Is the right running out of material to smear Obama with? Are they so desperate for dirt that they have to create it themselves? That’s what Fox News seems to be doing by covering the story of a “secret” deal President Obama made with pharmaceutical companies in 2009, to get them to back his health care reform law.

A post on Fox Nation bears the inflammatory headline “Did the White House Cut a Backroom Deal with Drug Companies to Get Obamacare Passed?” It links to this article from the Washington Examiner about an investigation by the House Energy and Commerce committee (or the Republican members of it anyway). They want to know more about a "secret" deal the President cut with the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America to get their support for his health care legislation. What goodies he offered the pharma industry, that kind of thing. Congressman Michael Burgess (R-TX) appeared on America's Newsroom to describe the results of their probe so far (they seem to have the grand total of one e-mail after an 11-month investigation, though Burgess is promising more shortly.) The story is also covered by the Daily Caller and Human Events.

There’s one trouble with that story, gentle reader. It’s not news. The deal, including the pharma industry bag of goodies, was reported openly by the media at the time. I am sure they'll keep trying to spin it as news, but it looks to me like another smearing vetting job by the indefatigable right.