We may have what we consider to be a long-lived democracy, but in my opinion it is teetering on the brink. In last week’s Supreme Court decision in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, a 60 year legal precedent was overturned. Now we face the horrific prospect of no restraints on for-profit corporations regarding their campaign contributions. They can now use their corporate billions to support or attack political candidates as they wish.
It’s a though the already existing FOR SALE sign outside of Congress just turned neon!
We might recall the the First Amendment was meant to protect the free speech of real, live human beings. Now the Supreme Court has put a non-person, the corporation, in the driver’s seat in terms of influencing future elections.
In Maine, we still have a caucus where we can attempt to speak out. Attend yours this coming weekend. It might be one of the last vestiges of democracy you’ll ever see.
Eileen Kreutz
Industry
Why is it, when the Supreme Court final rules with the constitution in mind, liberals through their hands up and cry fowl!
i know its because they hate the constitution and the bill of rights!
And thankfully we live in a Constitutional Republic, not a democracy. If 51 percent of the people could constantly get what they want, we wouldn’t have a constitution!
Since the president lied again last night (where was Joe Wilson), I mean, good thing Justice Alito was there to call him out again!
The legal status of the corporation as an individual in this country is the biggest problem we face as a democracy. A corporation is not a person, as it has no conscience and is motivated only to grow and survive at the expense of anything in its way. If it were a person, the Corporation would certainly qualify for a mental illness diagnosis – one quite likely to disqualify it from participating in normal society without medication. Rather than figuring out how to render corporations fit to participate in democracy, I say let’s get practical and change this surreal situation in which we all suffer the consequences of a mutant life form controlling our democracy.
and why is it, hutch, that conservatives are wont to throw up their hands and cry “activist judges?” is it because they hate the constitution and the judiciary? following your logic–that those who disagree with the supreme court hate the constitution and by extension, the country–it must be!
the first amendment, as we know, guarantees free speech, but for who? citizens, as defined by the fourteenth. nowhere has the constitution extended these rights to non-citizen corporate entities. yet that’s what the supreme court has ruled. activist judges? here’s the problem–this now enables not only corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on campaigns and campaign advertising or smear ads, but also *foreign* corporations and *foreign* nations as well. even big, scary, communist muslim ones. but besides that we have nothing to worry about, as long as we as americans are perfectly at ease with our nation’s already corrupt political systems being inundated with more special interest cash and melodramatic and fear-mongering advertising. this decision will also undermine state legislation in 24 states. in essence our country is just being nudged even further towards it’s already oligarchic propensities, so you can kiss your constitutional republic goodbye. how this can be a good thing to anyone but a large, wealthy corporation or the super-rich is anybodies guess. so why are conservatives defending it? do they just feel compelled to play the contrarian simply to demonstrate their displeasure with the liberals? remember, this can work both ways–if the brookings intitute or george soros or even those pinko socialists over in france want to fund a smear campaign against your favorite conservative hack, well now they can. what’s good for the goose is good for the gander, and luckily i’ll be just as entertained by “the real sarah palin” as i would have been by “hillary: the movie.” but i don’t need citizens united or moveon.org to tell me who i don’t like and why, i’ll let their own ridiculous words and actions do that for me.
hutch, i don’t mean to enable your habit of getting off-topic, but out of curiosity, what exactly did obama lie about last night?
quick post-script: 51% of people *do* get what they want. it was just over 50% of american voters that elected our current president, and just over 50% of supreme court judges that made this decision.
The Dems are upset because NOW the Reps will get more money and support for elections. There will be more money for Reps then the unions can give the Dems……hahahahahahah I say!
The film, The Corporation, is an argument that shows what Cyndy was discussing above. It goes through the history of this idea of the corporation as a legal person with full rights as a citizen. Since many corporations are multinational, we just let worldwide special interests in the door. Jonboy so perfectly stated this above. Here is something that always stuck out in my mind as a sign of our times: Steve Jobs once said, approximately, “We don’t need to invest one more dollar inside the United States and we’ll be perfectly fine.” He might be a great indivual citizen, but as the head of Apple Corporation he doesn’t give a rat’s burp in the wind about the United States citizenry… except as a body of consumers. Not that we need more examples of this because it is in our faces every day in the news, but if you want to read about how the big corporations made the transition from companies that Americans worked for to companies that very very few Americans work for check out No Logo by Naomi Klein from the library. Or YouTube it — look for lectures by Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn in addition to Klein. ……if anyone wants to add to this reading list please volunteer your favorites including dissenting views of course. (But you’ll never see these three people in particular in the mainstream media.)
