Krugman is Right but The Dems are Failing...

Paul Krugman tells us it's all about class warfare, and there is one party that fully represents only a small portion of the country's economic interests. Well I say no duh professor, but the problem is the Democratic party has been and is currently being courted by the same monied class that has the Republicans in their pockets.

WASHINGTON -- Some big companies are boosting their share of campaign contributions to Democrats this year, a sign that executives may be starting to hedge their political bets after a decade of supporting congressional Republicans.

The shift includes backers of the Republican Party in the insurance, pharmaceuticals and tobacco industries, such as American International Group Inc., Wyeth, and Reynolds American Inc., according to PoliticalMoneyLine, a nonpartisan tracker of campaign contributions.

Well, it looks like the corpo interests realize that their favorite sons are going to lose in November so they are hedging their bets. My question is why are the Democrats taking the money?

The shift in donation patterns for some big businesses mirrors early signs that companies and corporate trade groups may now be increasing their hiring of lobbyists with Democratic ties, after a decade of largely shunning them. The Federalist Group is a corporate lobbying shop founded by Republicans soon after the party took over Congress in 1994. In its first eight years, the firm only hired Republicans, including former aides to onetime House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, former Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, and President Bush.

Four lobbyists recently hired by the firm, beginning earlier this year, are Democrats, including a former House member from Louisiana and a health-care aide to liberal icon Edward Kennedy, the Democratic senator from Massachusetts.

Other firms and trade groups that hired Democrats recently include the Information Technology Industry Association and the National Beer Wholesalers Association. In April, a new trade group representing the food industry tapped former California Democratic Rep. Cal Dooley as its president.

At least part of the Democrats' new gains can be attributed to the decline of former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay of Texas and a Justice Department investigation into Republican lobbyists.

At the height of his power, Mr. DeLay pressured corporations to hire Republican lobbyists and increase their political donations to Republicans. "The grip of fear has been broken," said Paul Equale, a Democratic consultant.

"Companies understand that the government is run by Republicans, but the kind of draconian arm-twisting that you've had for the last five years is gone now," he said.

So, the Democratic party was shut out by the Republicans and their corpo buddies over the last 6 years but now that the winds are shifting the corpo money comes calling. Why don't the Democrats listen to the people and turn this money down so they can actually stand up for the interests of the American people and not the interests of the rich CEO class?

This is a battle for the soul of the Democratic party and it looks like the soul is for sale.