Congressmen who accepted contributions from Porn Industry

[rustydog]

Anyone have the list of takers?
I can't find a complete list.
I am praying my congressman is onthe list so I can fire off a letter to the editor.

[7th_Sephiroth]

1. the list of congressmen who get porn donations

is the same length as the list of congressmen </scarcasim>

[tx_dem41]

2. You're probably right....

I guess I don't get too worked up on this issue.

[Frances]

3. That kind of attitude plays into the hands of Repubs

because as long as the people think there is no difference between politicians, they won't bother to vote.

And I can guarantee you that if Gore had been in the White House, we would not be in Iraq today. And we would not be hearing about abolishing social security either. And he would not sign the bankruptcy bill.

The Dems are far from perfect but they are infinitely superior to the Repubs.

[7th_Sephiroth]

4. i'm notsaying that

once again i forget to put in a scarcasim tag and my post is mis-read

[Frances]

6. Thanks for your explanation

There was a link on DU about a Repub who runs on family values issues. It seems his daughter-in-law is an ex-porn star who is now in the porn film business & she gives money to her father-in-law's campaigns.

It seems right to me that such hypocrisy should be exposed.

[FreedomAngel82]

29. I agree

If they're actively being hypocritical people should know. I think it's kinda funny in some ways and really sad and pathetic. Whatever happened to people voting on the policies instead of who is more moral? :eyes:

[tx_dem41]

5. The only problem with that, Frances...

is...what if its true (i.e. its fairly bipartisan)? I'm not one to hide the truth. I guess I need to research this further.

[7th_Sephiroth]

7. he is right

my last post is said in jest, but alot of the higher money industries donate pretty heavily to BOTH sides to make sure thier buisness stays in buisness

[tx_dem41]

9. Which is why its not a big political issue with me....

its a dead end street called Hypocrisy. I'm not going down it.

[rustydog]

12. So, if you ever considered running for office

and your opponent is Joe Numbnuts, Neo-con Republican who is on record saying the porn industry is the spawn of Satan and needs to be dealt with appropriately.
You find out your opponent received 50,000.00 from the porn industry..You are not going to call him out as the liar he is?
it is not a political issue?
jerry falwell hugs and kisses you publicly and you bemoan all the world's sinners and then it comes out you are supported by the multi-billion dollar porn industry? this is not an issue come election time?

[tx_dem41]

14. It depends on what you call the "porn industry" and how clean ...

my own contributors are. To use this weapon, the Democratic politicians would have to be totally pure on this issue. My guess is, they're not.

[FreedomAngel82]

30. Something I'm wondering

Why do they have to and not us the people? Maybe if enough whispers get around people will be curious. As the old saying goes: curiosity kills the cat. So maybe we the people have to get the hypocriacy out and let our politicians worry about the issues at the time.

[Jack Rabbit]

16. Dissent

First of all, Mr. Rustydog, the author of the root post, colored his remarks such as to imply that there is something wrong with taking money from the porn industry and that it is more wrong than taking money from some other industry. Does Rustydog believe that taking money from pornographers is worse than taking money from the energy lobby? Perhaps we should be discussing how the present campaign financing system has a corrupting influence on the American body politic. In this system, private contributors foot the bill for a politician's career. It becomes a pay-to-play system. Politicians are more responsive to the needs of those who contribute money to their campaign than to those who vote for them. They may also demand money from private concerns using their votes in committee and on the legislative floor as leverage. Democrats are as guilty as Republicans. The only difference is that a Democrat is more likely to be ashamed of it.

Second, if Mr. Rustydog is implying that Republicans are more likely to benefit from a pornographer's campaign contributions than a Democrat, he might be in for a shock. Hugh Hefner has been a good friend to the Democratic Party over the years and Larry Flynt delights in outing Republican family values hypocrisy, something that indirectly benefits Democrats. I don't know how the industry as a whole contributes, but it is clear that Democrats benefit from contributions made by some very high profile publishers of pornography.

Third, we can go into the subjective matter of what is pornography. But let's not. It would just bog down the discussion. As far as I'm concerned, pornography, like hate speech, is a price we pay for democracy. I've often said one of the characteristics of democracy is a set of civil liberties that are designed to encourage free and open discussion of civic affairs. This means that no citizen should be punished for speaking his views, no matter how wrongheaded or even absurd. The principle of free speech covers depictions of sexuality in which at least one of the participants is viewed in a degrading light or Ann Coulter's hateful, Arabophobic rants every bit as much as it covers this post.

