back to article MPAA threat sparks White House petition for bribery probe

Chris Dodd, ex–US senator and current CEO of the Motion Picture Ass. of America, may face a White House investigation after he made an extraordinary outburst that appeared to threaten politicians who had the audacity to take the entertainment industry’s money and then abandon SOPA/PIPA online-piracy legislation. “Those who …

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  1. irish donkey
    WTF?

    Shakes his head

    So this just an attempt to buy control of the internet so BigCorp could artificially control the price of all distribution?

    Corporation tax goes down while contributions to particular party/individual go up.

    What is wrong with this picture?

    Discuss

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Everything is wrong

      Irish Donkey thinking is wrong. Its not only control of the internet, but the whole of the internet and importantly, powers to close down site worldwide at the merest hint of adverse postings!

      Guilty till proven innocent.

      And all this to maintain their (Mafiaas) cocaine lifestyle in the name of providing for the artists.

      Wankers, bribers and corrupt to the core.

      Where's my bulletproof coat?

    2. LarsG

      IT ALL COMES DOWN TO...

      how far you can shove the brown envelope up their a***s.

      Politics is about lobbyists and self interests groups coming up with enough money to Buy The Vote.

      It becomes self perpetuating, the more that is offered, the more that is expected, the more they want. On and on it goes.

      Every now and again they investigate the bribery and corruption, find a scapegoat or find no evidence. Keeps the little people happy.

      The catch, they are investigating themselves!

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      He

      Will state that his mind was unbalanced when he made the statement, due to cocaine/drink/sex addiction and refer himself to a rehab clinic.

      There will be a loud sigh of relief, a statement will be issued that no further investigation is necessary, they hope he will be better soon.

      Three month later he will be back and collect $ his reward.

  2. Steve Davies 3 Silver badge

    Could he be hoisted by his own...

    <insert your own phrase or saying here>?

    Sadly, with the state of the US Legal System, nothing will ever come of it. His buddies (It's election years so they will need all the campaign $$$ they can get) will pass a law ensuting that the status quo remains the same.

    1. Anomalous Cowturd
      Headmaster

      Hoisted?

      Hoist!

  3. Darryl

    Subheading right on the nose!

    You know political corruption is the norm when these scumbags start publicly chastising the politicians for not doing what they were told to do when the 'campaign contribution' cheques were being signed.

    1. Arctic fox
      Thumb Up

      RE: "Subheading right on the nose!" Indeed. However, I think that the first line of the article.....

      .........itself needs adjusting a touch.

      "Chris Dodd, ex–US senator and current Motion Picture Ass(hole). of America.........".

      There, much better.

    2. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward

      It can only get worse, check out this video:

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AALgEvbfRmM&feature=related

      The speaker (Mike Mozart) is a bit of a loudmouth, but I'm starting to like him.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Mike Mozart is a crazy person.

        Aparrently the media companies want you to download films and put them up there themselves because cnet host file sharing programs (no really, that was his logic) if you believe him. He link the extradition of the british kid for linking to films to sopa (despite it having sod all to do with that) as well.

        People like that are best ignored and left to rant in peace, the things he talks about might be issues, but not for the reasons he thinks and all he does is complicate matters.

        1. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
          Facepalm

          My momma used to always say "Crazy is as crazy does..."

          He is not nearly as crazy as the people who believe they can continue to force other people to pay lots of $$$$ for content they can get for nothing on the internet.

          Crazy maybe.... but he is my kind of crazy... needs to work on that voice though.... He's like Michael Moore on steroids.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Mike is a stand up guy

        He exposes big media hypocrisy and all people can do is cower and cry and call him a crazy person, meanwhile they know full well what's going on as their own government rapes them on the daily. When was the last time you got a break? Did you know that the only retirement you will be able to afford is a 9 millimeter bullet? How many fucking homeless people did you have to walk past on the way to work today? And still the government tell you there's no homeless people, you're just imagining it, don't listen to crazy people like Mike who tell you what's going on.

