Corporations Line Up To Sponsor Meeting Of Nation’s Governors
Last month, we covered how the National Govenors Association (NGA) — a bipartisan policy organization for the nation’s state governors — has jumped into bed with the predatory for-profit education industry, taking thousands of dollars from for-profit college and education technology interests, both of which depend on government funding. Starting this Thursday, the NGA will
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Virginia Democratic Party Chair, Subject of Our Reporting, Ends His Job As For-Profit College Lobbyist
In May, Republic Report approached Virginia Democratic Party chairman Brian Moran and asked him if there was a conflict of interest between his role in the party — advancing the goals of President Barack Obama — and his job as a for-profit college lobbyist for the Association of Private Sector Colleges and Universities (APSCU), which
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Georgia Lawmaker Calls Lobbying Gift Cap Silly, But Gets Hundreds Of Dollars In Meals From Lobbyists
Momentum continues to grow in the state of Georgia, as both tea partiers and progressives are pushing hard to enact a lobbyist gift cap that would cap lobbyist gifts to lawmakers at $100. Recently, Rep. Don Parsons (R) called the cap “silly,” and refused to sign on to a pledge to push for such a
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On Independence Day, Remember That The Founding Fathers Revolted Against Big Money
Tomorrow is Independence Day, the holiday where Americans celebrate declaring independence from the British Empire. And the joy of hot dogs and fireworks. But Independence Day shouldn’t just be a day where we’re all glad we drive on the right side of the road and perplexingly still don’t use the metric system. It’s also a
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It’s Not Just Super PACs: 91% Of Independent Election Ads Have Come From Groups That Don’t Disclose Donors
As the election approaches, the public has been inundated by millions of dollars of television commercials intended to sway them one way or another in the upcoming races. While much of the media focus has been on Super PACs — new entities formed after the Citizens United decision — it’s important to remember two things about
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The Associated Press Equates Scott Brown’s Secret Meetings With Lobbyists And Elizabeth Warren’s Heritage
This morning, the Associated Press published an article outlining a “battle over transparency” in the Massachusetts Senate race: Both candidates in Massachusetts’ closely watched U.S. Senate race have championed the virtues of public disclosure — but each has limits when it comes to their own records and history. What are these limits that the Associated Press is
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VIDEO: McCain Denounces Big Pharma Lobbyists Who Just Killed Cheaper Drugs Again
Imagine you could get pharmaceutical drugs for twenty to eighty percent cheaper. If you’re someone with multiple prescriptions, that could save you thousands of dollars every year. The thing is, you can. Or, you could, if you were allowed to import safe pharmaceutical drugs from Canada. But you’re not, because the U.S. government bars you from doing
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Senator Sherrod Brown Explains Why Big Business Owns Congress
In a piece about populism and the Democratic Party in Politico, Democratic Senator Sherrod Brown (OH) explained how Big Business has, through its ability to tap into an extraordinary amount of campaign contributions, independent expenditures, and other electoral interventions, been able to own Congress: “They own the Republican Party, and they have too much influence
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