But there is new evidence that the public shouldn’t hold its collective breath waiting for out-of-the-box health policy thinking at the Congressional level. For its voter guide, AARP recently conducted a survey among Congressional candidates on issues including Medicare and insurance plans. Forget the tabulated results, the real story is found in the thoughtfulness of the respondents: To answer the survey, candidates in Georgia, Illinois, Iowa, South Carolina, and Texas simply copied – word for word in some cases – party-line sound bites originating from the National Republican Congressional Committee. (As a survey professional, I find this an appalling way to deal with an “open-ended” question – it defeats the purpose!)

Democrats blast the GOP candidates saying the “plagiarized” survey results suggest “more of the same.” See link: http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/feeds/ap/2006/08/31/ap2986766.html
The story really isn’t all that political, though. It could happen on either side of the fence. Rather, the lack of original thinking – or thinking at all – makes one simply question the possibility of creative healthcare solutions, open dialogue, and – dare we say, innovation – from the Hill.