Beckmann Plays "Pin the Tail on the Donkey," Again.

by: Hy Dudgeon

Fri Jan 26, 2007 at 17:10:21 PM EST

Today's column was a fine example of the "ready, fire, aim" variety of commentary that's become the specialty of the house at Cafe Beckmann.

Beckmann fumed that "state officials have not had the courage to admit they decided to help Abraham more than most convicted criminals who leave the justice system."

A couple of thoughts come to mind. First, most convicted criminals aren't released from prison at age 21 after having spent nearly half their lives behind bars. Left to fend for himself, Nathaniel Abraham would quickly find himself back in the justice system--and the state would pay even more to feed and house him in prison, where he wouldn't get a college education and have little to no hope of ever becoming a productive citizen. Beckmann's likely response would be, "that's tough." Problem is, it's more expensive to be tough than smart. We're re-learning that lesson in Iraq.

Speaking of tough, Beckmann also asked, "Why isn't anyone being fired for this latest Lansing embarrassment?" Sound familiar? Beckmann's finger is pointed at the governor, just like the Republicans tried to blame her for Ricky Holland's death.

But Beckmann was in even rarer form when he tried to blame the Democrats for Pfizer's decision to eliminate 4,000 jobs in Michigan. He asked:

Was it the memory of Michigan Economic Development Corp. officials flying to New York in 2002 to oppose Pfizer's proposed acquisition of Pharmacia?

Was it the ongoing efforts by Democratic state legislators to remove immunity from lawsuits over federally approved drugs that pharmaceutical firms receive only in Michigan?

Was it the constant sniping about industry profits by Michigan Sen. Debbie Stabenow?

Let's address these one by one.

First, the MEDC. In 2002, the governor was John Engler, a Republican. Pick up the phone, call the National Association of Manufacturers and complain to him, Frank.

Second, immunity for lawsuits. Even assuming that the state repeals the drug-immunity law (and how would you like it if someone in the Beckmann family were seriously injured by an adverse reaction to Vioxx, Baycol, or Rezulin and had no legal recourse?) , Pfizer can't relocate to another state with such a law. As you concede, there aren't any. And by the way, one opponent of the drug-immunity law is Senator Alan Cropsey (R-DeWitt), who's not exactly known as a rip-roaring liberal.

Finally, Senator Stabenow. Blaming her and other Michigan Democrats for chasing Pfizer out of the state is a stretch that Willie McCovey couldn't have managed in the prime of his career.

The industry's problems--many of which are self-inflicted--aren't a Michigan problem, they're a world-wide problem. The pharmaceutical industry, like the auto and insurance industries, are cyclical, and it's entering a down cycle. Patents are running out on "blockbuster" drugs that lower cholesterol and fight depression, generics are eating into market share, and the "pipeline" of new drugs is running dry. Pfizer is no exception.

Ever heard of torceptrapib? No, that's not the backup center for the Pistons, but a drug that Pfizer hoped would raise "good" cholesterol levels. Last month, the company halted clinical trials of the drug after finding out that it increased the risk of heart attacks and strokes. It's believed that Pfizer invested $1 billion in what turned out to be the pharmaceutical equivalent of a dry hole. It happens all the time in the industry.

Some blame the Food and Drug Administration for the lack of new drugs, arguing that it requires too much proof that new drugs are "safe and effective," which has been the law since 1962. The Republican FDA, that is. Under George W. Bush, the agency views the drug industry as a "partner" and has even pitched in to help drug companies defend lawsuits filed by victims of adverse drug reactions.

But in Frank Beckmann's world, it's always easier to play pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey, and blame the Democrats for everything that goes wrong. Ready, fire, aim indeed.