Healthcare industry leads in campaign contributions

A new study released by the California Nurses Association/National Nurses Organizing Committee suggests that the healthcare industry is taking a leading role in funding the campaigns of this season's crop of presidential hopefuls. The CNA/NNOC analysis concludes that healthcare industry players contributed $3.7 million to current candidates during the first quarter of 2007. It also notes that the industry--which it defines as including drug and insurance companies, doctors, hospitals, dentists and nursing homes--spent more than $2.2 billion on federal lobbying over the past decade. By CNA/NNOC calculations, Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) and Sen. John McCain (R) got the lion's share of healthcare contributions of all presidential candidates, collecting 40 percent of the overall total. 

To find out more about this trend:
- read this CNA/NNOC release