Dems Who Flipped On Telecom Immunity Got More Telecom Cash

Politico:

House Democrats who flipped their votes to support retroactive immunity for telecom companies in last week's FISA bill took thousands of dollars more from phone companies than Democrats who consistently voted against legislation with an immunity provision, according to an analysis by MAPLight.org.

In March, the House passed an amendment that rejected retroactive immunity. But last week, 94 Democrats who supported the March amendment voted to support the compromise FISA legislation, which includes a provision that could let telecom companies that cooperated with the government's warrantless electronic surveillance off the hook.

The 94 Democrats who changed their positions received on average $8,359 in contributions from Verizon, AT&T and Sprint from January, 2005, to March, 2008, according to the analysis by MAPLight, a nonpartisan organization that tracks the connection between campaign contributions and legislative outcomes.

Read the whole story: Politico

Comments

[bethinCary]

Buh bye blue-dogs..

If you think Americans don't know what is going on -think agian..
Glad you're all for political expediency and tearing down the Constituion-somehow I think in the next 3-4 yrs. voters will NOT have forgotten..
You want to tie yourself to GW policies--your short-term political life.
No one to blame but yourselves..

[ankjack]

We always new that the GOP were a bunch of bought off SOBs. Should it be a surprise that Dems are? Somehow this is terribly disappointing to me. I've written a letter to my Senators asking them not to vote for this. I guess if I can't tell the difference between wolves and wolves in sheeps clothing, I should just vote for the GOP - at least that way I'll know what I'm getting.

[V4Vigilance]

Just more evidence that we've got the best government that money can buy.

[bobwalters]

More to the point: These traitors make the cheapest prostitute in Dallas or Vegas look like a paragon of virture! They should all be kidked out of office and prosecuted for perjury --they lied when the took their oaths of office.

[Chillinout]

The time to act is NOW!

I just called both of my Senators and told them both that whether I support them for reelection depends solely on how they vote on this bill, it is that important to me.

[Lemeritus]

11:15 PST - FISA being debated on C-SPAN 2.

[Chillinout]

I am watching it. Senator Feinstein is not a true Democrat.

[darthdarcy]

So our Democratic Congress is up for sale cheap, and they'll sell out even our Constitutional rights not just Telecom immunity but they've eviscerated the 4th Amendment with this Bill...

94 Crooks..that's all they are crooks..and traitors to our Constitution..

[plainsman]

This is a SHOCKING revelation! :)

[Mauiloa]

This is sad, tragic and despicable. But it is not shocking, and I get your sarcasm. But I'll comment anyway.

The corruptibility of the government is exactly why nothing REALLY changes except around the edges. For fans of Obama to believe that his "Change" slogan is possible without significant changes being made to this rampant corruptibility in government is absolutely naive.

Because Bush and his criminal organization have always worked with the corporatocracy, there has always been Dems to work with his agenda and against America's agenda. If and when real change in how government works is considered by Congress, corporations will be right there cash in hand to stuff into the greedy fists of any politician who has the slightest desire to be re-elected.

And as far as I can tell, this is every last one of them!

[OhioJan]

$4987-$8359? That's ALL? A more understandable dollar amount for selling out the American Voters who HIRED them to the big corporations would be at least $100 thousand into the millions! After all, I'm willing to bet my DOG on the fact that they don't have to declair these "br!bes" on their taxes: If these "elected officials" can VOTE themselves PAYRAISES, I'm sure they covered their hindquarters on not having to declair $ used to grease their palms, fill their portfolios, m0lest US AND our Constitution on their public records & IRS filings.

This is beyond contempt & corruption...$4000-$9000...Let's start getting rid of these democRATS at the voting booths! Absolutely unacceptable...

[LAWTON]

I agree OhioJan. Damn our scardee cat democrats sell out cheap. So they believe the 4th amendment is only worth $8,359.00. Our little timids sell out cheap while any self repecting republican would hold out for at least $100,000.00 and free rides on corporate jets to exotic destinations with the occassional hooker like Jeff Gannon-Guckert along for the ride.

[marcdahlberg]

You are mixing telecom payments to politicians to support the act with telecom payments made for other purposes, for example paid as bribes to elected officials to contact ex parte sitting federal and state court judges for the purpose to intimidate them to rule in favor of the party opposed to the telecoms.
For example, Sprint paid approx $500,000 to H Clinton, Bill Nelson, Thomas Feeney, James Sensenbrenner to defeat a derivative shareholder action that attempted to recover from the insurer of former board members $18 million for the benefit of Sprint. You heard that right: they paid money NOT to get money. I am not kidding. Go to csi-jacksonville.com for the evidence.
When Gary Forsee was given notice of the bribery scheme, exactly eleven day later they paid about $90,000 to an alphabet soup of democrat AND republican campaign committees.
When Dan Hesse was given notice of the bribery scheme, exactly eleven day later they paid another $90,000 to an alphabet soup of democrat AND republican campaign committees.

