Merck on the Texas money trail

Texas Governor Rick Perry's plan to turn over the hugely popular Texas Lottery to an outside firm may go sour before he can stand back and reap the budgetary benefits. Most of the money would go to help health care causes --funding a pool to provide health insurance for the uninsured and setting aside $300 million a year for a huge cancer research project. But the Austin American Statesman wonders where the money will end up. Perry's former chief of staff is now a lobbyist with Merck, and the drug firm potentially stands to benefit from the cancer research projects.

Making matters worse, Perry angered state officials this week by suggesting that turning over the state lottery to the private sector would be a "smart move"."Are we not smart enough to run the lottery?" an incensed state legislator replied.