Look, if you don’t think that big evil corporations are run by people then i don’t know what to tell you.
Second, Obama opened the flood gates when he lied about taking public financing for his campaign, so he should be the last one crying about this foreign donor thing, he received $33,000 from Palestinians in Hamas-controlled Gaza! and they bragged about it, Omar Kadafi is another one that bragged about giving Obama money!
Look 51% of the people can’t change the constitution!! That is why we live in a Constitutional Republic!
in case you didn’t know to amend the constitution
Articale V
The Congress, whenever two thirds of both Houses shall deem it necessary, shall propose Amendments to this Constitution, or, on the Application of the Legislatures of two thirds of the several States, shall call a Convention for proposing Amendments, which, in either Case, shall be valid to all Intents and Purposes, as part of this Constitution, when ratified by the Legislatures of three fourths of the several States, or by Conventions in three fourths thereof, as the one or the other Mode of Ratification may be proposed by the Congress; Provided that no Amendment which may be made prior to the Year One thousand eight hundred and eight shall in any Manner affect the first and fourth Clauses in the Ninth Section of the first Article; and that no State, without its Consent, shall be deprived of its equal Suffrage in the Senate.
Obama’s lies in his speech to name a few
“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections.”
“We’ve excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs.”
“We will continue to go through the budget line by line to eliminate programs that we can’t afford and don’t work. We’ve already identified $20 billion in savings for next year.”
“Our approach would preserve the right of Americans who have insurance to keep their doctor and their plan.”
With deep pockets, anyone can now buy the presidency, I guess. I wish all political parties would be required to only spend a like amount on campaigning. If Mr. “X” gets to spend a certain amount of money, then Mr. “Y” and Mr. “Z” should be limited to that same amount because otherwise, whoever has the most money will most likely win and that’s not what America is supposed to be like. That’s also why you never see a middle-income candidate ever become the president. He or she can’t compete and probably will never be able to. That’s why OUR voices aren’t heard.
Hutch,
Don’t worry. These people will be the first to complain when they lose their job related health care and have to buy obamacare. If they choose to believe obama’s lies then so be it. Sheeple will be the first to suffer. Ever notice that the dems control the districts that are loaded with rundown buildings and the people they are to serve, live in poverty. A very common dem thing. The dems actually do nothing for these districts. Only empty promises to the poor.
obama will just throw these people under the bus. And that includes those in Franklin County. Just sit back and enjoy the downfall of the dem party And to all my liberal friends, I hope you enjoy paying for your health insurance that your leader wants to pass.
A Vet
A Vet,
I’m not worried, i just want to educate the people! And i think with the election in Mass. we are seeing that people are waking up!
Here is some more motivation for the people.
Nancy Pelosi’s Trip to Copenhagen: cost to the American Taxpayer!
Documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act show Pelosi incurred expenses of some $2.1 million for her use of Air Force jets for travel over that time. More than $101,000 paid for “in-flight services” – including food and liquor, for House Speaker
Yo Hutch, You of all people should be vehemently opposed to the latest Supreme Court decision. You and most Republicans who want less government, fewer regulations and more freedom will see the opposite occur because of this ruling. Do you really want politicians owned by G.M. and big banks or Multinational corporations to write the laws. That’s exactly what will happen. Do you think those laws will be written with people like you in mind? I just heard that American investors are now looking at China because it has become the leader in energy technology. Is your one vote able to compete with the millions of dollars that Chinese owned American subsidiary will be able to spend to finance a specific candidate. By the way that candidate would most likely be a Democrat.
It’s so strange to me that you would prefer multinational corporation like, say Toyota to decide who your next president will be. And This is not as simplistic as corporations vs. unions as “A Vet” seems to feel. It is about our voices being drown out by the sound of propaganda spewing from hundreds of political commercials sponsored by big money.
