Sunday, May 20, 2012
  • 1main2
    If elected representatives with conflicts of interest felt as ashamed as they should, we would enjoy better government. The problem is that shame is usually directed toward people that we encounter face to face and recognize as peers. Consider Madoff's abject apology to the members of his upper east side co-op. Madoff may not have been ashamed about swindling (and ruining) countless strangers, but he was mortified about losing face with his neighbors... (slide)
  • 2main
    Our representatives are no different: although some may be indifferent to our fate, you can be sure that, like Madoff, they crave the respect of their peers. Bring C-SPAN clips that highlight conflicts of interest to the attention of people whose opinion matters to the featured representatives: to fellow committee members, to journalists, and above all to the ethics committees that should be holding all of our representatives (and not just the occasional scapegoat), to the same high standards...
  • 3main
    Click on the titles of videos in the “Featured” category, then on the icons at the top of their page, to print your own blank postcards (or faxes) with a picture from that video. Send these media to the recipients of your choice, or to ones we suggest. Or just sign a petition. In the wake of Citizen's United, equal representation, the very foundation of our democracy, is under threat. Don't cede your government to corporations and lobbyists. Make your voice heard above the racket!

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McConnell vs. Dodd-Frank
Senate majority leader McConnell, one of the largest recipients of Wall Street money on the hill, attempting to portray his opposition to Dodd-Frank as a valiant defense of the little guy. Note his claim that Citibank (his 6thlargest donor), thinks Dodd-Frank is great.
Date: 2011-10-04 05:23:26
User: Administrator
Views: 2490
Votes: 0
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Rating: None
Money (Apparently) Well Spent
FoxxFoodSafety073009
Congresswoman Virginia Foxx railing against Food Safety legislation (H.R. 2749) that might harm the economic interests of her donors. Note the staff member who peeks in on the right hand side of the screen to mouth, and claim credit for, a bit of over-the-top rhetoric.
Date: 2011-09-23 05:09:39
User: Administrator
Views: 2028
Votes: 0
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Rating: None
Money (Apparently) Well Spent
OBAMACAREmedely
Early examples of what has proved a devastatingly effective ad hominem attack that has made it very hard to discuss the merits of recently-passed health care legislation.
Date: 2011-02-17 04:49:19
User: Administrator
Views: 3190
Votes: 0
Playlists: 0
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Parrot-Fashion
MurthaF22_073009
Note: Rep. John P.Murtha died on February 8, 2010.

Murtha, an investor in Boeing, trying to protect funding for the Boeing/Lockheed Martin F-22.

http://metavid.org/wiki/Stream:House_proceeding_07-30-09_00/0:07:05/0:08:25
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php? type=C&cid=N00001408&newMem=N&cycle=2010
Date: 2011-01-28 05:09:21
User: Administrator
Views: 3285
Votes: 0
Playlists: 0
Downloads: 0
Comments:
Rating: None
Self Dealing?
IsaksonHousingCredit_060909
Isakson for housing credits from which he is likely to personally profit.

ISAKSON IS A SENIOR MEMBER OF THE SENATE ETHICS COMMITTEE.

http://metavid.org/wiki/Stream:Senate_proceeding_06-09-09_00/4:20:05/4:28:10
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php? type=C&cid=N00002593&newMem=N&cycle=2010
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/otherdata.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00002593&type=C
Date: 2011-01-28 04:54:11
User: Administrator
Views: 4908
Votes: 0
Playlists: 0
Downloads: 0
Comments:
Rating: None
Self Dealing?
VitterDRILLbeforeSPILL092209
Vitter praising Bush administration, railing against Obama administration for their respective offshore drilling policies. Heavy handed rhetoric for policy that he would directly profit from.

http://metavid.org/wiki/Stream:Senate_proceeding_09-22-09_00/4:04:25/4:15:30
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2010/07/a-tale-of-two-hearings.html
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00009659&type=C
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/otherdata.php?cycle=2010&cid=N00009659&type=C
Date: 2011-01-28 04:48:47
User: Administrator
Views: 3946
Votes: 1
Playlists: 0
Downloads: 0
Comments:
Rating: 1/5
Self Dealing?
FLAKEvsORTIZmilitaryEARMARKS_071009
Flake tactfully but eloquently critiques the earmarking that allows wasteful outsourcing of military functions. Ortiz, one of the largest sponsors of military earmarks, rebuts in a way that speaks volumes about the unseemly deals involved.

http://metavid.org/wiki/Stream:House_proceeding_07-10-09_00/1:40:50/1:48:55
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php? type=C&cid=N00009573&newMem=N&cycle=2010
http://www.opensecrets.org/usearch/index.php?searchButt=Search+OpenSecrets.org+%3E %3E&q=KBR&cx=010677907462955562473%3Anlldkv0jvam&cof=FORID%3A11#840
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php? type=C&cid=N00005998&newMem=N&cycle=2010
Date: 2011-01-28 04:42:03
User: Administrator
Views: 3432
Votes: 0
Playlists: 0
Downloads: 0
Comments:
Rating: None
Money (Apparently) Well Spent
ShelbyCONSUMERprotect050610
Shelby against proposed Financial Consumer Protection Bureau

http://metavid.org/wiki/Stream:Senate_proceeding_05-06-10/2:59:55/3:18:05
http://www.opensecrets.org/politicians/summary.php? type=C&cid=N00009920&newMem=N&cycle=2010
Date: 2011-01-28 02:42:37
User: Administrator
Views: 3841
Votes: 0
Playlists: 0
Downloads: 0
Comments:
Rating: None
Money (Apparently) Well Spent
  

  • Contribute Your Own Content and Become a Citizen Journalist

    The lobbying industry now amounts to a shadow government. A shadow government that is both bigger, and more influential, than the official one that we elect. A shadow government, moreover, that is shredding the social contract that made America great and blighting our children’s future. But informing the public about the nature and scope of K Streets' activities is something that the captive journalists employed by the big media conglomerates just don't do.

    It therefore falls to us to unmask the corruption that is destroying our country from within. We have the tools, thanks to disclosure laws and C-SPAN coverage of the proceedings of the Congress and Senate. IPL's annotated videos suggest what is possible. However corruption is only one half of the equation.  Good reporting on its consequences is also desperately needed. Where are the stories about the armies of foreclosure victims? About what it’s like to work for multinationals that are using the financial crisis to savage American’s wages, benefits and legal protections? About the impact of extended periods of un- and under-employment on families and children?

    Together, we can help to fill a gaping hole in existing political coverage. To contribute, register with the site, login, then click on the BLOGS tab and start writing! Pick the existing category that's most appropriate... we will create a new category for your content if one is needed. You can contribute just a single story or blog on a regular basis. Or if you would like to do your own investigative journalism, make your own annotated clips using C-SPAN footage from metavid.org, and financial disclosure data from opensecrets.org. Although we don’t pay for contributions, you can solicit tips for your work. Just use your Paypal address as your username, and donations made on your page(s) will be routed, automatically, to your account.

    Is contributing worthwhile? Will you have any more impact here than you would if you contributed to a political forum, wrote a letter to the editor, or contacted your elected representatives? The short answer is yes. The combination of short videos documenting specific conflicts of interest on the one hand, and stories that illustrate their real-life consequences on the other, can be be a powerful force for change. Don’t let the corporate media dictate the agenda. Roll up your sleeves and join in!