Hey, what's a little conflict of interest between friends???

We all watched as the spokesperson for the FDA admitted on live tv to the Congressional Committee in '99 that members of her organization, which grants approval licensing for new products including vaccines did indeed invest in the companies they were "watchdogging", accept money both directly and indirectly from these same companies, and even had their budgets padded by these companies. Some have even gone so far as to undertake speaking engagements to hawk the very products they are supposed to be evaluating (for pay of course). We also saw her sit with mouth gaping like a beached carp when Burton told her that to do so was in direct violation of Federal Conflict of Interest Laws.

So what is wrong after all with a little grease for the wheel? How can we get products to market for the demanding consumers if we don't "pave the way" so to speak? (Nevermind that it is not a free market, but a mandated regimen.)

A small snippet from FEAT, on the now infamour Rotashield (just as an example of what can be wrong with this picture, in case I am confusing you good people from IL)

On the federal level, members of committees that advise the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccine policy
also often have conflicts of interest, according to a report of the House Government Reform Committee. The FDA approves vaccines, and the CDC issues guidelines for their use.
The federal report examined the financial interests of expert advisers who endorsed a rotavirus vaccine to prevent childhood diarrhea. Shortly after the vaccine was approved, it was pulled from the market after being linked to severe bowel obstructions in babies that caused vomiting and bloody stools and sometimes required surgery.
The House committee report documented that members of the FDA and CDC advisory committees held stock in vaccine companies, owned vaccine patents,
received grants and research funds from vaccine manufacturers and were paid speaking and consulting fees. Some of these members abstained from the
vote to approve the rotavirus vaccine, but still participated in committee discussions, the report said.
"We've taken a good hard look at whether the pharmaceutical industry has too much influence over these committees," said committee chairman Dan
Burton (R-Ind.) "From the evidence we found, I think they do."
The issue is part of a larger debate over whether the pharmaceutical industry wields too much clout over the nation's medical practices and health policy. Drug companies routinely give doctors free meals, medical textbooks, drug samples and generous speaking and consulting fees. Companies that develop new drugs pay for the studies that determine whether the drugs will be approved for use. Drug companies also are a major source of advertising dollars for medical journals, and they help pay for medical conferences.