There are plenty of corporations that act responsibly and contentiously, which generally means they treat their employees fairly, have respect for the environment and “tend their garden” much like regular citizens do. But unlike the age of “Father Knows Best” greed has become “good” and money calls the shots. Red and blue will no longer be relevant . Only green.
Hutch – if you knew anything, I might pay attention. But you don’t, so I don’t freeing me up for time to breathe.
One more thing for Hutch and a Vet. Your rhetoric is insulting and demeaning not only to dems. and liberals but to the discussion on this page, and if you want people to take you seriously you should at least try to act like you are smarter then you appear in print.
By the way Hutch, when you used the word fowl did you mean duck, goose, woodcock? help me out here.
Got one more thing for you Hutch (you’re such an easy target) which of O’bama’s “lies”, which you’ve offered no proof of them being, have , or may likely, result in, as much loss of life and money as the one Bush and Cheney sold us? By the way have we found those WMDs yet? I’m sure “vet” must have an answer to where they went.
Now be civil boys.
Until now, only labor unions were allowed to give up to the end of an election. Lets see what other money does. If it threatens the libs, then I say GREAT! It’s sour grapes time for the libs and they are spittin , sputtering and choking! The dems are feeling the pinch and are squealing all the way home. You have to love it!
No, the big corporations I was referring to are not run by the American people. Not in the way it used to be anyway. Nike is a super lightweight giant. With big money for its executives and very little money for its manufacturing subcontractors: all in Southeast Asia. What about U.S. manufacturing/production? Sorry, that is not in the equation. So no job-related health insurance for the American worker.
That’s the trend, now the white collars are getting outsourced and eliminated. 3.5 million jobs lost since Obama took over. The bailout was given to the banks by George W with Obama’s backing and Pelosi and her band of sycophants in the democratic party. Democrat v. Republican… it’s all a smokescreen and you guys are blinded in playing this game. The democrats are a colossal disappointment and the conservative judges have completely lost sight of who they are supposed to give justice to. It’s a perfect storm of corruption and all in broad daylight.
so Greg,
you’re really upset with the Obama administration lining his advisory board with
Jeffery Immelt CEO of GE, George Soros Chairman of Soros Fund Management, LLC, Robert Wolf, UBS Americas Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Anna Burger, Service Employees International Union Secretary-Treasurer, Mark Gallogly, founder and managing partner of Centerbridge Partners L.P.; Penny Pritzker, chairman of Pritzker Realty Group; John Doerr of Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield & Byers; Jim Owens, chairman and chief executive officer of Caterpillar Inc.; Monica C. Lozano, publisher and chief executive officer of La Opinion, the largest Spanish- language newspaper in the U.S.; Charles Phillips, president of Oracle Corp.; Richard L. Trumka, secretary-treasurer of the AFL- CIO; Laura Tyson, a professor at the University of California, Berkeley; and Harvard University Professor Martin Feldstein.
lot of big corporations in there!
or are you talking what always goes on, LOBBYIST! (Promise Broken or a LIE)
like the 21 that had to sign ethics pledges to enter this administration!
say yes Greg, i dare you!
Greg
well, i hate to do all the research for everyone, but since people like you, take the MSM word for everything they say and refuse to educate yourselves, here are some websites that point out Obama’s lies and half truths
AP Fact Check, (which is not always very comprehensive)
http://www.politifact.com/personalities/barack-obama/statements/ (still left wing bias here)
Greg, do you need a tissue? Did you consider your offensive opinions? If you think you’re the brainy one here, may I suggest that you display your intellect once you have mastered the difference between then and than. Perhaps then you might learn how to proof read.
