Interesting contributions to Dems who voted for cloture on S 2248

20-Democratic senators recently voted with Republicans to invoke cloture on S 2248, the FISA bill, effectively voting for amnesty for telecoms. One prominent Democratic senator did not vote.

Here's the vote:

<http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=2&vote=00019>

After that stinging rebuke, I wondered why so many Democrats I admire voted as they did. Hell, I thought, I've contributed to many of those same senator's campaigns over the years and I'd like to know why they voted to invoke cloture.

I've contributed to them directly and through HRC, ActBlue, Emily's List and MoveOn.org. Surely I wouldn't find any telecom contributions, would I?

I started checking the lawyer / lobbyist-sounding firms and, if they have telecom practices, I've included those numbers and have provided links.

I visited OpenSecrets.org and compiled the following information:

Democrats voting to invoke cloture

BAUCUS (D-MT)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00004643>

Verizon - 51,701
Time-Warner - 43,666
Akin, Gump - 54,112

<http://www.akingump.com/practice.cfm?practice_id=102>

Baucus Total - $149,479


BAYH (D-IN)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00003762>

Qwest - 43,691
Latham, Watkins - 55,325

<http://www.lw.com/practices.aspx?page=practicedetail&practice=1>

Bayh Total - $99,016


CARPER (D-DE)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00012508>

Skadden Arps - 50,780

<http://www.skadden.com/index.cfm?contentID=47&practiceID=45>

Akin, Gump - 31,502 see Baucus

Carper Total - $82,282


CASEY (D-PA)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00027503&cycle=2008>

Buchanan, Ingersoll
And Rooney - 54,600

<http://www.bipc.com/services.php?ServiceID=102>

Casey Total - $54,600

Sen Casey also received contributions from the Human Rights Campaign in the amount of $55,517.


CONRAD (D-ND)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00004613>

Robbins, Kaplan - 60,300

<http://www.rkmc.com/tags.aspx?tag=Telecommunications&root=Industries>

Conrad Total - $60,300


FEINSTEIN (D-CA)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00007364>

Time-Warner - 104,583
Qualcomm - 61,147

<http://www.qualcomm.com/about/index.html>

Feinstein Total - $165,730

Listed on Emily's List as “we helped elect”


INOUYE (D-HI)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00001762>

AT&T - 35,000
National Cable
And Telecoms Ass - 32,749 <http://www.ncta.com/>

Inouye Total - $67,749


JOHNSON (D-SD)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00010084>

None located

ActBlue 56,795


KOHL (D-WI)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00004309>

None located


LANDRIEU (D-LA)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00005395>

BellSouth - 33,500

Landrieu Total - $33,500

Emily's List 108,050


LINCOLN (D-AR)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00008092>

AT&T - 74,000
AllTel - 45,200

Lincoln Total - $119,200

Emily's List 65,958


MCCASKILL (D-MO)
2008 Race Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00027694&cycle=2008>

Blackwell Sanders - 31,025

<http://www.blackwellsanders.com/practiceDetail.aspx?id=c8d703a8-b59f-11d6-9c03-0008c786daf8>

Patton, Boggs - 17,550

<http://www.pattonboggs.com/services/ServiceDetail.aspx?firmService=173>

Lathrop & Gage - 16,250

<http://www.lathropgage.com/practices/servicedetail.aspx?service=1623>

Time-Warner - 17,849

McCaskill Total - $82,674

ActBlue 88,158
Emily's List 523,538


MIKULSKI (D-MD)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00001945>

DLA Piper - 45,012

<http://www.dlapiper.com/global/services/detail.aspx?service=163>

Van Scoyoc Assoc - 43,560

<http://www.vsadc.com/pages/page02.htm#18>

Mikulski Total - $88,572

Emily's List 118,123
Communication Workers
Of America 33,000 <http://www.cwa-union.org/>


