HOW DIFFERENT ARE DEMS FROM REPUGS WHEN IT COMES TO CORRUPTION? HOWARD BERMAN NOW CHAIRS THE SUBCOMMITTEE HIS BIGGEST DONORS MOST WANT TO CONTROL

Howard Berman's district (CA-28)-- half the San Fernando Valley-- borders mine. Berman has a fairly progressive voting record, nothing to writing home about but overall pretty decent (except when he forgets he's an L.A. Democrat, not a member of the far right Israeli Likkud Party-- as he did when he abandoned his usual progressive allies and joined Tom DeLay and Roy Blunt and Gary Miller and John Doolittle to support Bush's illegal attack on Iraq). Oh, and there's one other time when he forgets he's supposed to be a progressive and that's when something comes up involving the movie or record industry. Aside from bordering my entertainment industry peopled district, CA-28 also borders on Beverly Hills and Hollywood and is itself home to most of the big studios, like Warner Bros. and Disney.

Although Berman has long been considered one of Israel's representatives in the U.S. Congress, the pro-Israel lobby is only his 5th biggest contributor. Dwarfing AIPAC and coming in at #1-- almost 5 times bigger than the Israelis in terms of pay-offs to Berman-- is the TV/Movie/Music Biz, my old industry. And, believe me, we all knew Berman was our bitch-- and everybody always chipped in to keep our bitch stylin'. And he treated us good-- real good-- especially after 1999 when he became the ranking Dem on the Courts and Intellectual Property Subcommittee (of Judiciary). How strange that it isn't considered a breach of ethics when members get into these positions and then accept hundreds of thousands of dollars-- in Berman's case, over a million-- from the very industry they're supposed to be regulating. Those congressmen sure make nice rules for themselves.

Anyway, Berman-- along with far right kook Howard Coble (R-NC)-- proposed the infamous anti-Napster legislation that sought to outlaw peer-to-peer file sharing. It was a bill tailor made for record companies (his big donors) and opposed by tech companies and music fans. Berman never stops carrying water for the music and film business. That's what he does... when he isn't representing the Likkud. (He and his brother basically gerrymandered California in a much-hated redistricting considered one of the more corrupt in the country in terms of incumbent protection.)

Maybe by now you're scratching your head and wondering why I'm telling you all about this guy, who wins his district by 80% in a good year and in the 70s in a bad year. Well, guess which ranking member of that Intellectual Property subcommittee is now chairman? And moving rapidly to do his big donors some big favors? Yes, you are correct. His new bill to revamp the music licensing system is very one-sided. Wanna guess which side? If you said "internet users" or "songwriters and composers," you would be wrong. If you said "giant entertainment conglomerates and corporations," on the other hand, you would be right.

In honor defiance of Rep Berman, please join me in listening-- free of charge-- to "I'll Do You" by Wire Train, a great song whose publishing I happen to own a substantial portion of.