Some marriages are made in heaven, some in hell. The matrimony of Billy Tauzin and Big Pharma was definitely hellish – especially for us innocent bystanders.

Tauzin, who was a longtime Louisiana Congress critter, is a wheeler-dealer of the old school, reminding me of a Texas politico who always skated on the thin ice of ethics, candidly explaining that, "I seen my chances, and I took 'em."

Elected to the U.S. House 30 years ago from Louisiana, Tauzin was a Democrat who rose to become chairman of a powerful committee, where he was a faithful servant to industry interests. But, in 1994, Republicans took over the House, and Tauzin's star was about to fade. However, seeing his chances, he cut a deal with the GOP to switch parties in exchange for becoming chairman of the house committee that handles legislation affecting drug corporations.

From that position, Tauzin engineered a Medicare boondoggle in 2004 that gives the drug giants a fat subsidy costing taxpayers billions of dollars every year. Big Pharma, grateful for the windfall profits, asked Tauzin that very year to get hitched. Seeing his chances, Tauzin became the drug industry's chief lobbyist, drawing an annual paycheck of $2 million. Using his insider connections, he's been effective at killing various proposals that would have stopped the rip-off prices that drug companies make us pay for our medicines.

Last year, however, Tauzin cut one deal too many. He agreed to support President Obama's health care reform in a trade-off that really didn't please anyone, especially his own industry leaders – so they have rather rudely dumped him, judging by his recent resignation.

So Tauzin is out of work – but don't forget him. Next time you're gouged by the drug giants, remember – it wouldn't happen without the work of self-serving hucksters like Tauzin.