        Step 1 get 20% of the population on psychiatric drugs, step 2 they piss the drugs out into the water and guess what you drink them whether you want to or not. And now you wonder why your mind's knocked for six. Why you can't put facts together or believe the truth anymore, only what the BBC and Fox news tells you. It's like which variety of lies do you want with your shit burger?

        When was the last time your vote counted for shit? Oh that's right never. But don't worry, you'll get to be a slave.

  4. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
    FAIL

    The Shi... White House

    The copyright mafiaa’s true modus operandi is revealed, still as that one time resident of the White House (was he???) Abe Lincoln once said “You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time”.

    Oh, and this one as well, “'Tis better to be silent and be thought a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt”.

    My prediction as to what difference this petition will make… Nil, the copyright mafia will just bribe more senators to get their way, then one day they will find that they too have gone the way of the dinosaurs.

    1. Peter Simpson 1
      Childcatcher

      One result of these two petitions

      Will be the increase, within the next few days, of the signature threshold required for a White House response, from 50K to 500K.

      That should keep the rabble from raising any more of these silly issues.

      1. perlcat
        Black Helicopters

        It's already at 26,500

        enough are on it. More probably won't help.

  5. Turtle

    And....?

    Are these people who are so concerned about the effect of money on government also calling for an investigation into Google's spending habits?

    No?

    For some reason I am not surprised.

    1. AdamWill

      Google? Please.

      Google? Please. The entire tech industry are rank amateurs when it comes to Washington chicanery. They just don't know how the game's played. Why do you think the laws keep screwing the internet over?

      1. revdjenk
        FAIL

        ... and ...

        the tech industry employs more people than the film industry, anyway! (bls.gov figures)

  6. Graham Marsden
    Holmes

    Shock horror...!!!

    And I always thought the American definition of an Honest Politician was "one who stay's bought"...

    1. Graham Marsden
      Facepalm

      Thanks...

      ... to everyone who resisted the temptation to downvote me for the terrible grocers' apostrophe in that comment!

      1. perlcat
        Big Brother

        Well, the overarching definition...

        A politician is a lawyer that has gone bad.

        1. Gannon (J.) Dick
          Headmaster

          And a Lawyer ?

          Homicidal Maniac that's gone bad ?

  7. ratfox
    Facepalm

    Now that is shooting yourself in the foot!

    Though as a former Senator who got a cushy job in the industry he had protected, he must know what he is talking about...

    1. John G Imrie

      I think the phrase you are looking for is ...

      Doing a Ratner.

    2. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
      Devil

      He knows what he is talking about

      The head of the copyright mafiaa is making an offer the politicians can't refuse

      Those that don't accept will sleep with the voters.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Big Brother

    Bribery is such a harsh word

    I think the politicians prefer the term 'lobbying'

    democracy is an illusion

    1. Field Marshal Von Krakenfart
      Headmaster

      No No; get the terminology right

      Lobbying is what you do when you give brib^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H^H make political donations

  9. Number6

    Supporting the cause

    Once upon a time, people mostly donated to individuals and parties who reflected their own beliefs. Now it appears that then rule is that you donate in order that they will reflect *your* own beliefs (or else...)

  10. despairing citizen
    Joke

    An Honest Politician......

    is one that stays bought

  11. despairing citizen
    Joke

    The US Government

    The best government money can buy

    In Other news......

    Closing down sale soon on at our London shop in Downing Street

  12. Christoph
    Joke

    Looks like he's been watching too many movies

    Vizzini: DID I MAKE IT CLEAR THAT YOUR JOB IS AT STAKE?

  13. John A Blackley

    What's all the hubbub, bub?

    Chris Dodd only said the truth out loud. Admittedly a dumb mistake for a politician (in Washington or Hollywood) and one that's liable to get him fired but it's the truth nonetheless.

    What? You thought politicians aren't for sale?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      "aren't" or "shouldn't be". There's a difference.

