Progressive Groups Protest Washington's Pay-To-Play Culture

[laughingliberal]

Two dozen protesters gathered outside Rep. Gregg Harper's (R-Miss.) annual "Mississippi Fish Fry" fundraiser at a Capitol Hill townhouse on Thursday, kicking off a series of summer demonstrations at fancy D.C. restaurants and other venues where members of Congress raise campaign cash from lobbyists.

The summer of protests, spearheaded by Common Cause and the Public Campaign Action Fund, spotlight Washington's pay-to-play culture, in which powerful special interests trade campaign donations for access to lawmakers on a daily basis.

There are more than 100 fundraisers between now and the end of July, according to the Sunlight Foundation's PoliticalPartyTime.org, a website that tracks fundraisers.

Demonstrators waved signs and chanted "Constituents, not cash!" as Rep. Harper greeted his guests at the townhouse, which is owned by a health care lobbying firm called Strategic Health Care.

The price of admission ranged from $100 for individuals to $1,000 for people representing political action committees, according to the invitation.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/11/progressive-groups-protes_n_608941.html