Hutch try to stay on point. Of course O’bama should have top notch advisors. And he has chosen leaders in business as well as some of the best minds in other fields. These are people he can go to for information so he can make informed decisions. They are not influence peddlers like say the tobacco industry. And tobacco corporations are a perfect example of what we are talking about here. Its been proven in a court of law more then once that they had known for years that smoking was addictive and killed people. But they lied about it and kept paying politicians in order to stay in business. They are no better then crackdealers and yet they are still making billions of dollars selling their poison. Do you know anyone who has died from smoking? Do the tobacco corporations care? No, because corporations are not people , they don’t have a conscience. Having a conscience would definitely lower the profit margin……and a conscience would mean having the capacity to think, reason and make decisions. But corporations don’t do that – only people do. Do you think any politician from North Carolina will have a ghost of a chance of winning if they oppose big tobacco. This is the point.
i’m so confused… i had always thought that hutch and a vet were the same person. now they’re teaming up, what a trip!
nobody is arguing that corporations aren’t run by people. if that’s how simple you see this argument as being then i reckon it’s a little over your head. but the public interest is very different from corporate interest, which is first and foremost *profit*. so yes, corporations are run by people, hutch. very good. but the priorities of the decision makers within a corporation–the one or two executives, or possibly a board of directors, or far less likely a group of shareholders–are going to be very different from those of the regular working schmucks that keep the corporation going. the unrestricted flow of money may be very good for business, but not for forming public policy. just wait until my multinational corporation, which employs primarily new zealanders and due to off-shore loopholes pays no taxes, funds a multi-million dollar campaign smearing your darling tea-party players. and as for a president’s advisers, just the fact of their owning or sitting on the boards of corporations did not, up until now, mean that those corporations could spend unlimited amounts of money on their political campaigns. unions, on the other hand, while they were allowed to fund political ads, have never and still do not have the right of unlimited spending power that corporations have now been given. and since when is the ap not the mainstream media? i say keep researching, i’m learning so much!
“Last week, the Supreme Court reversed a century of law that I believe will open the floodgates for special interests – including foreign corporations – to spend without limit in our elections.”
how exactly is this a lie? sounds like a pretty clearly stated opinion, to me. and anyway, it’s true.
“We’ve excluded lobbyists from policymaking jobs.”
please inform me, what lobbyists currently hold policymaking jobs in the administration?
“We will continue to go through the budget line by line to eliminate programs that we can’t afford and don’t work. We’ve already identified $20 billion in savings for next year.”
again, how is this a lie? do you happen to know that this has not been done, or do you have reason to believe that it’s so unlikely as to be impossible? stop making things up. we’ve already heard all about the death panels and the black helicopters that carry away small children and intern them in fema camps. i’ve said it before and i’ll continue to say it: i do not like barack obama, and i am not now nor have i ever been a democrat. but i’m sick and tired of all the frothing nonsense coming out of the babbling mouths of knee-jerk reactionary tea-baggers.
The WMDs are located in the Dem side of Congress. The trigger is in the WH.
Wow, we’ve hit a nerve, I see. Let’s take this discussion to another level, and play it out into the future. Here’s a website that’s doing just that: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHRKkXtxDRA&feature=player_embedded
Eileen, this issue is not nearly as big of a problem as the National Debt!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5yxFtTwDcc
I am not Hutch? Now my day is really ruined!
Jonboy,
i have giving all the resource here you need to check my statements but here is a sample of the lobbyist lies
One of the first Obama appointees to get a waiver was William J. Lynn to be deputy secretary of defense, the No. 2 position at the Pentagon. Lynn was a Raytheon lobbyist for six years, lobbying extensively on a broad range of defense-related issues.
Jocelyn Frye, director of policy and projects in the Office of the First Lady, also got a waiver. Previously, Frye lobbied for the National Partnership for Women and Families from 2001 to 2008. The organization advocates for fairness in the workplace, access to health care and “policies that help women and men meet the dual demands of work and family.”
And Cecilia Muñoz, director of intergovernmental affairs in the Executive Office of the President, manages the White House’s relationships with state and local governments and is a principal liaison to the Hispanic community. Formerly, Muñoz formerly lobbied for National Council of La Raza, a Hispanic civil rights and advocacy organization.
The White House has issued seven waivers to its ethics rules, which apply to lobbyists as well as to people who served as officers and directors of a company or organization. And agencies have issued 15. The White House has said these waivers are quite rare — less than 1 percent of the thousands of appointments that have been made.
not to change the subject but, here are some more lies that everyone should be aware of in the comming years
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/environment/article7009081.ece
hutch, it’s been made apparent that you don’t even know what the subject is anymore.
Jonboy,
yes or no Obama lied about lobbyist?