      1. John A Blackley

        AC@19:47

        Only for the under-twelves

        1. Greg J Preece

          You're so right. Aspiring to better is pointless. We shouldn't be working to improve the species. Hell, the neatest things we've got are digital watches. Maybe coming down from the trees was a bad idea.

          For you.

    2. Dani Eder
      Childcatcher

      Politicians for sale

      @ John A Blackley - Oh, we knew they were for sale. The only question is does Hollywood get a discount for buying them in bulk?

      1. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
        Pirate

        Free the politicians..... but let's jail a few first.

        Wait until our politicians can be digitally reproduced ad-infinitum and downloaded for free... then we'll be talking SERIOUS doo-doo...

        But seriously folks, what is the solution to this Dodd doo-doo (pun intended)...?

        Maybe we should all become politicians or at least petition signers.

        If enough people could see this dirt bag FOX-ranting on You-Tube, then maybe he'd have to get a new job making license plates. He's already actively helped sabotage the economy before with stupid legislation:

        "The Dodd-Frank law has 849 pages, compared with 66 pages in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a 2002 law that overhauled accounting rules following the Enron scandal. The landmark Glass-Steagall Act, which created the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and barriers between commercial and investment banking during the Depression, was a slim 34 pages"

        For more read: http://www.americanthinker.com/2011/10/dodd-frank_disaster.html

        Doesn't anyone see a pattern developing here?

  14. K. Adams
    Go

    Make sure you sign this one while you're at it...

    The "Actually take these petitions seriously instead of just using them as an excuse to pretend you are listening" Petition (no joke; it actually exists):

    -- -- White House "We the People" Web Site

    -- -- -- -- https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/actually-take-these-petitions-seriously-instead-just-using-them-excuse-pretend-you-are-listening/grQ9mNkN

    1. K. Adams
      Megaphone

      And this one...

      -- -- The "End ACTA and Protect our right to privacy on the Internet" Petition:

      -- -- -- -- https://wwws.whitehouse.gov/petitions#!/petition/end-acta-and-protect-our-right-privacy-internet/MwfSVNBK

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Petitions to sign...

      The "Take these petitions seriously" petition.

      The "Stop ignoring the 'Take these petitions seriously' petition" petition.

      The "Damn it we are running out of quotation nesting levels so behave" petition....

      The "You really aren't listening are you" petition.

      Unfortunately, elected officials know that if it is easy to sign a petition, then the petition is not worth heeding. There are only two things the Washington crowd will listen to now-a-days, one being "large sums of money".

      The second I hope we, unlike the Egyptians, never need to do.

    3. MeRp

      Apparently, since I use Linux as my os, I'm not allowed to sign white house petitions.

  15. Chris 228

    The Messiah and his gamesmanship

    Distract from the real problems in the U.S. with meritless congressional inquires. The Messiah will be gone soon.

    1. asdf
      FAIL

      divide and conqueror

      Meet the new boss.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Actually Chris, investigating these lobbyists and their pet politicians who have no shame and no regard for the people who voted for them would go a hell of a long way toward fixing the problems this country faces.

      Or you can keep blaming the other political party for all the problems, then vote for the same corrupt morons you always do, who only give lip service to representing their constituents while stuffing their tailored suit pockets with big wads of lobbyist money and then wonder why nothing ever fucking changes.

  16. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    FAIL

    Shocking. All that cash and they still won't do what their told.

    You just can't get the staff.

    Perhaps members of the Legislature should just publish a "shopping list."

    Asking questions $

    Adding/removing clauses from bill $$

    Sponsoring new bill $$$

    Senators surcharge CALL.

    You might also consider a list of "alternative" remuneration in kind.

  17. zen1

    I've said it before and I'll say it again...

    Lawyers are the reason we can't have anything nice in seemingly "democratic" countries. Once they've landed in a seat of political power, they don't seem to be forced to follow the same laws that the rest of us do, in terms of little things like racketeering, collusion, bribery.

