Coupons, updates, links

Lets start with something fun... here is a coupon for this week--an extra 25% off at my favorite outlet!Mr. Deval Patrick, the governor of MA is trying to push the state legislature to allow him to make a temporary appointment to fill the late Mr. Kennedy's vacant senate seat. He believes that MA must be fully represented during this time of heated health care debate (an issue very close to Mr. Kennedy's heart). The appointment would be temporary, until January, when a special election is set to be held. The appointee would not be allowed to run for the vacancy, as to prevent anyone having an unfair advantage in the race.

I am trying to follow campaign money trails (to see who is "buying" our congress) and came across this great non profit website opensecrets.org which tracks lobbyists, donations, etc over the last 20 plus years. Fascinating. It really makes you wonder if the people are making the choices in the "pillars of their party" or the lawmakers who made millions off of a donation from... oh lets just pick--Pfizer, Eli Lilly. or the American Beer Manufacturers. Very interesting. Here is just one example of a table available. These are the "heavy hitters"

Rank	Organization	Total	Dem %	Repub %	Tilt
1	AT&T Inc	$43,501,240	44%	55%
2	American Fedn of State, County & Municipal Employees	$40,965,173	98%	1%
3	National Assn of Realtors	$35,179,013	48%	51%
4	Goldman Sachs	$31,183,662	64%	35%
5	Intl Brotherhood of Electrical Workers	$30,920,696	97%	2%
6	American Assn for Justice	$30,734,429	90%	9%
7	National Education Assn	$29,908,625	92%	6%
8	Laborers Union	$28,201,600	92%	7%
9	Service Employees International Union	$27,510,257	95%	3%
10	Teamsters Union	$27,402,304	92%	6%
11	Carpenters & Joiners Union	$27,368,258	89%	10%
12	Communications Workers of America	$26,748,746	99%	0%
13	Citigroup Inc	$26,562,905	50%	49%
14	American Medical Assn	$26,213,449	39%	60%
15	American Federation of Teachers	$25,996,071	98%	0%
16	United Auto Workers	$25,767,002	98%	0%
17	Machinists & Aerospace Workers Union	$24,793,477	98%	0%
18	National Auto Dealers Assn	$24,048,808	31%	68%
19	Altria Group	$23,869,891	28%	71%
20	United Food & Commercial Workers Union	$23,742,074	98%	1%
21	United Parcel Service	$23,649,476	36%	63%
22	American Bankers Assn	$21,945,966	41%	58%
23	National Assn of Home Builders	$21,401,355	35%	64%
24	EMILY's List	$20,984,384	99%	0%
25	National Beer Wholesalers Assn	$20,300,845	31%	68%
26	Microsoft Corp	$19,692,774	52%	46%
27	Time Warner	$19,653,331	71%	28%
28	JPMorgan Chase & Co	$19,395,548	51%	48%
29	National Assn of Letter Carriers	$19,206,784	88%	11%
30	Morgan Stanley	$18,173,708	45%	53%
31	AFL-CIO	$18,034,967	95%	4%
32	Verizon Communications	$17,812,927	39%	59%
33	FedEx Corp	$17,676,556	40%	58%
34	Lockheed Martin	$17,638,388	42%	57%
35	General Electric	$17,349,803	50%	49%
36	National Rifle Assn	$17,095,136	17%	82%
37	Sheet Metal Workers Union	$16,907,563	97%	2%
38	Ernst & Young	$16,746,413	44%	55%
39	Credit Union National Assn	$16,694,237	47%	51%
40	Bank of America	$16,568,591	47%	52%
41	Operating Engineers Union	$16,235,350	85%	14%
42	American Dental Assn	$16,134,579	46%	53%
43	American Hospital Assn	$16,126,109	52%	46%
44	Plumbers & Pipefitters Union	$15,807,536	94%	5%
45	Blue Cross/Blue Shield	$15,779,305	39%	60%
46	Air Line Pilots Assn	$15,478,917	84%	15%
47	International Assn of Fire Fighters	$15,372,243	82%	17%
48	Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu	$15,366,870	34%	65%
49	PricewaterhouseCoopers	$15,073,033	36%	63%
50	Natl Assn/Insurance & Financial Advisors	$14,845,205	42%	56%
51	AFLAC Inc	$14,582,269	44%	55%
52	Merrill Lynch	$14,299,160	37%	61%
53	Union Pacific Corp	$13,847,948	23%	76%
54	Boeing Co	$13,579,262	47%	52%
55	United Steelworkers	$13,477,947	99%	0%
56	United Transportation Union	$13,373,545	88%	11%
57	Reynolds American	$13,302,827	24%	75%
58	Pfizer Inc	$13,210,087	29%	70%
59	BellSouth Corp	$12,993,782	45%	54%
60	Ironworkers Union	$12,923,775	92%	7%
61	American Institute of CPAs	$12,698,585	42%	57%
62	Credit Suisse Group	$12,141,215	44%	55%
63	American Postal Workers Union	$11,925,473	95%	4%
64	National Rural Electric Cooperative Assn	$11,745,871	52%	47%
65	General Dynamics	$11,496,724	46%	53%
66	American Financial Group	$11,334,675	18%	81%
67	GlaxoSmithKline	$10,895,744	28%	70%
68	Walt Disney Co	$10,810,549	67%	32%
69	Chevron	$10,709,395	25%	74%
70	Exxon Mobil	$10,511,023	14%	85%
71	Natl Active & Retired Fed Employees Assn	$10,430,000	77%	21%
72	MBNA Corp	$10,059,006	17%	82%
73	General Motors	$9,950,919	38%	60%
74	UST Inc	$9,935,061	21%	78%
75	Freddie Mac	$9,859,490	43%	56%
76	AIG	$9,744,312	50%	49%
77	Human Rights Campaign	$9,741,375	90%	9%
78	National Restaurant Assn	$9,645,995	15%	83%
79	Southern Co	$9,544,345	31%	68%
80	Prudential Financial	$9,345,074	48%	51%
81	MetLife Inc	$9,284,365	55%	44%
82	American Academy of Ophthalmology	$9,162,538	52%	47%
83	National Cmte to Preserve Social Security & Medicare	$9,144,499	80%	19%
84	Eli Lilly & Co	$9,039,674	28%	71%
85	CSX Corp	$8,935,785	31%	68%
86	Associated General Contractors	$8,811,941	14%	85%
87	Amway/Alticor Inc	$8,716,601	0%	99%
88	National Cmte for an Effective Congress	$8,707,940	99%	0%
89	American Maritime Officers	$8,606,031	46%	53%
90	Archer Daniels Midland	$8,303,364	43%	56%
91	Seafarers International Union	$8,140,144	84%	14%
92	MCI Inc	$8,093,472	46%	53%
93	American Airlines	$8,052,023	47%	52%
94	American Council of Life Insurers	$7,581,090	37%	62%
95	Marine Engineers Beneficial Assn	$7,353,627	74%	25%
96	Bristol-Myers Squibb	$7,282,437	21%	78%
97	Enron Corp	$6,633,457	29%	70%
98	Andersen	$6,313,422	37%	62%
99	BP	$6,120,971	28%	70%
100	Vivendi	$4,455,940	66%	32%