[FreedomAngel82]

31. The thing with that

Is you don't hear the democrats going on and on about how "evil" one thing is. If people want to look at porn, so what? Let them. It's their right if they want to do that. Why should I stop someone from doing that? And with Mr. Heffner doesn't he doante his own money or is it on behalf of Playboy and the company as a whole? What's ironic about this situation is this guy is going around saying the porn industry is bad when his OWN DAUGHTER is an ex-porn player and SHE gives him money to run on the "family values" ticket. That's hypocriacy. He has a daughter who used to be in the porn business who supports his little moral values theme.

[Jack Rabbit]

37. Response

First of all, the case of the family values congressman with daughter who is a pron story is indeed ironic. So is the fact that Newt Gingrich, while pushing Clinton's impeachment over getting a blow job from a White House intern, was banging a congressional aide. Enough said about that.

Pornography is a term that may be used to cover a wide range of artistic expression from what is explicitly erotic to something that is degrading to women, and even hateful. Playboy is one thing and, most would agree, venial even at its worst. However, there is a great deal of pornography that is used to suggest that a woman's most important role in life is to please a man sexually with no regard to her own pleasure. Some of this even borders of being open advocacy of rape. That is another thing.

My point is that in a democratic society, this is protected free speech, even if rape is not protected behavior. Frankly, I wish people who pormot such ideas would sit down and shut up, just as I wish those who suggest that people of color are put on earth to serve White people would just go away. But if a citizen wants to stand up in a public forum and tell us why he thinks rape laws should be abolished, he should be able to do so. Nevertheless, he better be prepared for people like me to ask, "Why are you wasting our time with this kind of nonsense?"

As for the artistic depiction of such ideas in the market place, as long as I don't have to look at it, I'm happy.

[rustydog]

8. Citizens for Ethics in Washington produced a report

I tried to download the pdf and only got tot he first page.
On page 6 or 7 is the complete list of congressmen, 13 I believe who have publicly ranted against porn yet accept porn industry contributions into the thousands of dollars.
I'm just trying to tind out who these christian hypocrites are.

[7th_Sephiroth]

11. supply and demand

congressmen, senators, even mayors in target states or areas push for "decency acts" in thier area causeing a demand for a now "outlawed" product because suprise suprise, just outside of the border, any border of where pornography is banned is where you will find the most dristributers, for exorbanant prices, too

[Frances]

17. Interesting point

I grew up in a county that voted over and over to make the sale of alcohol illegal.

People said that the fundamentalists and the boot-leggers were the main forces behind that vote. The fundamentalists voted on principle, while the boot-leggers knew the law was good for their business.

[7th_Sephiroth]

19. its all about money

a politician wants to ban alkie-hall in small scale (cities mostly, just enough terrirory so those who are effected can just drive 10 miles and buy it) if you look as who has been lining his pockets you will see its Annhauser Busch or such

[MuseRider]

10. Here is the report

to download. http://www.citizensforethics.org/activities/campaign.php?view=31

I have not read it yet but I do know that good old Sam Brownback is on it. I am still considering an LTTE about this.

[rustydog]

13. I am trying to get the names, I have the site,

The file is damaged and won't download. at least that is what pops up when I try to download the file.Does anyone have another source than this website?

[MuseRider]

15. Sorry.

If I find one I will post it.

[jdots]

18. The hypocrisy is the issue.

Say a peace candidate takes contributions from a bomb company,an anti pot repuke is funded by drug companys ,you name it and it is happening.The neocons operate on secrets.Political funding has to out in the open in a democracy.

Lets bring back prohibition because it was good for buisiness.
It isn't about porn,it is about hypocrisy and the bullshit of putting something down to make it more profitable.

[ancient_nomad]

20. am in the process of converting the file to html

as soon as it's converted I'll post it. it may take a little
bit before it's complete (am on dialup). Wait till you see
the list! :grr:

[newyawker99]

38. Hi ancient_nomad!!

Welcome to DU!! :toast:

[Frances]

21. The Repubs have succeeded in making the public

believe that the porn industry donates ONLY to Dems. It is not wrong to point out that this is not a true statement.

[mongo]

24. No what's wrong is claiming that the CABLE companies

are part of the PORN industry.

This is just a way to divide and conquer.

This whole report is just a propaganda piece.

[leftofthedial]

22. wait, I though Congress WAS the porn industry

[mongo]

23. The "porn industry" does not give money to repubs

The companies in the report were ATT, Comcast, Mariott, etc.

They are CABLE companies and HOTEL CHAINS!

The porn industry is made up of the porn producers, distributors, and retail outlets whose PRIMARY business is selling sexually explicit entertainment.

This is like saying that if F911 gets shown on pay-per-view, Michael Moore is a conservative or that Rupert Murdock is a liberal. Or that I'm a conservative if I sell a movie to someone without checking their political affiliation.