    Dodd has a number of strikes against him:

    1) He's a former politician

    2) he's a lawyer

    3) He's the big cheese of the MPAA

    Add em all up and it spells DOUCHE BAG!

    I seriously wonder how much he took in "campaign contributions" he took from the entertainment industry, while he was in office.

    Personally, I think it should be open season on any politician who takes money from a lobbist. period.

    1. Framitz

      The term 'Douche Bag' is far too kind.

      "Enema Nozzle" is a closer fit, but still doesn't go far enough to describe the despicable waste of skin.

      1. zen1

        @ Framitz

        I bow to your wisdom and thoroughly agree.

        1. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
          Thumb Up

          If only....

          We could add "Bubba's sex object..." to your list..

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        I disagree

        An enema nozzle is a useful piece of equipment, which can be used when somebody is full of $#!7 to relieve the condition, and can be rendered clean again with a simple application of soap and an autoclave.

        Dodd does not improve the condition of being full off $#!7, he worsens it. And nothing will render him clean.

        He is more like a necrotising bacillus, rendering all he touches unclean, existing only to feed himself at the expense of his host organism, until the host is finally destroyed.

  18. Velv
    FAIL

    Clearly the USofA is not the democracy it thinks it is.

    Perhaps it needs to get its own affairs in order before it interferes in the "democracy" in other countries.

  19. Stupidscript
    Thumb Down

    Democracy? Misinformed.

    Those of you who call the USA a "democracy" are misinformed. It has never been a "democracy". Ever and always, the United States of America is a "republic". Your complaints sound idiotic in view of the fact that you have no idea what you are talking about.

    1. Daniel B.
      Facepalm

      Too picky? Yes, we know that the USA is actually an implementation of a funny model called "polity". However, the House/Senate combo is something they share with fully democratic regimes, and operates on the same rules. If SOPA/PIPA were a constitutional amendment, the different rules would apply, but in this case it is only a regular bill. Therefore, the process can be compared with regular democracies.

      1. Stupidscript

        Well Said

        Your tasty prose is difficult with which to argue, but I will try:

        The commenters who use phrases attempt to mock the USA's political structure are using the example of "regular democracies" incorrectly, by implying that the United States *is* a "democracy" ... ergo, they are misinformed. If the USA were being correctly compared to "regular democracies" (of which I challenge you to produce any example), then lumping all such institutions together might be useful, but it is not.

        The USA is *not* a "democracy", even if such a notion is generally accepted as truth, and even if this particular exercise utilizes processes which can also be associated with true democracies, should any be discovered.

        Therefore to use that misunderstanding of the nature of the political system as a weapon to mock the system is simply misinformed, and not a very smart insult. Kind of as if an American were to mock the British system as "a Monarchy". It's a misconception that does not get any more relevant with repetition.

        1. DanceMan
          Headmaster

          Correct name for US political system:

          Should properly be called a plutocracy, gov't by and for the wealthy.

          1. Stupidscript
            Thumb Down

            Case In Point

            Another attempt to mock the US political system falls flat, as it is clear that every government on the planet matches your description.

  20. asdf
    FAIL

    good ole Chris Dodd

    The man who got very low interest loans from the banks in exchange for pushing disastrous deregulation. Republicans did alot to ruin our economy but of course it took bipartisanship to truly finish the job.

    1. asdf
      Megaphone

      for the reading impaired

      Yes I am well aware Dodd was a Democrat from Conneticut thus the bipartisanship comment.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Brazen fuckers the lot of them

    Chris Dodd represents one of the many things that are hopelessly wrong with the US political system.

    There was a time not so long ago when scum like him at least tried to keep their dodgy dealings on the down low. The last few years it seems like they don't even bother to hide their contempt for the general public any more.

  22. Eduard Coli
    Gimp

    Wha?

    As if we needed further proof that American democracy has devolved into oligarchy.

    1. zen1

      @ Eduard Coli

      I humbly disagree, as oligarchy subtectually implies that there is at least one or two "grown ups" in charge, over here, that have a general clue. In all honesty, I highly doubt that the executive, judicial or legislative branchs could actually fine their own respective asses, without someone else pointing it out. However, for the sake of argument, I will concur.

