Filed under: Health, Insurance-health

Huzzah! We have a new record.

Open Secrets reports that lobbyists have dropped more money in the third quarter than during any other quarter since spending disclosures began -- $849 million to be exact. In three months.

Total for the year so far: $2.5 billion. Naturally, the health care sector is leading the year so far with $396 million.

If you've been wondering why the Republicans are insane and why too many of the Democrats are acting like, well, Republicans, this is your answer (I'm looking at you Blanche Lincoln, Ben Nelson, Joe Lieberman and Evan Bayh).

Firstly, as we all know, lobbyists own Congress, but in terms of the big issues this year, ranging from energy to health care, the Republicans are being well-paid to flail and obstruct and generally thwart any efforts for reform.

Meanwhile, some of the Democrats who've muddied and watered-down the health care reform bill are equally as guilty of following orders from the people signing the checks, so they're stalling reform but not with the same fury as the Republicans