TARP recipients spent $114 million last year lobbying Congress and funding political campaigns

[G_j]

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/02/04/tarp-companies-lobby/


TARP recipients spent $114 million last year lobbying Congress and funding political campaigns

The Center for Responsive Politics reports today http://blogs.usatoday.com/onpolitics/2009/02/report-bailed-o.html?csp=34 that beneficiaries of the $700 billion Troubled Assets Relief Program “have spent a total of $114.2 million on lobbying in the past year and contributions toward the 2008 election.” The companies’ political activities in 2008 “have, in part, yielded them $295.2 billion from the federal government,” which the Center notes is “an extraordinary return of 258,449 percent.” The Wall Street Journal reported last week that “Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner announced rules aimed at curbing the influence of lobbyists, politicians and others in determining which firms get bailout cash"

The analysis, along with a chart of the biggest political players and what they received in the bailout, can be found here:
http://www.opensecrets.org/news/2009/02/tarp-recipients-paid-out-114-m.html

[Fireweed247]

1. So that explains why they were so quick to pass the bailout for the super rich

but when it comes to creating jobs, repairing infrastructure and helping those struggling the most.......

[G_j]

2. ==

[Fireweed247]

3. Is this the only thread on this topic?

I can't understand why people aren't talking about this. Can you say red flag people? After we throw this entire Congress out on their asses, we need do away with lobbying which is legal bribery. Why the hell is this even legal? There are something like 13,000 of these bastards in DC. It is outrageous and even more so that our Congressmen are cheap whores. They pay 114 million, and get back $295 billion!!

[G_j]

4. I was surprised too

It's just outrageous how corrupt this is.

[Fireweed247]

5. I'm gonna repost this with a different headline...

and see if that works...