    2. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
      Big Brother

      So true...looks like file sharers are now the new terrorists...but there are SO MANY!

      We're starting to make Russia look squeaky clean..... let's see what happens when the US Gov't starts prosecuting MegaUpload's customers in industrial fashion (yes they have the customer records).. might even be a good time to invest in the soon-to-be, only-remaining, growth market: prison real-estate. Hard to say who will actually be moving into those new prisons though.... Will it be you and me? Or ex-Senator Dodd and his Congressional buddies? I know who I'd vote for.

  23. This post has been deleted by its author

  24. Gnomalarta
    Trollface

    As Leonard Cohen said, "Democracy is coming to the USA", the only question is when.

  25. 4ecks
    Big Brother

    To all our colonial brethren...

    Please sign this petition, as being a resident of Airstrip One I'm not eligible, even though "my" Government has bent over backwards to subject me to the rule of American Laws & Courts.

  26. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Grover Norquist?

    How come they don't go after the biggest racketeer in Washington - Grover Norquist? This is a guy who OPENLY states that if politicians defy his "No taxes"pledge he'll pull campaign funding for them . . . .

  27. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    If you elected these bums you deserve what you get

    Voters have the shortest memory in the world.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Not quite..

      But the only memory shorter is that of a politician when asked about his pre-election manifesto promises.

  28. tom dial Silver badge
    WTF?

    Something fishy ..

    is going on with whitehouse.gov. When I went to sign the petition I received the response (before logging in) that I already had done so. Untrue. Perhaps signing has been closed (at 22,000+) to avoid embarassing certain people.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      ... is probably just faulty IT

      When I visited the site, 21 Jan, there were 26K+ signatures, which put it over the minimum of 25K sigs required to get an official response.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Official response....

        "...which put it over the minimum of 25K sigs required to get an official response."

        Which will be to increase the number of signatures required to 250K.

        1. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
          FAIL

          The petition is no longer on the site, I wonder why?

          Perhaps it did get 250 K signatures.

  29. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Dodd is (unfortunately) a well-known bum....

    He took a very favorable mortgage package from Countrywide Loans, one of the more disreputable of the various home loan companies that pumped up the real estate bubble. Of course Dodd's committee regulated the financial industry.

    At least he is an ex-Senator now

  30. Mikel
    Coat

    Two days and almost done

    At the moment only 179 left to go. If you hurry you can be the 25,000th one.

    Since they still get the entire 30 days anyway I wouldn't mind if this one racked up 250,000 signatures. So they know we're serious.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Just shy of 26,000 now. :)

  31. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Do the math...

    If it literally cost (for example) $200,000,000 to get re-elected in the hotly-contested districts, then the poor schmuck has to rake in something like $100,000 ¡ *AN HOUR* ! just to stay on track. So if you'd like to have a 30-minute appointment to discuss (for example) copyright policy, then you'll need a good size suitcase to carry the appropriate $50,000 bribe^h^h^h^h^ "donation".

  32. ZenCoder

    Lobbying is to Bribery as Dating is to Prositution.

    I'm not exactly sure when lobbying becomes bribery, but there is definitely a legal line there to be crossed.

    1. Yag

      Lobbying is to Bribery as Sugar daddies are to Prositution.

      Here, fixed for you...

  33. Tony Paulazzo
    Thumb Up

    Way to go American people. Chris Dodd has made himself the figurehead for most of this 'stuff'. Having his head on a pike on the Whitehouse lawn should at least give pause to others considering keeping the masses servile.

  34. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Free Market Senators

    Don't pay 'em from the public purse.

    Make 'em earn their money the old fashioned way*

    * for politicians anyway.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Like hell..

      Pay them from the public purse, pay them well but make it an offence punishable with a *long* prison sentence if they take money from any other source.