[TheRebel82]

Steny Hoyer has to be held accountable and Nancy Pelosi as well. Get rid of em!!

[lthuedk 1]

Accepting bribes is not an exclusively Republican habit. Now that these weaker Democratic representative have shown their loyalties to the Corporation, they should be held responsible for helping to sell out our rights for money, just like Republicans. Let's also look at Senate Democrats and their palms before they do something they'll permanently regret. How about an examination of their investments in the military industrial complex and who they covertly serve.

http://www.light-to-dark.com/dubya_who.html

[Chillinout]

Here is a list of ALL the Dems that voted for the FISA bill.

Ackerman
Altmire
Arcuri
Baca
Baird
Barrow
Bean
Berkley
Berman
Berry
Bishop (GA)
Bishop (NY)
Boren
Boswell
Boucher
Boyd (FL)
Boyda (KS)
Brown, Corrine
Butterfield
Cardoza
Carney
Castor
Cazayoux
Chandler
Childers
Cleaver
Clyburn
Cooper
Costa
Cramer
Crowley
Cuellar
Davis (AL)
Davis, Lincoln
Dicks
Donnelly
Edwards (TX)
Ellsworth
Emanuel
Engel
Etheridge
Giffords
Gillibrand
Gordon
Green, Al
Green, Gene
Gutierrez
Harman
Hastings (FL)
Herseth Sandlin
Higgins
Hinojosa
Holden
Hoyer
Kanjorski
Kildee
Kind
Klein (FL)
Lampson
Langevin
Lipinski
Lowey
Mahoney (FL)
Marshall
Matheson
McCarthy (NY)
McIntyre
McNerney
Meeks (NY)
Melancon
Mitchell
Moore (KS)
Murphy, Patrick
Murtha
Ortiz
Pelosi
Perlmutter
Peterson (MN)
Pomeroy

Rahall
Reyes
Richardson
Rodriguez
Ross
Ruppersberger
Salazar
Schiff
Scott (GA)
Sestak
Sherman
Shuler
Sires
Skelton
Smith (WA)
Snyder
Space
Spratt
Stupak
Tanner
Tauscher
Taylor
Thompson (MS)
Udall (CO)
Wilson (OH)
Yarmuth

And this web site is accepting donations to replace them all.

http://www.actblue.com/page/fisa

[vmonter]

Way too long.

[Chillinout]

I know, it really sucks doesn't it? And these guys call themselves Dems. Go to the act blue web site and donate. ALL of these people need to be removed, both for voting for this and also for the way that they did it. The forced a vote after only 1 hour of debate and they didn't give the House members time to read the bill before forcing them to vote.

I am proud to say that my Rep voted against him so I emailed him and told him I am able and willing to work on his reelection campaign.

[FogBelter]

This list only goes to show that once we have a solid Democratic majority in Congress we need to start culling the herd of weaklings.

[bobsmith]

Are you really that gullible? These pigs will sell you out if they have every seat in Congress!

The Democratic party is dead and gone. It's long past time to throw them ALL out and start over. I'm changing my voter registration from Democrat to Independent and voting third party from here on. I'm done with the spineless, complicit Democrats.

[darthdarcy]

Let their names go down in infamy...taking money for votes and one that effects Constitutional Rights no less..they're all a disgrace..not real Democrats at all just a list of disgraceful crooks and hypocrites...

[julianna]

FYI - Udall (CO) is running for Allard's Senate seat. Sen. Salazar's office in CO has also let me know they will vote for the amendment.

[ankjack]

Bought off SOBs. If they were hoping to regain power, this was the back-a$$wards way to go about it.

[bigironal25]

Come November I will be voting against EVERY incumbent that is on my ballot and I will continue to do so until I can no longer vote.We all need to do this in order to get rid of all of these parasitic bums who don't give a flying f*ck about anything except money.I don't care if they are paragons of virtue,THROW THEM OUT!

[bobsmith]

Well said, and I'm with you. Eventually others will follow... let's just hope they don't wait until we're all slaves without the right to vote.

[bobsmith]

And I'm adding you to my "fan" list.

[FogBelter]

I hope their constituents recognize these whores are willing to sell out their Constitutional rights for 8 grand and fire them. Time to get punitive with this scum.