Would anyone actually claim that there isn't too much corporate influence on dems and the dem party?

[cali]

yes, there's more of it on republicans and the republican party, but there are absolutely dems who are majorly influenced and even controlled when it comes to certain issues, by corporate money.

It's dangerous to pretend that this isn't a huge problem and a terrible threat.

[ProSense]

1. Who claimed that? n/t

[Bluenorthwest]

2. Sure, the people who benefit from that influence make that claim constantly

There has yet to be any situation in the world where 'follow the money' is not the answer.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

3. Corrupt politician (R) vs Corrupt politician (D). Which one is "not as bad"?

Which is the reason we'll be told we must vote for one of them.

[AndyTiedye]

25. The One Who Doesn't Want to Turn the USA into Jesusland…

…is not as bad as the one who does.

[rhett o rick]

4. No but some are willing to fight for the status quo. nm

[TheKentuckian]

5. There are those that champion such influence, perhaps they are dishonest enough

to make such claims, anyone else would have to cede the point even if they have a grocery list of excuse a million miles long of why that will have to do or play the "look over there" game till Kingdom Come.

[kelliekat44]

6. I won't claim that. But I choose to focus on the Dems who are not and get more of them into

positions of power.

[Andy823]

8. Exactly!

People need to think about how bad off we would be right now if McCain had won in 2008. Yes, some dems aren't much better than republicans, but one thing is for sure, republicans in charge of this country is a sure plan for more pain for anyone who is not among the rich!

I agree with you, find those who are not the same as republicans and vote them into office. Start at the local and state levels and hope that the "good" ones then run for higher offices and win!

Contrary to what some here say, president Obama has done a lot of good for this country. Again people should think about what it would have been like if he had not won! Do they really think things would be the "same"?

[Vincardog]

7. I bet that if you start a thread the Corporatists have been influenced by;the concern trolls

will be all over it spouting the RW shill talking points.

Try it with any of the following subjects:
A living wage
Single payer health CARE
Returning (corporate/upper income) tax rates to where they would pay their traditional shares.
The Keystone sludge-line
The TPP and surrendering our sovereignty to
the rich/corporations

[INdemo]

9. All one has to do is take a look at campaign contributions (public knowledge)

and amounts for all members of Congress and the President. Our government is owned by corporations and Wall Street.

Here is a start
http://www.fec.gov/sitemap.shtml

[Vincardog]

18. To true. We have to take charge without taking control.

[L0oniX]

10. Politicians should be required to display their sponsors ...like race car drivers.

[OnyxCollie]

11. Caught the Big One on the first cast.

Successful chumming, my friend.

[A Simple Game]

14. I'm starting to think cali has a stalker.

1 minute, must just keep hitting refresh on the search function.

How many key words do you think she searches for besides cali?

[adirondacker]

21. :O

[badtoworse]

30. We need a bigger boat!

[obxhead]

12. BS

D's have just as much if not more corporate pressure than R's. D's tend to have a smaller corporate base to gather funds from, meaning they have greater pressure.

Huge does not even begin to describe the problem.

[ConservativeDemocrat]

13. What do you mean "Corporate"? Corporations aren't people, cali.

What do you imagine happens? A bunch of legal documents defining an arbitrary group of people engaged in a cooperative economic venture shuffles out of its cabinet and then walks to Congress to talk to its representative?

You're just like the people on the right (and a few almost looped around to the other side left) whining about "government", as if the "government" it's some sort of strange alien entity from Mars or something, rather than the people who were voted into office.

American citizens talk to their representatives. Environmentalists do. People in unions do. (Unions are corporations, cali. Did you know that?) Sometimes they're on the same side of an issue. Sometimes they're not.

- C.D. Proud Member of the Reality Based Community

[Fumesucker]

16. Of course Americans talk to their representatives

And when that speech is accompanied by a large enough campaign donation those representatives listen.

Unfortunately it is the singular largest flaw in our system of government, politicians require a lot of money to run for office, it's hard enough to keep politicians out of major corruption in systems without the cash pressures on them of our own.

[raindaddy]

17. What do you imagine happens?

The government = the people who we're voted into office? Ever consider the amount of money it takes to run for office and maintain the office once elected?
Do you actually believe that corporations with unlimited funds don't have a huge advantage when it comes to influencing our elected officials?

Let's take the current trade bill that's being negotiated in secret for example...
Who do you suppose is writing that bill, union reps, citizens or corporate lobbyists?
If they cared about what unions or working Americans thought there wouldn't be a reason to keep it secret, would there?

[KG]

20. Reality Based

heh.

[polichick]

23. This is a joke, right?

[Rex]

24. LOL!!!

Your sig line is so funny!

[MannyGoldstein]

26. Preach it brother.

It's about JOBS. America is number one in the WORLD in producing lobbyist JOBS, and they are GOOD jobs, with good pay and benefits like health care, dental, and really soft padded kneepads. Our politicians are serviced like no others, buffed to a brilliant sheen.

Those unsensible Left-baggers don't understand that the poor, the infirm, and the old have had their way with us for too #%^*ing long. It just makes sense that if very, very, very rich people and companies want to have a fair and impartial hearing with dedicated elected officials, that they be able to pay for that privilege.

Corporations are people too, my friend!

And you're right, Occupy=Teabaggers. Not a bit of sunlight between them.

Regards,

Third-Way Manny
A proud member.

[Egalitarian Thug]

15. The only people I've ever seen actually post the "no difference" meme are those

accusing someone else of saying it.

When the law is is against you, argue the facts.
When the facts are against you. argue the law.
When the law and the facts are against you, call the other lawyer names.

[Autumn]

19. If one would claim that, one would not be paying attention.

Corporate money is a big part of the problem.

[Hippo_Tron]

22. I wouldn't even say there's more of it in the Republican Party...

Businesspeople that are smart about improving their bottom lines give substantially to both parties so that they win no matter who is in power. Charles and David Koch aren't smart businesspeople improving their bottom lines. They're Ayn Randian lunatics who happen to have a ton of money on their hands and are hell bent on using it to shape the world the way they want it, by funding far right causes.

[CFLDem]

27. And I someday hope to be a beneficiary of it.

👍👍👍

[Romulox]

28. Nobody that's *honest*. As you'll notice, DU's corporate-boosters just avoided the question.

But please let's not deny they exist.

[badtoworse]

29. It's kind of like being a little pregnant.

[reformist2]

31. When "progressives" want to win so badly they sell out to corporations, guess what happens.

Nothing "progressive" ever seems to happen.

The Dem party still talks the talk (kind of), but that's about it.