Congress Has 43,457,362 Reasons to Help Goldman Sachs

ABC News ^ | September 26, 2008 | By AVNI PATEL and BRIAN ROSS

[mgist]

Congress Has 43,457,362 Reasons to Help Goldman Sachs Embattled Firm and Its Employees Spread Millions Around Washington in Donations and Lobbying Expenses 95

Not all their money has gone for mansions and Ferraris. Employees of Goldman Sachs are listed as a top contributor to 55 separate members of Congress. (ABC News Photo Illustration)

The embattled Goldman Sachs investment banking firm and its employees have spent more than $43 million dollars on lobbying and campaign contributions to cultivate friends and buy influence in Washington, D.C. since 1989, according to an ABC News analysis of campaign finance records compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.

As a group, Goldman Sachs bankers have been the country's top political campaign contributors this year and have given $29.5 million in contributions since 1989, according to the Center. "They are almost in a class by themselves," said Sheila Krumholz, the executive director for the Center for Responsive Politics.

"Their top executives are in a class that is way above the clout and name-dropping that most other American businesses can achieve," says Krumholz.

[WOBBLY BOB]

“When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.”
-P. J. O’Rourke

[anonsquared]

They keep forgetting that we know where they live, work, and play.

[God luvs America]

Goldman Sachs bankers are also the number one contributors to the Barack Obama presidential campaign, giving $691,930 to his campaign in this cycle, according to the records.

-————snip———————

John McCain’s campaign has received substantially less from Goldman Sachs employees, $208,395, although they are, as a group, his fourth largest contributor.

—————snip———————

In the 2008 election cycle, Goldman Sachs bankers have come up with $4.8 million in contributions to federal candidates, according to the records. 72 per cent of Goldman’s money this year has gone to Democratic candidates and the national party, the majority party in Congress.

[Achilles Heel]

Well, now we have in print what we suspected all along. The legislators have been bought.

[Mr. K]

that needs to be repeated

“When buying and selling are controlled by legislation, the first things to be bought and sold are legislators.”
-P. J. O’Rourke

For anyone desperate for a good laugh read "A Parliament of Whores" - not only the funniest book on politics, but the funniest book i have EVER read.

[Leisler]

You can not sell what you don’t have. Congress and the legislatures have used the last hundred years stripping liberties, powers and rights from the citizens to the capitals, whereupon they are put up for auctions like women in a Arab slave market.

Americans are now born slavish, in attitudes and have no memory of what liberty was like. We forge our own, and our children’s chains for empty promises and a small monthly( for now ) check.