Influence & Lobbying

The primary goal of much of the money that flows through U.S. politics is this: Influence. Corporations and industry groups, labor unions, single-issue organizations – together, they spend billions of dollars each year to gain access to decision-makers in government, all in an attempt to influence their thinking.

Use these resources in OpenSecrets.org’s Influence & Lobbying section, which are also found at the left, to learn more about Washington’s influence industry and its most powerful players.

Interest Groups

Just about any interest group you can think of has a presence in Washington—and spends money to maintain that presence. Here we’ve added up all campaign contributions associated over the years with more than 100 interest groups, so that you can see patterns that might have affected policies with an impact on your life. We also track how much interest groups have been spending on lobbying, which is the other side of the influence coin.

Lobbying

Professional advocates make big bucks to lobby members of Congress and government officials on the issues their clients care about. But the money that industries, companies, unions and issue groups spend on lobbying is often just a drop in the bucket compared to what they can reap in return if their lobbyists are successful. Here you can see who spends what on federal lobbying and where they focus their resources.

Revolving Door

You’ve heard it before—it’s not what you know, it’s who you know. In our nation’s capital, success comes with a combination of knowledge and personal connections. This database tracks thousands of individuals who’ve spun through Washington’s “revolving door”, employing professional relationships and know-how accumulated through public service to advance the goals of their private employers.

PACs

In a campaign finance system where all the money originates from individuals, political action committees, or PACs, control the most “corporate” of money. Controlled by companies, trade associations, unions, issue groups and even politicians (a subset called “leadership PACs”), these committees pool contributions from individuals and distribute them to candidates, political parties and other PACs. PACs can also spend money independently on political activities, including advertising and other efforts to support or oppose candidates in an election.

Heavy Hitters

Influence in Washington is built over time, and these labor unions, corporations and industry associations have been at it for years. Here you’ll find total contributions for the biggest givers in American politics since 1989—information that’s exclusively on OpenSecrets.org.

527s

For the longest time, campaign ads were almost exclusively produced by candidates and political parties, but in recent years outside issue groups have been getting in on the action. They often operate as so-called 527 committees (taking their name from the relevant section of the IRS tax code). Sometimes mysteriously named, these advocacy groups frequently have ties to labor, big business and super-wealthy individuals. Unlike political committees, they can accept unlimited contributions from just about anyone, and they deploy that money in various ways to influence elections. Keep an eye on these shadowy groups here.

So Mr. Zimmerman was charged with 2nd Degree Murder and that appears to be justice being served. However, we are missing the larger picture of the media increasing and inciting continued black vs white vs latino vs (you get the idea). Now the hot topic of the month is “race related” just like Muslims are still targeted these days for their religion, long after the media made Muslims seem suspect by just being, well…Muslim. Personally I think George Zimmerman would have shot any youth appearing in his eyes to be suspect regardless of color. A white teen with a hoodie would probably have the same outcome. The Police are the most obvious rascist factor here. Seriously, I’ve done my research and this part of Florida is pretty well known for white on back rascism which includes the cops. Zimmerman was just a freak with a gun and at some point in his life he would have shot somebody most likely, whatever color they happened to be.

What we need to do is put the onus on the police, who get away with their normal bullshit, and the media who propogate the formula of discontent between the citizens of this country by skewed headlines and polarizing sensationalistic reporting. The media has a large responsibility by the way they report. Sloppy sensationalistic journalism can only ad to people’s ignorance and xenophobia.

Glad Mr. Zimmerman is paying the piper, but what about the Cops? The Media? How come they rarely have to pay for their ongoing contribution to the problem?

FG

Comments?

If you haven’t read this and you are interested how the USA fucks other countries over via economic loans using corporations to front the deals, read this true life account of an insider that was employed as an economic hitman. It has been a favorite of mine and an eye opener. 

This shit gets the Gorilla Fuming Mad~ all of these corrupt hooligans running around stealing people’s money like it’s a monopoly game..Grrrrr! I smasha’ their face

Former MF Global chief executive Jon Corzine apologized “to all those affected” by the brokerage’s collapse Thursday as he told a congressional committee he doesn’t know what happened to $1.2 billion in missing customer funds.

Jon S. Corzine, MF Global Holding Ltd. (MFGLQ)’s chief executive officer, gave “direct instructions” to transfer $200 million from a customer fund account to meet an overdraft in a brokerage account with JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM), according to a memo written by congressional investigators.

http://www.dvorak.org/blog/

This is a serious video. 1:39 seconds of General Wesley Clark talking about how after 911 he was told that the USA is attacking Iraq, not because of terrorists…because they don’t know what else to do! F’ing insane.

General Clark was then told of the plan that the US was going to systematically invade 7 countries in 5 years. He named 5 countries after Iraq; Lebanon, Syria, Somalia, Sudan and Iran. Keep in mind this was all about a month after 911.

So for anybody wondering about all the MIddle East brouhaha happening, this was all planned by the US Government and its allies. No conspiracy, real testimony on 2007.

For you Kony 2012 fans: in late 2009 a serious amount of oil was discovered in Uganda by geological surveyers. Uganda a country right next to Sudan and thoughts are that oil amounts could rival Saudia Arabia’s oil deposits.

See the significance? One last thing. The Chinese have been heavily investing in Africa for the last 10 years and the United States is trying to play catch up for mineral and oil reserve claims. Although nothing should belong to China or the US, but foreign powers continue to invade and exploit poorer nations. The game continues.

For you smart readers of what is happening in the world, hope you reblog this.