He can’t answer you Hutch, because he does’nt want to say that his holyness had lied!
Hutch, Vet and Phil,
I joined this discussion about the latest Supreme Court decision for two reasons: to express my opinion and to become informed by arguments from the other side. The aim is to learn why some people think this decision was a good idea and beneficial to the American people…..is there a rationale I haven’t considered? What I’ve presented are reasonable examples of why this is a poor decision.
But, I’ve not seen one thoughtful argument from any of you. Instead, Hutch can’t seem to stay on topic, the Vet’s comments are interestingly similar to Hutch’s, and Phil’s contribution is to site rules of grammar (though I admit I’m not the best speller). Everyone else seems to have addressed the original topic in some manner or other. Can each of you try overcoming your strong bias against liberals by providing one with a convincing argument for your stance with regard to this decision?
a vet: i can and i will respond, though i apologize that i am not able to spend all of my free time on the daily bulldog arguing with two wingnuts about a subject that has nothing to do with the original letter. and i think i just got done explaining that i don’t like obama, so don’t worry about hurting my feelings there.
hutch: why, yes. it does appear that you’ve caught mr. obama in a lie. congratulations, i expect that he’ll be resigning shortly.
greg: while they refuse to discuss it in a rational manner and instead insist on diverting the attention from their own overwhelming cognitive dissonance by deferring to arguments that they can win, hutch and a vet have made their reasons for supporting the supreme court decision abundantly clear–it irks the liberals so it must be good for everybody. oh, and it appears that a vet believes that because unions have the right to fund political ads addressing policy in the interest of the union’s members (i.e. workers,) it’s only fair that corporate c.e.o.s should have a disproportionately more powerful recourse in order to effectively crush any union activity. because we can’t have unions. this is the level of civil responsibility we are dealing with. it’s all a joke, so just laugh.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Troll_%28Internet%29
“In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room or blog, with the primary intent of provoking other users into an emotional response[1] or of otherwise disrupting normal on-topic discussion.”
Let’s see, first I am not Hutch and now I am a wingnut. Could be worse. I could be a democrat!
Vet well if that’s all you can offer as a response to my request then you’ve essentially confirmed my suspicion that some people are incapable of offering intelligent arguments. So instead they whine.
This is a waste of time. I’m outta here. Ta ta boys
One Last Thing
Jonboy: re the paragraph you directed toward me, I agree with you whole heartedly. this is a well worn tactic that has been used by conservatives ever since Fox Lies hit the air. If you can’t win an argument you change the subject.
i do want to thank Eileen, Cindy, JMS, L. ross and you jonboy for your enlightening perspectives. The rest of you were sort of ….entertaining ……..sort of.
Sa ya next time.
Greg, you mean like the tactic libs use, “but Bush………..”
Hutch,
It’s great to beat a lib, namely Greg. He did not get his way so he leaves the site with his marbles.
Sounds very liberal to me. I can’t win so I will run and hide.
A Vet
Hutch and vet
I just can’t leave, it’s just too much fun. You are right Hutch us libs do tend to blame Bush for: turning a budget surplus into a hugh deficit, lying us into a war that cost us billions of dollars and thousands of lives, ( the cost of that war was never budgeted for ), and failing to catch or kill Osama bin Laden because of his obsession with Sadam Hussain, who never had WMDs. And Bush knew it. He lied to you and I but that’s seems to be OK with you. You hate Obama for lying but you love Bush for lying? Is that because Bush’s lies killed and maimed people? Is that what I should conclude from your words?
That’s question # 1
And vet, first of all I didn’t leave with my marbles, I lost those a long time ago. But seriously, I’m not looking at this as winning or losing. i simply wanted to hear a sound argument supporting the latest Supreme Court decision so I put out a challenge to you guys and you really disappointed me. So i guess I must assume that you would rather just slam people who disagree with you, which is pretty adolescent behavior , or you just don’t have the goods to come up with a coherent intelligent response. Which is it?
That’s question # 2
Two simple questions. Either of you have the guts to answer?
That’s question # 3
Saddam had five years to hide the WMDs before we entered Iraq. Good to have ya back Greg.
