As Public Campaign Action Fund noted yesterday, presidential hopeful Gov. Rick Perry's (R-Texas) ties to pharmaceutical giant Merck run a lot deeper than a $5,000 check, as he claimed in Monday's Tea Party debate. And it seems we weren't the only ones who noticed.

Many news outlets reported today on the flap over Perry and his deep financial ties to Merck, the HPV vaccine-maker:

At last night's Republican presidential debate, Rep. Michele Bachmann went after Rick Perry for taking money from Merck, a pharmaceutical giant, and then issuing an executive order that required Texas schoolgirls to receive vaccinations that Merck produces. While this is certainly troubling, and her noting of the influence of wealthy corporate and special interests is correct, her own record makes it clear that those in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

According to the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, Medicare Part D makes terrific financial sense...for pharmaceutical companies. A report from the committee shows a $3.7 billion profit in the last two years for pharmaceutical companies due to more favorable reimbursements under Part D -- not a bad return on investment for the $36 million the industry has poured into campaign coffers in that same time period, according to the