This isn't exacty new, but I think it's a good clip for showing the issue of the corruption of money in politics.
Jack Abramoff, who to his credit has switched to advocating against the corruption, and a former Congressman who was voted out after being greatly outspent, are in the clip.
In it, they make the point pretty clearly - even the host, Chris Hayes, discussed how he saw a friend run for Congress and was surprised to learn that it's 90% sitting in a room with a list of phone numbers from the campaign dialing for donations, and 10% being involved in ads, and that was almost all he did.
Hearing Abramoff discuss again how effective the money is is still a useful discussion.
There are some creative ideas about money in politics, but it's partly notable how hard the issue is to do much about.
Abramoff also explains to the panel how they don't understand that 'half the country', on the right, is strongly opposed to the 'liberal solutions' like campaign financing.
Bernie Sanders is in two segments, and even he seems to struggle with some of this, when faced with Abramoff saying his constitutional amendment just can't pass.
They point out that an amendment needs a broad public consensus, and Sanders argues that's doable, but it's clear there are two sides to that.
Big money interests want this reform to go nowhere, and without a massive public effort for it, that's where it's headed.
Public opinion might be strongly against Citizens United, as Sanders noted, but that doesn't mean any action against it happens.
A secret enemy of reform and democracy: the media industry which makes billions and billions off the ads the corrupt money pays for.
To watch the clip scroll to 'Sunday Jan. 15 First Hour'.
http://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.msn.com/
Jack Abramoff, who to his credit has switched to advocating against the corruption, and a former Congressman who was voted out after being greatly outspent, are in the clip.
In it, they make the point pretty clearly - even the host, Chris Hayes, discussed how he saw a friend run for Congress and was surprised to learn that it's 90% sitting in a room with a list of phone numbers from the campaign dialing for donations, and 10% being involved in ads, and that was almost all he did.
Hearing Abramoff discuss again how effective the money is is still a useful discussion.
There are some creative ideas about money in politics, but it's partly notable how hard the issue is to do much about.
Abramoff also explains to the panel how they don't understand that 'half the country', on the right, is strongly opposed to the 'liberal solutions' like campaign financing.
Bernie Sanders is in two segments, and even he seems to struggle with some of this, when faced with Abramoff saying his constitutional amendment just can't pass.
They point out that an amendment needs a broad public consensus, and Sanders argues that's doable, but it's clear there are two sides to that.
Big money interests want this reform to go nowhere, and without a massive public effort for it, that's where it's headed.
Public opinion might be strongly against Citizens United, as Sanders noted, but that doesn't mean any action against it happens.
A secret enemy of reform and democracy: the media industry which makes billions and billions off the ads the corrupt money pays for.
To watch the clip scroll to 'Sunday Jan. 15 First Hour'.
http://upwithchrishayes.msnbc.msn.com/
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