Thanks vet
Greg, please find one post where i have said i loved Bush! if i had found this board under the Bush years and needed to critic him i would.
I am a nut job Greg, i believe in the constitution, and i believe we have abandoned it and we need to get back to it, we are suppose to have three branches of government, any executive order is unconstitutional, any department of government that can makes laws outside the legislative Branch is unconstitutional. These ideas apparently make me a right wing nut job.
“Now we face the horrific prospect of no restraints on for-profit corporations regarding their campaign contributions.” That statement is wholly untrue. Please educate yourself. The limits on corporate & union contributions directly to candidates are still in place. What was removed were limitations on corporations paying for advertisements as well as various other advocacy spending. Just because Obama said it, doesn’t mean it’s true.
The real threat to our Republic is unsustainable deficits caused by entitlement programs, discretionary spending run amuck, corporate bailouts, cap and trade, the subsequent decline in the value of the dollar, government takeover of the healthcare system, and people who think we live in a democracy.
oh yeah, and those pesky wars. we’re the greatest republic since rome, and history tends to repeat itself.
Will,
I agree with you.
I have a question for all who are liberal. How come a Canadian leader is coming to the USA for a heart operation? Could the answer be …..poor healthcare in Canada?
Also why have the congress and fed union members(all fed employees) opted out of the proposed healthcare being jammed down our throats? Could the answer be, it is a poor example of Canadian
healthcare?
Is it fair that all citizens, except gov employees have to have obamacare?
If you libs out there are willing to sacrifice yourself and family to a poorer healthcare plan, please speak up and tell us common folks why you are willing to do so. Please make me believe that waiting for proper healthcare is better then immediate help. Please make me believe that watching anyone die from lack of treatment because of long waiting lists is a good thing.
Going back to the original topic. Here is some text from Progressive Secretary to consider:
” We must return to the original intent of the Constitution! The Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United v. FEC threatens our democracy by granting corporations unfettered influence in our political process. Corporations are not people, and they must not be treated as such by the nation’s courts.
Before 1886, corporations were tightly regulated by states and had no rights under the US Constitution. In that year, corporations argued that they should be recognized as legal persons, and although the Supreme Court did not decide the matter, the concept entered American jurisprudence. Since then, corporations have persuaded the court that businesses should have more and more rights of US citizens. Congress must pass a constitutional amendment to restrict corporate rights in order to protect our democracy.”
CORPORATE PAC DONATIONS, 2008
Rank Organization Amount Dems Repubs
1 Goldman Sachs $5,871,944 75% 25%
2 Citigroup Inc $4,784,138 63% 37%
3 JPMorgan Chase & Co $4,593,155 61% 39%
4 National Assn of Realtors $4,328,140 58% 42%
5 Morgan Stanley $3,718,885 57% 43%
6 American Bankers Assn $3,154,911 43% 57%
7 UBS AG $3,142,896 54% 45%
8 Bank of America $2,932,113 56% 44%
9 Merrill Lynch $2,868,691 47% 53%
10 PricewaterhouseCoopers $2,723,671 47% 52%
11 Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu $2,666,437 49% 51%
12 Credit Union National Assn $2,615,539 53% 47%
13 Credit Suisse Group $2,368,299 53% 47%
14 Lehman Brothers $2,152,551 66% 33%
15 Wachovia Corp $2,123,055 42% 57%
16 Ernst & Young $2,078,981 45% 55%
17 Blue Cross/Blue Shield $1,957,971 55% 45%
18 AFLAC Inc $1,945,030 46% 54%
19 KPMG International $1,944,552 47% 53%
20 New York Life Insurance $1,915,832 59% 41%
Sorry the columns don’t line up very well, but it won’t take too much to see who gets what. The break down if from Real Clear Politics. The source is the FEC.
TOP TEN
Organization Total ’89-’09 Dem % Repub %
1 AT&T Inc $44,214,960 44% 55%
2 AFSCME $41,941,811 98% 1%
3 National Assn of Realtors $35,595,518 48% 51%
4 Goldman Sachs $31,437,825 64% 35%
5 American Assn for Justice $31,424,029 90% 9%
6 IBEW $31,407,507 97% 2%
7 National Education Assn $30,097,067 92% 6%
8 Laborers Union $28,978,400 92% 7%
9 SEIU $27,933,232 95% 3%
10 Carpenters & Joiners Union $27,767,683 89% 10%
Same source. Line up the right column to see who gets most of the money.