    2. Vic

      > Make 'em earn their money the old fashioned way*

      Ronald Reagan said precisely one thing of use:

      "It has been said that politics is the second oldest profession. I have learned that it bears a striking resemblance to the first."

      Vic.

  35. ChrisInAStrangeLand
    Facepalm

    Stupidscript misinformed, US a democracy.

    The United States is both a democracy and a republic. A republic is simply a country that does not have a monarch as a head of state. The US is a particular form of democracy called a "representative democracy" where we vote on delegates who make decisions, as opposed to a "direct democracy" where we vote on every decision, or a "democratic republic" where we do what we're told.

    1. Tom 7

      "representative democracy" where we vote on delegates

      who make decisions for business is not a true form of democracy - its more of a piss take.

    2. Vic

      > a "representative democracy" where we vote on delegates who make decisions

      Hactually, a representative democracy is where we vote for people to represent us.

      I'm not quite sure where that "servant of the Electorate" role morphed into "Lord and Master of the plebeian class" :-(

      Vic.

  36. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Why should the government allow the MPAA to influence law when....

    they've been affiliated with organized crime since the 1960s? I hope the government charges the MPAA a severe fine for this matter, as I'm sure bribery isn't exactly legal.

    I'd also kick everyone out of congress now and get new members who aren't so susceptible to such things...

    (gringo talking..)

    1. some vaguely opinionated bloke

      Please clarify:

      Did you mean "Why should the government allow the MPAA to influence law when [the MPAA have] been affiliated with organized crime since the 1960s?"

      Or did you mean "Why should the government allow the MPAA to influence law when [the government have] been affiliated with organized crime since the 1960s?"

      1. This post has been deleted by its author

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Meh

        The MPAA is who I was referring to. I apologize for my earlier erraneous comment.

  37. Richard 15
    Devil

    Sorry, but this is technically not a bribe.

    What he is saying more than anything else is the only truly unforgivable ethics violation is the failure to stay bought.

    If I ask you to vote a certain way, and then hand you a check then its a bribe.

    If you come to me and say you support legislation that I want passed, and by the way I could

    use a campaign donation to fight off those who do not, then it's not.

    If you come to me and say you will support legislation that I want passed if I write a check, then

    its a bribe.

    If you come to me and say you will oppose legislation that I want passed if I don't write a check, then that's extortion.

    Since he is saying that he will only write a check to people who's views coincide with his own,

    that's actually legal.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Thank you

      For being the only person that understands what was said, instead of being the usual commentard that answers using their own bias as opposed to actually trying to understand something

    2. (AMPC) Anonymous and mostly paranoid coward
      Headmaster

      @Richard 15: Maybe, but Dodd's outburst is on the limits of good taste... even for America

      To paraphrase a real Republican (Abe Lincoln) ... you can bribe some of the congressman some of the time...... but you can't bribe all of the congressman all of the time.

      The naked abuse of power is never a pretty sight, particularly in a First World country with nearly 10 % unemployment and no end in sight.

      with > 26000 petition signatures and rising, Hollywood, MPAA and Dodd could join the illustrious ranks of America's most hated.. I can only hope so. Cause it's gettin' down right ugly out there. Do keep fannin' the fire, citizens.... please.... something has to give.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      @ Richard 15 : Yes, but...

      (Need a 'Rotten Fish' icon)

      I agree from your examples that this is not a bribe, yet there is still something smelly about it.

      He expressed annoyance that the politicians concerned didn't act in his favour. His annoyance indicates that he thought that his donation would lead to favourable treatment : it is only the absence of an agreement from the recipient that stops it being a bribe.

      His statement clearly says (to me at least) that in future he will only donate to politicians who he can be sure will give him something in return. That arrangement is commonly understood to be a bribe.

    4. Drew V.

      Whether it is "technically" a bribe

      doesn't change the fact that the whole thing is a f**ked-up system.

      These technicalities used to be a nice facade to cover the god-awfully enormous amounts of money sloushing around the system. To cover them at least a little bit.

