Getting Serious About Getting Corporate Cash Out Of Politics

You probably recall by now that one of the requirements for a Blue America endorsement is that a candidate be an enthusiastic supporter-- and either a cosponsor (for incumbents) or a pledged cosponsor (for challengers)-- of the Fair Elections Now Act. Yesterday, based on some fascinating and encouraging polling, MoveOn moved the entire idea of getting corporate influence out of politics onto their own agenda in a big way. The polling, done in twenty-two battleground House and Senate races, shows that:

• An overwhelming 79% of voters polled, including 72% of Republicans and 75% of Independents, believe that it’s important that a candidate commit to reducing the influence of corporations over elections, with 56% overall saying it is very important.

• 89% of likely voters believe that it is important that a candidate commits to reducing the influence lobbyists have over the way laws are written, with 68% believing such a commitment is very important. Among Republicans, the numbers are 87% and 63%, respectively; among Independents, 89% and 68%. 

• And 57% of voters, including 54% of Independents, agree that making the economy work for ordinary Americans requires taking on corporate lobbyists, with only 22% of voters (and 24% of Independents) disagreeing. 

• Seventy-seven percent of voters overall (including 70% of Republicans and 73% of Independents), view corporate election spending as an attempt to bribe politicians rather than an expression of free speech that should not be limited.

I guess they didn't ask if participating in bribery should be an automatic one-strike and your out death sentence (politically speaking, if you're a reader who opposes taking of lives). Yesterday, I might add, Open Secrets released a study showing "Wall Street Financial firms and the people who work for them are increasingly donating their political cash to Republicans... a shift away from Democratic candidates-- darlings of Wall Street interests for much of 2009-- coincides with Democrat-driven financial reform legislation that President Barack Obama signed last month. Contribution trends toward Republicans is particularly pronounced in the securities and investment industry." In any case, I thought I'd take a quick peek at who the half dozen biggest briber takers currently serving in the House are, in each of several of the most corrupt sectors among K Street bribers.

Aerospace & Armaments

Ike Skelton (D-MO- $642,438)
Bill Young (R-FL- $436,600)
Norm Dicks (D-WA- $429,600)
Jerry Lewis (R-CA- $417,749)
Chet Edwards (D-TX- $389,199)
Buck McKeon (R-CA- $382,000)

Agribusiness

Collin Peterson (Blue Dog-MN- $1,919,047)
Marion Berry (Blue Dog-AR- $1,750,205)
Devin Nunes (R-CA- $1,709,157)
Bob Goodlatte (R-VA- $1,472,835)
Jerry Moran (R-KS- $1,410,958)
John Boehner (R-OH- $1,408,938)

Auto Dealers

Vern Buchanan (R-FL- $218,090)
Chet Edwards (D-TX- $161,650)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $155,570)
Candice Miller (R-MI- $152,389)
Eric Cantor (R-VA- $144,750)
Ken Calvert (R-CA- $144,506)

Booze & Wine

Mike Thompson (Blue Dog-CA- $1,124,216)
Nancy Pelosi (D-CA- $267,887)
John Boehner (R-OH- $259,225)
George Radanovich (R-CA- $256,817)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $241,050)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $221,800)

Business Associations

John Boehner (R-OH- $90,987)
Patrick Tiberi (R-OH- $77,962)
Nydia Velazquez (D-NY- $77,250)
Vern Buchanan (R-FL- $73,300)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $73,000)
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV- $71,396)

Coal Mining

Hal Rogers (R-KY- $243,375)
Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV- $224,050)
Rick Boucher (D-VA- $190,004)
Alan Mollohan (D-WV- $138,300)
Nick Rahall (D-WV- $111,650)
Spencer Bachus (R-AL- $111,100)

Commercial Banks

Spencer Bachus (R-AL- $1,022,763)
Mike Castle (R-DE- $702,278)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $581,435)
John Boehner (R-OH- $561,319)
Barney Frank (D-MA- $520,350)
Pete Sessions (R-TX- $505,257)

Forestry

Greg Walden (R-OR- $533,954)
Norm Dicks (D-WA- $247,960)
Mike Ross (Blue Dog-AR- $211,950)
Jack Kingston (R-GA- $156,797)
John Boehner (R-OH- $156,073)
Don Young (R-AK- $152,003)

Hedge Funds

Mark Kirk (R-IL- $184,350)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $114,072)
Tim Bishop (D-NY- $108,650)
Jim Himes (D-CT- $89,100)
Barney Frank (D-MA- $63,800)
Paul Kanjorski (D-PA- $56,042)

Insurance

Earl Pomeroy (Blue Dog-ND- $2,027,756)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $1,485,285)
Richard Neal (D-MA- $1,018,581)
John Boehner (R-OH- $1,007,196)
Paul Kanjorski (D-PA- $961,086)
Eric Cantor (R-VA- $830,774)

Lobbyists

Jim Moran (D-VA- $655,289)
Steny Hoyer (D-MD- $645,571)
Jerry Lewis (R-CA- $640,081)
Ed Markey (D-MA- $613,437)
John Dingell (D-MI- $611,162)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $598,077)

Mortgage Bankers & Brokers

Paul Kanjorski (D-PA- $308,285)
Spencer Bachus (R-AL- $282,624)
Ed Royce (R-CA- $179,270)
Barney Frank (D-MA- $175,301)
Brad Sherman (D-CA- $133,965)
Dennis Moore (Blue Dog-KS- $130,729)

Oil & Gas

Joe Barton (R-TX- $1,460,530)
Don Young (R-AK- $982,263)
Mike Conaway (R-TX- $652,718)
Pete Sessions (R-TX- $650,864)
Todd Tiahrt (R-KS- $628,073)
Kay Granger (R-TX- $612,807)

Pharmaceuticals

Joe Barton (R-TX- $802,738)
Anna Eshoo (D-CA- $790,933)
John Dingell (D-MI- $749,234)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $556,252)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $527,372)
Rodney Felinghuysen (R-NJ- $492,493)

Real Estate

Eric Cantor (R-VA- $1,032,853)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $829,443)
Spencer Bachus (R-AL- $764,151)
Mark Kirk (R-IL- $754,794)
Jim Moran (D-VA- $737,875)
Steve Israel (D-NY- $725,464)

Securities & Investment

Mark Kirk (R-IL- $1,592,570)
Nita Lowey (D-NY- $1,341,656)
Charlie Rangel (D-NY- $1,186,148)
Eric Cantor (R-VA- $1,004,150)
Roy Blunt (R-MO- $943,159)
Jim Himes (D-CT- $895,390)

Tobacco

Eric Cantor (R-VA- $242,790)
Ed Whitfield (R-KY- $228,435)
John Boehner (R-OH- $201,959)
Charlie Rangel (R-NY- $199,878)
Bart Gordon (Blue Dog-TN- $196,200)
Bob Etheridge (D-NC- $193,800)