Annual Lobbyist Expenditures when the venal Republicans controlled Congress.
2000 $1.55 Billion
2001 $1.63 Billion
2002 $1.81 Billion
2003 $2.04 Billion
2004 $2.17 Billion
2005 $2.42 Billion
2006 $2.61 Billion
Annual Lobbyist Expenditures when the virtuous Democrats controlled Congress
2007 $2.85 Billion
2008 $3.30 Billion
2009 $3.18 Billion
TOP INDIVIDUAL DONORS
Donor Name Total % to Dems % to Repubs
Christie, Todd J. & Theresa M. $271,750 2% 98%
Cook, Daniel W. III & Gail B. $558,790 0% 99%
Corzine, Jon S. & JoAnne D. $918,050 96% 0%
Fife, Eugene V. & Luann L $187,370 4% 86%
Freidman, Stephen & Barbara B. $192,300 25% 62%
Menschel, Robert B. & Joyce F. $449,950 100% 0%
Murphy, Philip D. & Tammy S. $1,267,600 92% 7%
Neidich, Daniel M. & Brooke G. $756,198 95% 0%
Overlock, Willard J. & Katherine S. $215,350 28% 62%
Paulson, Henry M. Jr. & Wendy $474,440 12% 78%
Sacerdote, Peter M. & Bonnie L $226,750 4% 92%
Schwartz, Eric S. & Erica $104,550 90% 2%
Thain, John A. $227,750 2% 87%
Wellde, George W Jr. & Patrica A. $111,690 89% 0%
Wigmore, Barrie A & Deedee $481,335 97% 1%
Winkelman, Mark O. & Dorinda P. $140,250 83% 1%
Witten, Richard E. & Elizabeth H. $90,800 88% 1%
Again, the right hand column tells the tale.
In 2008, Big Pharma gave Obama $3.58 for every dollar they gave McCain.
Pfizer gave to Obama at a 4-1 rate.
Same ratio from the hospital and nursing home industries.
The insurance industry gave more money to House Democrats than House Republicans.
HMOs gave 60% of their donations to Democrats, Republicans got 40%.
In 2009 Wall Street firms donated $10.6 million to sitting senators this year. Of ths $7.7 million went to Democrats.Sen. Schumer hit the jackpot with $1.65 million and his protege, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand took in $886,000. Harry Reid received $814,000. Senate Banking Committee Chairman Chris Dodd $603,000 (bad investment there, but you can’t expect 100% in a risky market). Colorado’s Michael Bennet got $401,000. Agriculture Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas got $336,000. It may be a coincidence that she will have a big say in the derivative portion of regulatory reform. Or maybe not. Who can say for sure?
GE leads the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which includes many other Fortune 500 companies, including Goldman Sachs. GE and company stand to make billions from carbon pricing, thanks largely to investments in technologies that cannot survive in a free market without massive subsidies from Uncle Sam.
GE chief Jeffrey Immelt cheerleads big government as “an industry policy champion, a financier and a key partner.”
Washington Post columnist Robert Samuelson, a frequent critic of Republican policies, has some interesing things to say about the “medical industrial complex” and its cozy relationship with the Apostles of Change. Google and see for yourself.
Like your figures John.
But is was ok for the clinton’s to receive money from a Chinese gentleman.
Libs should be wary of the monies this coming year that go to Reps. That’s what they fear the most.
The law still contains language to prevent foreign donations. What is the problem?
obama has sold the USA to china. Not fiction but fact. The chinese loaned him the money. Thus they can control the USA and they will. How about obama taking the chinese off the threat list. Isn’t any lib a bit suspicious? If not they should be or are they willing to sacrifice the USA and enslave us like the poor chinese citizens.
McCain was a belicose geezer. He couldn’t string two sentences together. They give the money to the best candidate and lock him in. What are they doing now that he is talking about getting tough with the banks? Shifting their support to the Republicans, threatening the democrats. Democrat v. Republican is a joke and we are the butt of that joke.