NYT: Donations Create a Tricky Balance for Oil-State Politicians

[futurebeachbum]

Article from the NYT called "Donations Create a Tricky Balance for Oil-State Politicians".

They start out by pointing out that Republicans and Joe Barton have a lot of ties to big oil..

Democrats continued to make use of Mr. Barton?s apology to BP, using it to portray Republicans as beholden to big oil. Mr. Barton, the senior Republican on the Energy and Commerce Committee, worked as a consultant to Atlantic Richfield Oil and Gas Company before being elected to Congress. He has long been one of the top beneficiaries of campaign donations from big energy companies, cornerstones of the Texas economy.

Then they also discuss that the Dems have issues too.

But in going after Republicans, the Democrats? attacks gloss over a more complicated picture.

The largest beneficiary of campaign donations from BP in the 2008 election cycle, for instance, was President Obama, who took in $77,000 from company executives and its political action committee. This year, Senator Blanche Lincoln, Democrat of Arkansas and chairwoman of the Agriculture Committee, leads all candidates with $286,000 in donations from oil and gas companies.

They then discuss some of the who/what/when of lots of other politicians who receive money.

Way down at the end is the real kicker.

For the last decade, the oil industry has been one of the most powerful lobbying constituencies in Washington. It has spent nearly a billion dollars on federal lobbying since 1998, according to the Center for Responsive Politics, making it the sixth-biggest industry in terms of expenditures.

In the current election cycle, the oil and gas industry has contributed $12.8 million to Congressional candidates, with 71 percent of it going to Republicans.

I've bolded the really scary item in the whole article. There are 5 other industries/groups who have contributed more and thus have more influence (ownership?) over our government today.

The best politicians money can buy.

 

[poppy]

Article from the NYT called "Donations Create a Tricky Balance for Oil-State Politicians".
The best politicians money can buy.

Only if the politician feels he/she has been "bought" like Mr. Barton does.

 

[futurebeachbum]

Only if the politician feels he/she has been "bought" like Mr. Barton does.

Looks to me like most of them, in both parties feel that way. In fact, I can't think of one that I believe doesn't.

 

[Here4Good]

OpenSecrets.com says the top industries are:

1. Pharma/Health products
2. Insurance
3. Electrical Utilities
4. Computers/Internet
5. Business Association (ie, Chamber of Commerce)

Here's the one that got me:

7. Education

Huh? Looked at the detail, and these are largely state universities.

How much of the tax $$ we pay to local and state gov ends up back in Washington as lobbying dollars.