Knee Jerks

New Jersey Senators Robert Menendez and Frank Lautenberg joined Congressmen Frank Pallone and Steven Rothman in exerting "extreme" and "unusual" pressure upon the Food and Drug Administration to approve a knee patch that the agency's scientists repeatedly and unanimously determined was unsafe, according to a report in the New York Times.

Each legislator received substantial contributions from the devices manufacturer, ReGen Biologics Inc., of Hackensack. Menendez received $9,100, Rothman $11,300, Pallone $3,300 and Lautenberg $2,300.

Staffers for each lawmaker denied that the money had anything to do with their advocacy of the unsafe device.

Hat tip to Blue Jersey.