NELSON (D-FL)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00009926>

Comcast - 42,150
DRS - 71,800

<http://www.drs.com/Products/TTIT.aspx?cat=Techserv&subcat=Sub_Cat_9>

Nelson (FL) Total - $113,950


NELSON (D-NE)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00005329>

AT&T - 33,000
Level 3 - 66,750 <http://www.level3.com/>

Nelson (NE) Total - $99,750


PRYOR (D-AR)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00013823>

AT&T - 18,250
AllTel - 31,800
Patton, Boggs - 33,250

<http://www.pattonboggs.com/services/ServiceDetail.aspx?firmService=173>

Pryor Total - $83,300


ROCKEFELLER (D-WV)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00001685>

AT&T - 52,900
Verizon - 45,300
Time-Warner - 46,500
National Cable
And Telecoms Ass - 33,000 see Inouye
K&L Gates - 61,100

<http://www.klgates.com/practices/ServiceDetail.aspx?service=70>

Rockefeller Total - $238,800


SALAZAR (D-CO)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00026892>

Qwest - 33,050
Time-Warner - 31,750
Level 3 - 25,700 see Nelson (D-NE)
Patton, Boggs - 23,035 see Pryor
Sherman and Howard - 62,502

<http://www.shermanhoward.com/Services/AdministrativeLawandLitigation/>

Salazar Total - $176,037

MoveOn.org 57,652 (Salazar voted to “condemn” MoveOn.org)

<http://www.senate.gov/legislative/LIS/roll_call_lists/roll_call_vote_cfm.cfm?congress=110&session=1&vote=00344>


WEBB (D-VA)
208 Race Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00028058&cycle=2008>

Time-Warner - 23,900
Patton, Boggs - 10,000 see Pryor

Webb Total - $33,900

ActBlue 431,825


WHITEHOUSE (D-RI)
2008 Race Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/contrib.asp?CID=N00027533&cycle=2008>

Technology
Crossover Ventures - 44,100

<http://www.tcv.com/invest/target.html>

Edwards & Angell - 24,850

<http://www.eapdlaw.com/services/serviceDetail.aspx?firmService=56>

Whitehouse Total - $68,950

ActBlue 18,139


Democrats not voting

CLINTON (D-NY)
Career Profile Top Contributors

<http://opensecrets.org/politicians/allcontrib.asp?CID=N00000019>

Time-Warner - 348,840
Patton, Boggs - 220,038 see Pryor
Skadden Arps - 314,140 see Carper
DLA Piper - 445,220 see Mikulski
Kirkland & Ellis - 291,850

<http://www.kirkland.com/sitecontent.cfm?contentID=218&itemID=749>

Clinton Total - $1,620,088

Emily's List 267,127


Do you think we're getting good bang-for-the-buck from our contributions?

Credit: The Center for Responsive Politics

From OpenSecrets.org: "The organizations themselves did not donate, rather the money came from the organization's PAC, its individual members or employees or owners, and those individuals' immediate families. Organization totals include subsidiaries and affiliates."

AT&T and Verizon are the two big companies under litigation.

What seems important in this contribution scheme is this:

2008 Rockefeller contributions compared to previous years, AND

Two-thirds of telecom contributions go to the Rs!

When lobbyist contribute, like the law firm Akin, Gump, how do you identify the reason?

AT&T and Verizon are the only ones who have been identified. However, I find it interesting that so many telecom related firms have made so many contributions to Dems.

Yes, Rockefeller's contributions from telecoms have gone through the roof recently.

The list is in no way intended to be exhaustive and I am plowing through OpenSecrets.org for data on Republicans, too. I will post those numbers when I complete the work.

I Googled most of the law / lobby sounding firms and searched through their sites looking for specialties in "Telecommunications". I have provided those links.

There is not a chance in the world that I would vote for her simply because this one vote was not important enough for her to return to Washington and stand up for. It was the kiss of death.

That the smartest thing corporate America ever did to help its greedy self was buy the Democratic party.