Sunlight Foundation reports “Biggest corporate political interests spend billions, get trillions”:

[Panich52]

Sunlight Foundation reports “Biggest corporate political interests spend billions, get trillions”:

“Between 2007 and 2012, 200 of America’s most politically active corporations spent a combined $5.8 billion on federal lobbying and campaign contributions. A year-long analysis by the Sunlight Foundation suggests, however, that what they gave pales compared to what those same corporations got: $4.4 trillion in federal business and support.”

More
http://sunlightfoundation.com/blog/2014/11/17/fixed-fortunes-biggest-corporate-political-interests-spend-billions-get-trillions/

[CrispyQ]

1. Marking for ammo against those who are opposed to government help for The People. -nt

[Moostache]

2. I always suspected the politicians were the equivalent of $10 whores...looks like I was generous.

They are actually more like the pathetic drug addicted prostitutes who offer sexual favors directly for single hits of crack or heroin.

The fact that politicians are for sale should surprise no one with a brain. Our entire system of governance - from the local school boards and fire districts and city halls all the way to the United States Congress and, yes, Presidency and increasingly SCOTUS - are bought and paid for lackeys of the campaign donors but more importantly the lobbyist career makers.

Here is an all too familiar "career" in politics:
1) win small local position and be good foot soldier, voting EXACTLY as instructed by party or benefactor
2) gain "friends" in the game and move to a state-wide position, remain a good lap dog, doing EVERYTHING you are told
3) gain more "friends" and get into the US House as a bomb thrower and purist/zealot...all the while staying in full obedience
4) fork in the road....proceed to Senator or stay in House as power broker / chairman
5) eventually "retire" and get a position as a lobbyist, accepting more money for less work and essentially get paid for the years or decades of being a good little lapdog.

Occasionally, people skip the US Congress and simply go the governor route...others move back and forth and wind around various political paths, but one thing remains constant - do what you are told, keep your head down, sell out you country to the $$ and promise of an easy retirement or lobbying gig...

My suggestions to clean it up? Same as they have been for going on 25 years now:
Term limits for ALL politicians (12 years in any federal office, 12 years in any state office and 12 years in any local offices - no more)
Publicly financed elections (Campaign contributions are NOT speech, they are bribes and bribes are illegal, so to should be donations)
15 year ban on registering as a lobbyist after leaving ANY public office (and the clock restarts after every new election you win)

[Dustlawyer]

4. +1,000,000,000,000,000,000!!!!!!!!

It's the only way to save our country!

[FiveGoodMen]

6. Regarding term limits

It's not really the politicians calling the shots.

It's those who financed their campaigns and now expect a return on their investment.

Term limits would shuffle the deck of the sellout officeholders, but it would do nothing to remove the real power behind them.

Term limits would, however, force out any good politicians who had managed to get and stay elected.

No net gain there at all.

[Moostache]

10. I respect your opinion. I just don't share the same conclusion vis-a-vis politicians.

There is no such thing as a "good" one. If you can't achieve maximum utility and service to your community and state (12 years), your country (Rep or Sen for max 12 years) or President (I'd max that at 3 terms instead of 2), well that's 36 years overall...how much MORE time is needed to get something done.

You believe term limits would sacrifice "good" pols...I just believe term limits would give them a sense of urgency that is totally lacking in the modern Congress and statehouses of the USA circa 2015.

If you believe that your seat is safe and your ability to hold it is pre-ordained, you're less likely to actually, you know, WORK!

Its all good, there is absolutely ZERO chance our whored our government is going to allow anything like term limits, public elections or bans on lobbying in my lifetime or the potential remaining lifetime of Homo Sapiens for that matter.

[FiveGoodMen]

11. When Paul Wellstone's plane went down he was on his way to a third term

Had he lived, he certainly would have been a better choice for that seat than anyone else who was running.

[PoliticAverse]

3. It's clearly a great return on investment. n/t

[jtuck004]

5. So be sure and vote.

Never in history have you had so much say in your plantation owners.

[hifiguy]

7. When bribery is perfectly legal

what else can you expect?

[moondust]

8. We earned it!

Bootstraps! Hard werk! Meritocracy!

[Nuclear Unicorn]

9. Must be those government investments I keep hearing so much about. nt

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

12. But..but..the poverty stricken, "dead broke", politicians are forced to take the money!

He reminds one of the man who murdered both his parents, and then pleaded for mercy on the grounds that he was an orphan. - Abraham Lincoln