Lucas,
I hope you saw the note I passed along Thursday from ex-"super lobbyist" Jack Abramoff.
No single person has been more emblematic of the problem of runaway corporate influence over elections and politicians.
And now Jack Abramoff thinks we have to end this "legalized bribery."
Incredible!
If that doesn't convince you to support our campaign to rescue democracy by overturning the Supreme Court debacle known as Citizens United — and thank you to everyone who has already responded to my recent messages — try this:
The amount of money spent on the entire 2012 federal election (House, Senate and presidency) is estimated at $6 billion. With its profits — not its revenue, its profits — from just 2011, Exxon Mobil alone could have funded every winning and losing candidate almost seven times over.
Or this:
Casino magnate Sheldon Adelson became a household name last fall for being a seemingly uninterruptible spigot of cash for Republican candidates, ultimately spending close to $150 million. And he's already vowed to double that in 2016. Of course, with a net worth of $20.5 billion, Adelson could multiply his spending by a factor of 100 and still have $5.5 billion left to eke out a living on.
The Exxons and Adelsons, the Koch Brothers and Karl Roves, simply won't stop until they've locked in the politicians and policies they want.
Unless we stop them.
We have to stop them.
So please chip in right now — $5, $50, $500, whatever you can — before it's too late.
Nothing less than a democracy free from corporate control is at stake.
With hope,
Robert
Lucas,
Well, here's something you don't see every day — a note from former "super lobbyist" Jack Abramoff about Public Citizen's work to save democracy:
You probably never expected to hear from me on behalf of Public Citizen. In my former career, I opposed just about everything Public Citizen stands for. But last year, when Robert Weissman invited me to speak at Public Citizen's headquarters in Washington, D.C., it was a profound experience.
As I told Robert, "I was involved deeply in a system of bribery — legalized bribery for the most part" that "still to a large part exists today." Perhaps more than anybody, I truly understand the depths of K Street's corrupting influence on Capitol Hill.
I can't undo the mistakes I made. But I can say this: If you want to do something about how the lobbying industry uses legalized bribery and other ways that money corrupts democracy, I encourage you to support the efforts of Public Citizen.
Jack Abramoff is with us. Are you?
Make a donation to Public Citizen.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Robert Weissman
President, Public Citizen