New public database makes it easier to track who lobbies our Congress members.

[dixiegrrrrl]

Sunlight Foundation and Pro Publica rolled out another government transparency project, a database
tracking who lobbies whom, plus, below the data search table is news of all sorts of nefarious lobby tricks.

I really recommend this for those of us who are intent on keeping an eye on Congress.

The database:
http://foreignlobbying.org/

[havocmom]

1. Thanks for posting. Bookmarking handy link in my "politician watch" folder

;)

[annabanana]

2. k&r.. valuable info!

[sueh]

3. Thanks, dixiegrrrrl. Very valuable resource.

[tridim]

4. Great!

Now let's also start labelling congresspeople as "Joe Blow (R-Monsanto)" on CSPAN and the media.

[chill_wind]

5. And, even more directly, "The Senator from Aetna" joins our show tonight.

We've often observed that they should be required to wear jerseys with their corporate logos on the floor of Congress. Few of late have made that case better than he.

[dixiegrrrrl]

6. 2 things:

if anyone knows of other handy databases ( politics, money, etc) I would love to add them to my
resource list.

Recently a Du'r did pics of 2 Congress people ( Lincoln and Landrieu) in corporate logo suits.
I will try to find who did it. Way cool.

[dixiegrrrrl]

7. Dupe

[chill_wind]

9. and opensecrets.org goes without saying..

Who gives. Who gets.

[chill_wind]

18. and Follow The Money.

http://www.followthemoney.org/

[chill_wind]

8. K & R. They Rule.

For people who like big picture visuals and interactive databases-

this was a pretty good snapshot of the byzantine labyrinth of government, lobbyists, advisory boards and The Ruling Class in 2004:

"They Rule"

http://www.theyrule.net/html/category.php?category=they_rule

I'm sure some names and chairs have been re-shuffled in the few years since, but not the central power.

[dixiegrrrrl]

11. oh lordy, there goes my day. That is some site, thanks.

Help me, I am stuck again in computerland....:evilgrin:

[chill_wind]

12. Whole parts of my boring life I will never get back...:-)

There is another more recent incarnation of namebase.org around somewhere (not Political Friendster, but like it.). I once plotted out Goldman Sachs. After looking at one or two iterations out, it seemed it would be much, much faster and easier to ask the database who ISN'T beholden/financially/politically/interconnected to them in DC. I'll try to find that database and post a link when I find it.

[dixiegrrrrl]

13. Were you thinking of muckety.com?

or maybe it is muckety.org..
interactive list of who is connected to who.
Fascinating but depressing.

[chill_wind]

14. Found it. NNDB Mapper.

Here's one I did during during the bailout:

http://mapper.nndb.com/start/?map=2806

http://mapper.nndb.com/maps/812/000002806/

main site link: http://www.nndb.com/


Thanks for the muckety link. I love this stuff.

[dixiegrrrrl]

15. Gulp....that is muckety on steroids. Wow.

btw...did you ever notice how often James Baker shows up in these conncections?

I love this stuff too. Please feel free ( anyone here) to pm me with database links.

Nice contribution....many thanks.

[crooked_lake]

22. Muckety

Have to say I find Muckety.com much more easy to understand and manipulate.

[hooraypietoday]

23. really?

I love Muckety!!

My sense is that Muckety is more current & more complete than either NNDB or They Rule. They Rule was made in 2004

[arthritisR_US]

10. k & r ! n/t

[Solly Mack]

16. k/r

[Hissyspit]

17. Both are excellent organizations. kr

[Swamp Rat]

19. k&r

[dixiegrrrrl]

20. Hi Swampy.....you "home" by now?

I lost track of your...tracks.
:hi:

[Soylent Brice]

21. late to the party kick, and bookmarked.