| There is no question in my mind whom to support in the mid-term elections, or in any elections, for that matter: a candidate who will represent my interests when voting on various issues and whose only concern when deciding where to cast a vote or how to draft a new piece of legislation is, Will this support my constituents and our society as a whole?
Easier said than done. Can one know if a political candidate will reflect those views?
Yes, if you follow the money. Take, for example, the upcoming race between incumbent Senator Joseph Lieberman and his challenger, Ned Lamont. I may not know Senator Lieberman’s position on any particular issue, but I do know for a fact that he cannot cast an independent vote on issues that would affect the defense industry or pharmaceutical manufacturers because he is the top recipient in the US Senate of money from defense contractors and the second largest recipient of donations from pharmaceuticals manufacturers. To me, that means he cannot possibly cast an impartial vote on issues that affect these two industries. He will not vote contrary to their interests because that would stop the flow of money to his re-election campaign. Therefore, my support goes for Mr. Lamont.
Don’t get me wrong: I have no idea whether Lamont, if and when elected, will follow the same path as Leiberman has. Like many politicians before him, once in office he may succumb to the sweet overtures of big corporations and accept their money. If he does, I’ll throw my support elsewhere. But today, I prefer the candidate whose election efforts are financed by his own money and by small donations from his many supporters, rather than the one who has already proved that his loyalty is to big corporate donors and their interests.
A similar opportunity to decide arises in the race between the incumbent Representative Nancy Johnson and her challenger Chris Murphy. Some 55% of all PACs contributions to Ms. Johnson’s 2005-2006 election cycle warchest came from healthcare companies and almost 20% came from finance/insurance/real estate controlled PACs. How can she possibly vote independently on issues where the public interest might be contrary to the - paid for - interests of these companies? To do so would be political suicide for her. She would be forced to ask for donations from ordinary people, to spend more time listening to them and protecting their interests in the House of Representatives. In the absence of knowing how her challenger, Chris Murphy, will finance his future re-election campaigns, but fully aware how Nancy Johnson finances her current re-election, my support goes to Chris Murphy.
I want my political representative to have clear and unclouded views on all issues that affect our lives. With so much money in politics this sort of clarity becomes nearly impossible to achieve. So, if you want to make a difference in the upcoming elections, just follow the money and cast your vote accordingly. |
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