The porn industry as a whole was very pro-Kerry. Bush has been trashed in the trade magazines, the trade assocs. etc. There were very active campaigns leading up to the election.

Are there pornographers that are repub? Sure, there are a few, and I've seen a few of them get trashed in print. But the industry as a whole worked very hard this election cycle and it hurts to see them inaccurately portrayed as being favorable to repubs.

[Frances]

25. How do you feel about the Congressman

who runs as a family values man yet gets campaign contibutions from his former porn-star daughter in law who is now producing porn films?

As a Dem who does not watch porn, I resent the idea that the Dems are all porn loving folks who are indebted to the industry. I think that Repubs probably watch more porn than Dems because as a group they tend to be more repressed in their relationships with their spouses.

[Jack Rabbit]

26. You should resent that characterization of Democrats

Although I'm not going to hazard a guess on who watches more. Attraction to that kind of thing is probably not related to one's politicial ideology.

We have seen a good many "family values" Republicans turn out to be hypocrites. It's a lot of fun to expose them, but it doesn't help a rational discussion of the merits or demerits of their case.

It certainly doesn't have anything to do with whether porn publishers and distributors contribute more to Democrats or Republicans.

[mongo]

27. Your speaking of Jewel Denile (sp?)

I would say she is the exception rather than the rule. As I belong to the trade assocs. (Free Speech Coalition), and get the trade mags (AVN).

I KNOW what was being done before the election. I'm sick of people trashing the industry when they have no idea what they are talking about

And as far as consumers, I don't think that lies along party lines at all. Either you like it or you don't. I had a big Kerry sign in my window for months and I got many comments of support and people who jeered at me. I even got one guy who told me he wasn't going to shop here anymore because of it.

[Bariztr]

28. It's the hypocrisy

Personally I would probably be much more likely to vote for them if they took the money!

Unless they were being hypocritical about it...saying porn is bad and then taking the money from them thru the backdoor. (Pun intended)

[ultraist]

32. But by hunting down this hypocrisy

You are saying, by default, the porn industry is inherently "bad."

Freedom of speech is not "bad." There are laws that limit it, against child porn for instance, but why go after an industry that donates primarily to Dems?

Why not focus on an industry that is complicit in VIOLATING HUMAN RIGHTS or trashing the planet, the BIG REPUKE donors?

[mongo]

33. Thanks for saying that

And the truth is that it is not the "porn industry" making these contrivbutions but the cable companies and hotel chains.

[ancient_nomad]

34. having trouble with file connversion, BUT

here is the list of names taken from the pdf file:

HOUSE: Total amount (2002 to 2004 cycle)
Joe Barton 34,000
Chris Cannon 24,000
Barbara Cubin 17,000
Tom Delay 24,000
Bob Goodlatte 11,000
Michael Oxley 24,500
Charles Pickering 52,000
Joe Pitts 16,000
Bart Stupak 27,000
Fred Upton 56,500
Heather Wilson 47,000

SENATE:
Christopher Bond 20,500
Sam Brownback 17,000
Joe Leiberman 16,200
John McCain 46,000

Link: http://www.citizensforethics.org/filelibrary/2005310_addicted_to_porn.pdf


What do you think?

[mongo]

35. I think these are all cable, satilite and hotel companies

So I'm REAL TIRED of people calling them "the porn industry"


Corporations That Derive Pornography
Profits and give to Members of Congress
Total Political Contributions Made
2002 2004 Total
Holiday Inns $29,500 $36,000 $65,500
Marriott International $105,500 $83,500 $189,000
Comcast Corporation $184,350 $428, 800 $613,150
Time Warner Cable $427,352 $402,474 $829,826
Cox Communications n/a n/a n/a
Charter Communications $71,125 3,250 $74,375
Adelphia Communications n/a n/a n/a
Cablevision Systems Corporation $106,535 $144,500 $251,035
Echostar $146,250 $152,900 $299,150
General Motors (Owned DirecTV) $271,750 $518,570 790,320

[onenote]

36. stupid list

If you're going to call Hotel chains and cable/satellite companies that offer adult pay per view movies the "porn industry", I guess that same label applies to the mom and pop video store down the street from me that has an adult video section (along with Disney videos and everything else). And then lets toss in all of the bookstores that carry adult magazines or sell "Lolita" or "Lady Chatterly's Lover". And then let's toss in the drug stores that sell condoms and lube. Heck...let's go after Kimberly Clark, 'cause we know what kleenex can be used for.....

Its a stupid list and it would be stupid to attack Repubs for accepting contributions from Marriott becuase its part of the "porn" industry.

onenote