I know what you're thinking. All these financial bonuses you're hearing about is starting to make you remember how much the Democrats are also in the pocket of Corporate America. Or how the health care lobby is clearly buying these Blue Dog Democrat votes away.
But even though the Republicans are the opposition right now and seem like the ones more closer to the little guy, it's stats like this that remind me that no, they are still in fact the party that is more focused on their Corporate constituents than the People. Nate Silver has a great analysis of political contributions in The Real Problem with Small States:
From the comments:
I think it's telling that out of 40 Republican Senators, 32 of them are in the top 50 for taking special interest money.
The immediate retort in my mind is that a pro-corporate agenda is also a pro-jobs agenda. In which case, roundly indicting the Republicans is short-sighted.
A total narrow focus on just individuals, without a concern for the entire system (ensuring free market principles, for example), is ultimately worse-off for individuals. I think that's the problem with the bleeding-heart aspect of Democrats. They just focus immediately on what shocks them emotionally, throw money at it, and call themselves populists.
Also, PACs aren't a unilateral evil. They aren't automatically "organized greed." Everybody with a job is ultimately part of some industry. Plus, I vaguely recall from Obama's book that it's the lobbyists who have the most expertise on who is exactly affected by what bills. Sure, they have a self-serving expertise, but you're not going to pluck random armchair geniuses in, let's say, lumbering, to help you craft bills.
There are at least some Republicans who have a pro-business agenda, not because they're paid, but because it maximizes good for the most number of people.
And before you say, "like who?" The first one that comes to mind is Ron Paul. And then John McCain.
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