The U.S. is locking up more illegal immigrants than ever, generating lucrative profits for the nation's largest prison companies, and an AP review shows the businesses have spent tens of millions of dollars lobbying lawmakers and contributing to campaigns.
Thirty large American corporations -- all of them profitable -- spent more money on lobbying than they paid in federal taxes from 2008 to 2010, according to a report from the nonpartisan reform group Public Campaign.
With the 2012 election season looming, the retail sector is getting vocally political for the first time. The National Retail Federation has launched "Retail Means Jobs," a year-long, $10 million advocacy campaign designed to push for retail-friendly policies in Washington.
Republicans can be friendly to solar energy -- just don't use the terms "recovery act" or "stimulus package" when lobbying them for government subsidies. That was the message from GOP political adviser Mary Matalin at the largest solar conference in the country on Thursday.
What companies have shelled out the most to America's political campaigns? Using data from the nonpartisan Center for Responsive Politics, we've created a top-10 list, offering a look at the candidates they support, the issues that concern them and their lobbying habits.
Since the fall of 2008, the big banks have spent $600 million on lobbying and related political activities. More and more, influence in Washington is an essential contributor to profits.
It's easier to stop fog from forming on San Francisco Bay than to halt special interest money from flowing to politicians. The solution to achieving a more representative Democracy is not banning money from politics. Rather, to level the playing field in politics, we must do the same in economics.
