You want to know what is amusing? The Republicans’ whining about not getting paid for their ‘principled’ stand for telco retroactive immunity.
With the House Democrats’ refusal to grant retroactive immunity to phone companies — stalling the rewrite of the warrantless wiretapping program — GOP leadership aides are grumbling that their party isn’t getting more political money from the telecommunications industry. […]
In a reflection of the sensitivity of the subject matter, and an apparent recognition that they would undermine their own messaging by appearing to be motivated by fundraising concerns, Republicans on and off Capitol Hill declined to comment on the record. […]
“There’s no question that from time to time staff, and maybe some Members, say to fellow travelers: ‘Are you giving us some air cover? Are you helping us help you?’”
Yeah…the telephone utilities gave more money to the Democrats this cycle. The last time they did that was in the 1994 cycle, when the Democrats last controlled the House of Representatives. Why give to the Republicans when they are already instinctively in the pockets of big business? Is it any surprise to learn that the Chamber of Commerce (.pdf) advocates telco retroactive immunity? Of course they do.
What have we learned from Barack Obama’s success? Isn’t it that a candidate can compete and even excel by gathering support from small donors while eschewing PAC money and donations from registered lobbyists? Shit…I bet it even requires less time abasing oneself on the telephone.
Nevertheless, too many Democrats in office are willing to give the telco corporations a pass on lawbreaking in return for campaign contributions. As The Wire’s State Rep. Clay Davis says, “It’s shameful shit.”
P.S. I’ve always seen Clay Davis as a stand-in for Rep. Al Wynn who was recently defeated by progressive Democrat Donna Edwards in the Maryland primary.
Well, I wasted some of my cell minutes and called Reyes, Hoyer, and Pat Murphy.
Funny that you bring up Al Wynn, because for all calls except Pat, I specifically brought up Al. As in “remember how Congressman Hoyer’s office dumped $150,000 into Wynn’s campaign at the last minute and Donna Edwards defeated him anyway? Remember how he was primaried twice, mainly because he always voted with the GOP? Congressman Hoyer isn’t immune to a primary either: I was proud of him two weeks ago for standing up to Bush, but I will have no qualms about giving money to any primary opponent if Hoyer doesn’t block telecom amnesty.”
Reyes’ office must be feeling the heat, because the woman on the other end kept telling me “nothing’s been decided yet”, “he hasn’t made up his mind”. She actually sounded like she was going to cry, so i think a lot of people have been calling. When I mentioned Al Wynn, she got VERY flustered.
you gotta practice your ‘shi-iiiiit’ for those phonecalls.
I have some shi-iiiiit for them.
A big bucket of it, and I’m ready to dump it on their big fat telecom-amnesty supporting heads, and then point them the wrong way onto the interstate.
This might make you feel a beeeennnzie bit better Brendan & Boo
http://emptywheel.firedoglake.com/
The poor Reps. It’s hard to do business when there’s no honor among thieves.
As to the Dems, isn’t it way past time that we call “contributions” from corporations by their real name: bribes?