Thread: Democrats Increasingly Scared Of Angering Deep Pockets, Surv

Democrats Increasingly Scared Of Angering Deep Pockets, Survey Says


WASHINGTON -- Democratic congressional staffers are increasingly wary of alienating corporate lobbyists for fear of inciting a massive advertising blitz against their bosses, according to an informal survey by the consumer watchdog group Public Citizen.

Almost 60 percent of the Democratic staffers responding to the survey said that the influence of lobbyists in the policymaking process has been strengthened by the 2010 "Citizens United" Supreme Court decision, which unleashed corporations to spend unlimited amounts of money on political advertising -- in some cases, anonymously.

Nine out of the 56 Democratic staffers who responded to the survey said they now feel a need to "respond differently" to lobbyists.

“The prospect of a massive donation to an outside organization that would run ads against my boss and not have any identifying information about who is behind them has a chilling effect on our decision-making,â€

Maybe they should be more worried about the voters who are increasingly upset by partisanship and power grabs.