Joe Doakes from Como Park emails:
I previously wrote that the Evil Koch Brothers were not the Number 1 largest political contributor. Turns out, they’re not even in the top 50.
If anybody is influencing politics and buying elections, it’s not them.
Pikers.
Joe Doakes
And guess who the biggest infusor of cash into US politics is?
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Well, the left wingnuts will sure have their panties in a wad today!
talk about pikers; the NRA, BP, Exxon Mobil, Wal-Mart Stores and Chevron didn’t make it into the top 50 either. Isn’t it the progressive meme that these names are associated with all the unpatriotic unchecked evil in the world? Has DG been lying to us?
I do, in the interest of full disclosure, fully support the National Beer Wholesalers Assn (# 26 on the list) and all the good work they do.
It’s quite apparent that getting big money out of politics would leave union members with more of their own. (;-)
Related……the left is obsessed with the Citizens United ruling, that says corporations have free speach rights. It says unions do to, but that isn’t a problem for the left. So my point is….if liberals say corporations don’t have free speech rights, then does that mean the the Mpls Star-Tribune and the NYT, owned by corporations, don’t have freedom of press rights? I mean, they aren’t people.
mnbubba, and perhaps even reduce dues! Oh, wait…what the hell am I thinking?
Mr. Doakes,
What you don’t seem to grasp is that the players in question are purchasing laws which suit their interests. They don’t care who they have to pay — they just pay to get what they want. If Democrats dominate America’s “congress”, they pay more to the Democrats. If Republicans dominate, they pay more to Republicans.
Trying to wake you up to the facts about how legislation is bought and sold in America has been a thankless task. You seem incapable of objective, fact-driven analysis, and your mind seems overtaken by an emotion-drenched obsession with “bad” political demons, and your own view of a good/bad axis. You are completely missing the point and completely missing the reality of what is going on in America.
When purchasing the law–giving services of Congressmen one purchases from whichever ones are present in Congress to purchase some laws to advance one’s interests. It has nothing to do with party politics. It is about purchasing legislative outcomes.
Government at all levels of America has reached record levels of arrogance and indifference towards the citizens of America. America’s state and local legislatures and courts are more corrupt today than ever in history, as is its Congress. Government is “for sale” at all levels in America.
This is the dirty truth, and fixing this problem is going to be a greater challenge than Americans have ever faced in the history of their country.
http://www.opensecrets.org/influence/
Geez, Emery, you certainly got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
As Chuck correctly points out, Liberals decry the influence of money in politics but turn a blind eye when their side outdoes the Evil Koch Brothers tenfold. I’m pointing out the hypocrisy.
As for contributions buying elections to pass laws that benefit contributors, let’s say you’re right. Look at the list of the Top 50 contributors. What’s your solution?
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Geez, Emery, you certainly got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.
As Chuck correctly points out, Liberals decry the influence of money in politics but turn a blind eye when their side outdoes the Evil Koch Brothers tenfold. I’m pointing out the hypocrisy.
As for contributions buying elections to pass laws that benefit contributors, let’s say you’re right. Look at the list of the Top 50 contributors. What’s your solution? Prohibit unions from making donations? I’m right there with you. Ban Political Action Committees? Fine with me. Outlaw bundling? Great. Get the hidden money out of politics and let sunshine disinfect the process.
I’d be perfectly happy with Instapundit’s suggestion: any living citizen can donate as much of her own money as she likes, but the donation must be reported on the Internet within 24 hours so everyone knows who bought whom. And no other money is allowed from any other source – no loans, bundles, union dues, foreign credit card charges or public finance. Pure citizen participation, honestly reported.
Do you have a better idea? I’m all ears.
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It’s been woven into the fabric of our system. Although our system is better than any alternative. If fixing it was easy, it would have been addressed long ago.
And you’re correct I was over the top.
Emery parrots the leftist received wisdom: “They don’t care who they have to pay — they just pay to get what they want. If Democrats dominate America’s “congress”, they pay more to the Democrats. If Republicans dominate, they pay more to Republicans.”
