How Much is a Democracy Worth?

[GoodWitch58]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/10/22/us/politics/22chamber.html?_r=1&hp

Prudential Financial sent in a $2 million donation last year as the U.S. Chamber of Commerce kicked off a national advertising campaign to weaken the historic rewrite of the nation?s financial regulations.

Dow Chemical delivered $1.7 million to the chamber last year as the group took a leading role in aggressively fighting proposed rules that would impose tighter security requirements on chemical facilities.

And Goldman Sachs, Chevron Texaco, and Aegon, a multinational insurance company based in the Netherlands, donated more than $8 million in recent years to a chamber foundation that has been critical of growing federal regulation and spending. These large donations ? none of which were publicly disclosed by the chamber, a tax-exempt

...so, is a corporate owned government okay...but, a government owned by the people is not?

 

[30ashopper]

Every group has some form of lobbying arm in Washington. The Chamber's primary purpose is to lobby government for pro-business legislation. There are plenty of lobbying groups for other industries, the AFCIO, NEA, Acorn, ABA, the list goes on and on. Heck, some of the previous leaders of these groups currently hold seats in the cabinet. I'm not sure why democrats are making such a big deal of this, they are opening up a can of worms if they do.

 

[30ashopper]

Public-Employees Union Is Now Campaign's Big Spender - WSJ.com

How about a government, owned by the government?

 

[Matt J]

I wonder if the supreme court will lift the maximum contribution limits for individuals like they did for corporations? We're equal right?

 

[futurebeachbum]

I wonder if the supreme court will lift the maximum contribution limits for individuals like they did for corporations? We're equal right?

They should. People should have the right to donate as much as they care to the candidate or cause of their choice.

It needs to be open though. Campaign funding laws should require that every donation be tied to verified, legally able to donate tax-payer ID, reported to the IRS and made pubic information.

 

[GoodWitch58]

So, how much is a Speaker-ship worth....

Marco Rubio's personal finances clash with call for fiscal discipline - St. Petersburg Times

For a candidate promising to put America's fiscal house in order, Marco Rubio has a tough time keeping his own house tidy, plagued by questionable spending and sloppy accounting.

On the campaign trail, Rubio likes to say "politicians don't create jobs." But politics, directly and indirectly, has generated Rubio's sizeable income, even as he has accumulated substantial debt and saw one of his homes nearly go into foreclosure.

 

[Matt J]

They should. People should have the right to donate as much as they care to the candidate or cause of their choice.

It needs to be open though. Campaign funding laws should require that every donation be tied to verified, legally able to donate tax-payer ID, reported to the IRS and made pubic information.

Shh, the local Tea Baggers would have a fit.

 

[Bob]

They should. People should have the right to donate as much as they care to the candidate or cause of their choice.

It needs to be open though. Campaign funding laws should require that every donation be tied to verified, legally able to donate tax-payer ID, reported to the IRS and made pubic information.

terrible idea....leads to undue influence

 

[wrobert]

I wonder if the supreme court will lift the maximum contribution limits for individuals like they did for corporations? We're equal right?

They did, you just have to know how to do it.

 

[wrobert]

So, how much is a Speaker-ship worth....

Marco Rubio's personal finances clash with call for fiscal discipline - St. Petersburg Times

I would hope that my elected representative would spend my money like it is mine and not his.