      What's changed in recent years, apparently, is that facades are no longer necessary and people openly speak about the full role that money plays. Obviously Supreme court decisions had a lot to do with this.

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      nope

      The fact they their votes were 'bought' in the first place, without them having the opportunity to change their view, is corruption.

      He is not saying he will only write a check to people who's views coincide with his - he is saying he won't write a check to those who 'USED' to agree with him unless they revert back to their original stance. He is bribing them to change their current stance.

    6. Tom 35

      You forgot

      The nudge, nudge, wink, wink part.

  38. Nigel Brown

    It's not just at national level though is it....

    A major supermarket chain in my small market town has just pushed through it's planning application by offering what is known as Section 106 (I think that number is correct) money, a large chunk of wedge for the council to spend in 'improving' the town. What do you think would happen if I offered a few hundred quid to hurry through the planning application on my extension or conservatory?

    1. Victor Ludorum
      WTF?

      Hmm, Section 106

      That's a rats' nest of bureaucracy if ever there was one.

      Council: We can't even consider your planning application for a grotesque supermarket/retail box/bowling alley unless you promise to spend an additional small fortune putting in other infrastructure in a completely unrelated area that we overlooked in last year's budget.

      Developer: But we have evidence to show that this store is needed by at least six people, and we'll be creating jobs (most of which are temporary in the construction of the site). And that cycle path you want us to put in as part of the 106 doesn't actually go anywhere.

  39. Levente Szileszky
    Thumb Down

    Another amazing display of the corrosive power of these scumbag parasites...

    ...like MPAA et al.

    Also it gives you a chill when you see how quickly a formerly reasonable Senator turned into this utterly immoral paid mouthpiece (scumbag lobbyist, that is.)

    Let's close that revolving door for good, shall we?

    1. Quxy
      FAIL

      Formerly reasonable?

      Whilst a Senator, Dodd received more campaign money from Wall Street than any other politician. And the bulk of the $47M he received in donations during his 20 years in office came from individuals and PACs affiliated with the major investment banks. So he understands very, very well the way that money buys political influence.

      1. Levente Szileszky
        IT Angle

        RE: Formerly reasonable...

        Well, he is from CT, the hedge fund capital of the world so it's not like he could have acted differently, if he had chosen - do you expect him to refuse that and go to bug pizzeria owners, realtors etc for money? C'mon.

        OTOH of course, he liked Big Money's campaign donations - yet at the same time even though it's certainly far from perfect (it does go anywhere near as far as it should) the Frank-Dodd Act pretty much changes the entire legal landscape for these funds, banks and consumer protection as well, I think and in a rather positive way (for us, consumers.)

  40. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Brazenly flouting

    To "flout" is to openly disregard. Therefore if this is "a brazen flouting" of his above-the-law status then he would be disregarding his above-the-law status, and would hence presumably be acting within the law.

    Maybe "a brazen flaunting" would be better? I'm all for brazen flaunting.

  41. The BigYin

    Are people naive?

    Am I one of the few who views donations to political parties/politicians as anything other than legalised bribery?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      corruption

      Most countries/people have another name for it.

    2. Malmesbury

      When politicians control buying and selling, the first things bought and sold are politicians.

      This is why Ancient Greek history is so valuable - check out how the Parthenon got built.

  42. richard 7

    As Radio One used to say....

    QUACK QUACK OOPS!

    http://audioboo.fm/boos/602753-quack-quack-oops

  43. Danny 5
    FAIL

    love this guy

    in a single outburst, he managed to put himself and anyone he deals with under scrutiny, couldn't have happened to a nicer person too.

    awesome comments by this man "if you want to continue getting money from us, you better support us, no matter what".

    kinda sounds like those old mafia movie toughguys, collecting their "protection money" from companies.

    1. Gannon (J.) Dick
      WTF?

      kinda?

      If I were Charlie Lucky I'd sue. It would have to be Copyright, of course, the Patent has long since expired.

