Hightower Lowdown

Max Baucus chairs the Senate Finance Committee that is presently grinding out its version of a health-care reform bill. This has made the Montana Democrat a very popular guy--not with consumer advocates, but with lobbyists for the insurance, hospital, drug, and other corporate powers fighting furiously against any real reform.

These special interests are throwing money at Max, and to make it easy for them, the chairman has events at which he accepts love offerings. In February, as he began the bill-writing process, he invited corporate check-writers to a $10,000-per-table celebration of himself at a ritzy Washington hotel.

Then, in May, Baucus had an intimate dinner in a San Francisco mansion with about 20 keenly attentive corporate executives. They had ponied up at least $10,000 each to share chicken cordon bleu with the chairman and coo softly about the sexier side of co-pays and cost containment. Next came Max's annual "fly-fishing and golfing weekend" in Big Sky, Montana, attracting guests who donated a minimum of $2,500. You probably weren't invited, but every health industry lobbyist was.

Baucus knows about conflict of interest--he drew a sharp ethical line on June 1, declaring that he would refuse donations from health-care PACs until after the reform legislation is passed. Does this ban include contributions from health-industry lobbyists and executives? Don't be silly--no need for ethical extremism.

Max is cashing in because--well, because he can. As an amiably- corrupt Texas state senator once said of the sacks of money he received: "I seen my chances, and I took 'em."