The list covers approx 23 years of contributions. In the top 25 entries on the list the following entities gave 0% of their funds to Republicans even though Republicans were in control of congress and the WH a significant portion of that time: ActBlue, United Auto Workers, Communications Workers of America, American Federation of Teachers, United Food & Commercial Workers Union, EMILY’s List. Do you see how your thesis fails?
Additionally the following entities always gave less than 10% of their funds to Republicans no matter who was in power: American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees, National Education Assn, Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, Carpenters & Joiners Union, Service Employees International Union, Laborers Union, Teamsters Union, Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union, AFL-CIO. This kinda makes a hash of your thesis doesn’t it Emery.
Look through the whole list Emery, I don’t think you will find substantiation for your claim.
Emery: long on opinion, short on intellectual rigor.
Emery:
If the dollars are suppose to buy good influence then the UAW should be asking for a refund. After all their dollars which basically goes to democrats have resulted in an increase of the mileage fleet which has driven out of manufacturer the high profit cars which help pay the salaries.
Maybe the UMW should be asking for a refund since their donations have helped elect Obama and an EPA which is basically trying to get out of business every single coal mine in the USA because the USA won’t have coal fire power plants yet John K who is trying to promote global warming doesn’t know that China is building a new coal fire power plant every week or so.
So Emery how about doing a study on Democrat donors who aren’t getting the bang for their buck before you attack Joe on that premise you put forward.
Walter Hanson
Minneapolis, MN
I share kel’s dismay at the National Rifle Association.
If it didn’t push the organization over the top, just what is LaPierre doing with my $35 per annum dues?
There is a grain of truth to Emery’s thoughts. Think about crony capitalism. Big Sugar getting free stuff from both parties. Best Buy purchasing access to Al Frankin.
The best example of a purchased election… well, actually 3. The Democrats running anti-Emmer ads non-stop for 6 months, and only then barely pulling off a win. And the 2 items from 2 years ago. Banning genderless marriage and supporting vote ID. The anti people were very very well funded and won due to that.
Do you have a better idea?
Nice use of rhetorical construct, Joe. And EmeryTheUSAHater did not disappoint. He’ll get to answering your question as soon as he compiles a list of successful soci@list societies.
Any time you have a government that is empowered to do “big things”, people will try to influence it by any means available. If their are no means available, they will make the means available. The sickness of liberalism is the belief that it is ‘wrong’ for people to do this.
The problem isn’t money in politics, it’s politics.
From my bobsled & skeleton aficionado friend in Minneapolis:
I GET why people are pissed about the influence of big money in politics, but the fact is that every law to restrict money in politics winds up merely restricting the little guys, shutting them up while the big boys get to do what they want.
This is just a case where the truth is made stunningly obvious: they pass a law to shut up activists, and then when activists spend NO MONEY to make fun of them through social media, they shut that down too.
The point is NOT to get money out of politics–it is to get citizens out of politics.
Every restriction on “big money” in politics has only resulted in empowering the monied establishment. They already own the system.
Here in Minnesota, where getting involved is still RELATIVELY easy, campaign finance rules still impede citizen participation. If you spend a bit of money to print up flyers to promote your ideas, your favorite candidate, or your preferred policy, you have to register a committee, file reports, be subject to fines if you don’t understand all the rules of the system, and basically become a lawyer.
All in the name of protecting the public from undue influence.
On the other hand, if you have the money to hire lawyers to create a bulletproof group, or for that matter to flagrantly violate the rules and just pay the fines, you can do whatever the hell you want with impunity.
The Senate DFL flagrantly broke campaign rules, and wound up having to pay a $100,000 fine. But they are in the majority now and can raise that money from unions and lobbyists and their billionaire donors without a blink.
The threat of legal hassles and possible fines will scare away the average citizen. The big guys just do what they want in the confidence that they can lawyer or pay their way out of trouble.
The problem isn’t money in politics, it’s politics.
When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.
— P. J. O’Rourke
What Mr. D. says. The reason people are buying politicians is that it’s worth it. Nobody comes to an empty store, after all.
I always explain to people that the key to getting money out of politics is to get politics out of money. If there is no ROI on political spending, then there will be less political spending.
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