  44. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    > “Those who count on quote ‘Hollywood’ for support need to understand that this industry is watching very carefully who’s going to stand up for them when their job is at stake," Dodd told Fox News. "Don’t ask me to write a check for you when you think your job is at risk and then don’t pay any attention to me when my job is at stake.”

    I read and re-read the above multiple times, and I don't see how you can: 1) assume it is a bribe 2) assume that he is referring to Senators. Heck the linked to video almost make the comment seem to be directed at Obama!

    The way I read the statement: he is more then happy to give finical support to those who will try to address "Hollywood's" concerns and he will backup those who will stand for those concerns. It is not illegal to try to donate to someone who try to push an agenda that will benefit you. What he is saying is, after the <insert politician here> promised that s/he will do something to solve the 'Hollywood' problem, we donate to that politician. But when shit hit the roof, the politician drop their support to what they told they would support.... and walked away with the money. Because of this, we are monitoring the politicians that we donated to, and in the future we won't trust those who lied to us.

    1. Sir Runcible Spoon

      Sir

      "It is not illegal to try to donate to someone who try to push an agenda that will benefit you."

      Perhaps it should be.

    2. Levente Szileszky
      FAIL

      Sandra, is it you and your bald-faced lies again?

      http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgWDnstRzgg

      I understand that you are a paid mouthpiec, working for the parasites and your job is to lie and lie and lie but you just showed your true colors and modus operandi on television in a debate about SOPA (link above), why do you so keen about proving over and over again that you are a truly immoral, really disgusting lying shill...?

  45. Robert Halloran
    Mushroom

    Tipped over

    As of 1250 GMT Tuesday, count stands at 26443; now to see how the Obama White House deals with it. Bets are given Dodd was a fellow Democrat in the Senate while the current Prez, not much.

  46. Caffeine Junkie

    It may not be bribary, but is it right?

    The bottome line is do these polititions represent the people who paid for their campaigns or the people who voted for their campaigns?

    It's fine taking money from lobbyists if you do believe in their goals, but make it clear to the people who are voting what your agenda is.

    They should all have to declare as part of their campaign which "special interests" group contributed to their campaign. Then if people still vote for them it's their own fault.

  47. Keep Refrigerated
    Angel

    Corporations are People too!

    So perhaps, like people, they should simply be given one vote and go along to the polling station like everyone else and vote with their ONE vote. Perhaps then there would be a fairer representation.

    All lobby money should then be pooled into one big lump sum and distributed evenly between running parties. It's a case of then, rather than buying specific politicians to favour and ram through your cause, you have to decide which party is most aligned to your goals - but accept that individual politicians who are not aligned will still get a share.

    Perhaps they could go one step further - your lobby money can only be used to fund your own party = net benefit to all. Citizens would get a truly diverse and representative government with many voting options (as opposed to right/far right) and the MPAA, Bank, Insurance parties get a minor share of the votes and minimal influence on government.

  48. John Smith 19 Gold badge
    Thumb Up

    @Keep Refrigerated

    "So perhaps, like people, they should simply be given one vote and go along to the polling station like everyone else and vote with their ONE vote. Perhaps then there would be a fairer representation."

    "Perhaps they could go one step further - your lobby money can only be used to fund your own party = net benefit to all. Citizens would get a truly diverse and representative government with many voting options (as opposed to right/far right) and the MPAA, Bank, Insurance parties get a minor share of the votes and minimal influence on government."

    This is superficially quite mad.

    I rather like it. You'd have a pretty good idea what the views of the AmEx party would be for example.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      You know, it used to actually work this way, before the rise of the two-party system we see everywhere. It used to be that individual politicians did have their own views, goals and adgendas, and would then work to achieve those goals.

      Now it seems that the political party has goals and adgendas and they fabricate cardboard frontmen. The whole two-party system has to be broken down. I want to vote for a person/representative, not a "party".

      It's got to the point where some policical parties have their members sign legally binding documents that forbid them from voting differently to the "party approved" view.

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