Making Deals

As further evidence of the importance of government helping Big Business, and, in turn, effecting health care policy here in the U.S. (Pioneer Press):

On a road trip to promote President Bush's $5.9 billion initiative to bolster America's business competitiveness with the rest of the world, U.S. Commerce Secretary Carlos Gutierrez, above left, stopped Thursday morning to speak with Medtronic Chief Executive Art Collins, right, and several hundred Medtronic employees at the medical-device company's headquarters in Fridley (MN). Gutierrez cited Medtronic as an example of a competitive U.S. company that is "in the right business at the right time" and has its "best years ahead" of it. The Bush administration's competitiveness initiative would double funding for basic research over the next decade, update and expand research-and-development tax incentives, and make improvements to education, training and recruiting efforts.

But what is Medtronic giving Mr. Bush and how will that effect defibrillator and pacemaker costs?

--Wes