Lawmakers Who Upheld NSA Phone Spying Received Double the Defense Industry Cash

[Catherina]

Lawmakers Who Upheld NSA Phone Spying Received Double the Defense Industry Cash

By David Kravets
07.26.13



House Armed Services Committee Chairman Rep. Howard McKeon, (R-California), speaks to reporters following a House Armed Services Committee closed-door briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., Tuesday, May 21, 2013. AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta

The numbers tell the story — in votes and dollars. On Wednesday, the house voted 217 to 205 not to rein in the NSA’s phone-spying dragnet. It turns out that those 217 “no” voters received twice as much campaign financing from the defense and intelligence industry as the 205 “yes” voters.

That’s the upshot of a new analysis by MapLight, a Berkeley-based non-profit that performed the inquiry at WIRED’s request. The investigation shows that defense cash was a better predictor of a member’s vote on the Amash amendment than party affiliation. House members who voted to continue the massive phone-call-metadata spy program, on average, raked in 122 percent more money from defense contractors than those who voted Wednesday to dismantle it.

Overall, political action committees and employees from defense and intelligence firms such as Lockheed Martin, Boeing, United Technologies, Honeywell International, and others ponied up $12.97 million in donations for a two-year period ending December 31, 2012, according to the analysis, which MapLight performed with financing data from OpenSecrets. Lawmakers who voted to continue the NSA dragnet-surveillance program averaged $41,635 from the pot, whereas House members who voted to repeal authority averaged $18,765.

Of the top 10 money getters, only one House member — Rep. Jim Moran (D-Virginia) — voted to end the program.



..

The amendment (.pdf) was proposed by Rep. Justin Amash (R-Michigan), who received a fraction of the money from the defense industry compared to top earners. For example, Amash got $1,400 — ranking him in the bottom 50 for the two-year period. On the flip side, Rep. Howard McKeon (R-California) scored $526,600 to lead the House in defense contributions. He voted against Amash.

...

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/07/money-nsa-vote/?mbid=social10181434

The KA-CHING is right here

[AnotherMcIntosh]

1. They probably have better retirement plans as well. It's more profitable to be a Sell-Out than an

FDR-type Democrat.

[leveymg]

27. It's more of a 4 martini lunch second career as a lobbyist, but it's their sacrifice for the country

[RobertEarl]

2. That's capitalism for ya

The best government money can buy.

[Hydra]

9. Yup, I keep saying Democracy and Capitalism don't mix

But Dogma over evidence.

[RC]

3. Legal bribery. That is all our system of politics is, legal bribery.

[Pretzel_Warrior]

4. what was the standard deviation of contributions given for yes and no votes

averages mean nothing.

[NightWatcher]

5. This is why "omg, call congress now" DOESN'T WORK

This also goes for petitions.

The Congresscritters are already bought and paid for and the emails of a few thousand citizens won't trump the money they're getting.

[chimpymustgo]

12. Does not move the needle one whit. Look at the Moral Mondays in NC. Thousands turned out, got

arrested.

The Rethugs had their agenda, and it was going to be passed.

Same with our Congress. I love that there were actually 12 non-votes against the spy program - just enough to have tied it. I think they work it out, so some Critters can save face with voters, on an as-need basis.

[City Lights]

6. The USA is broken.

No workie anymore.

[Octafish]

7. That's supposed to be classified!

What do they think this is? A democracy?

[Mojorabbit]

8. There it is, all laid out. nt

[sabrina 1]

10. This whole thing is about money. Had that bill passed, funding would have stopped for

the 'collection and storing' of Americans' phone data, and what would Booz Allen have done? Their former CEO, Clapper, now Director of Intelligence, would have had to work overtime to try to make up the loss.

As one member of Congress stated 'the pressure was intense to vote against it'.

Follow the money, it is the best way in this Predatory Capitalist Nation, to find the truth about what is really going on.

[Hydra]

11. Follow the *ka-ching!*

Buy the gov't! It was always meant to be for sale! Ask the Founders!

[Ichingcarpenter]

13. Defense industries gets its money from Congress

Congress gets its money from defense industries. Its an incestuous relationship that is mind blowing that its allowed.

[Catherina]

14. Exactly, a game of musical cash that WE pay for and never profit from

and then they come up with even sicker schemes, like illegal wars, to make more victims as if fleecing US workers wasn't enough.

All the taxes we pay and they're closing schools? Letting Detroit go bankrupt and fleecing workers out of their pensions? This is so sick. The only ones laughing are the MIC and the Bankers.

[avaistheone1]

15. So THAT explains their positions on NSA spying.

[Ford_Prefect]

16. Cheap at the price too!

[Fumesucker]

17. Incursion of Coincidence Theorists in 3.. 2.. 1..

[matthews]

18. Surprise, surprise. nt

[frylock]

19. shocking

:|

[idwiyo]

20. K&R

[NorthCarolina]

21. $42k average? That almost seems cheap.

In retrospect, could the LGBT community have purchased equal rights for as cheaply as the 1% did to eliminate rights?

[HereSince1628]

22. Yep, they got "THE BRIEFING!!!!" and knew what was coming!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=3338371




What a way to run a republik!

[Michigan-Arizona]

23. K&R n/t

[99th_Monkey]

24. Surprise, surprise!! I never would have guessed.

I mean, this is really good to know; because it exposes
the "Representatives" who are crooks & 1% toadies

[cantbeserious]

25. Legalized Bribery - Buying Democracy One Dollar At A Time

eom

[Purveyor]

26. Thank you for post Catherina. You are an attribute to this forum, indeed!!! eom

[Egalitarian Thug]

28. I wish I could say I'm shocked. K&R n/t

[nashville_brook]

29. k and r

[DirkGently]

30. Well looky there. n/t

[myrna minx]

31. K&R n/t